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locustheologicus · 2 years

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Gun rights, Abortion, the Right to Privacy and the struggle for the heart and soul of America

On the morning of June 24, 2022 news networks were ablaze with two major headlines. The first headline was on the negotiated bi-partisan gun law regulation in Congress offering some concrete regulations and restrictions in order to promote gun safety. This comes out after a string of mass shootings which I posted on earlier in Buffalo, Uvalde and Tulsa. Later that morning however an even greater headline came out announcing that the Supreme Court overturned Roe vs. Wade no longer granting federal protection for abortion. I also posted on this development and how the potential for this ruling is shifting the way the U.S. Catholic Church is addressing their concern for helping socially vulnerable pregnant women and familes. Our own Bishop Brennan spoke on the need to promote dialogue and formation in order to seek ‘changing hearts and minds is most important’ as we engage these two issues specifically.

The Catholic Church sees both these issues as part of our pro-life agenda. The President of the Pontical Academy for Life, Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, recently connected both these issues as he reflected on the Supreme Court ruling.

This is what we must fight for, so that every desire to abort may be transformed into a possible desire for pregnancy, but also so that access to guns is made as complicated and rare as possible. Having so many guns in hand is a grave threat to life.

I know that many Americans have passion over these two issues from both perspectives. Those on the political right are ardent defenders of the right to bear arms and their strict defense of the second amendment. Those on the political left on the other hand are ardent defenders of the right to privacy and flexible understanding of the fourth and fourteenth amendment.

The right to privacy is at the center of both issues. Conservatives follow the originalist interpretation of the constitution to defend their private right to have weapons while not recognizing responsibility for the common good and the victims of those who misuse their "right". The liberal community on the other hand will follow a living interpretation of the constitution to defend their right to do what they wish with their person while not recognizing the personhood of the fetus.

The right to privacy is a good things. It is good that our constitution protects the spirit of the second and fourteenth amendment (and yes I follow a living interpretation of the constitution). But as a Catholic and a social democrat I never understood how as Americans we can get so tied into our personal rights without recognizing the social responsibilities that come with those rights. Whether it is with abortion or gun rights I implore my compatriots to call to mind the preamble of our Constitution and recognize the shared goals we have to one another to "establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity." The preamble of the Constitution should be a constant reminder for us that our founders were promoters of both our individual liberty as well as the common good. Our Declaration of Indepedance also acknowledges this. Yes we have "certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness" but we also recognize that "for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the Protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor."

Catholic social teaching reminds us that with individual rights comes a social responsibility. St. John XXIII established this in the encyclical Pacem in Terris, the encyclical that defined the basis of human rights within the Catholic social tradition.

it follows that in human society one man's natural right gives rise to a corresponding duty in other men; the duty, that is, of recognizing and respecting that right. Every basic human right draws its authoritative force from the natural law, which confers it and attaches to it its respective duty. Hence, to claim one's rights and ignore one's duties, or only half fulfill them, is like building a house with one hand and tearing it down with the other. PT #30

Pope Francis discussed this further as he explored the appropriate political response to issues that defend extreme forms of individualism.

This political charity is born of a social awareness that transcends every individualistic mindset: “‘Social charity makes us love the common good’, it makes us effectively seek the good of all people, considered not only as individuals or private persons, but also in the social dimension that unites them”. Each of us is fully a person when we are part of a people; at the same time, there are no peoples without respect for the individuality of each person. “People” and “person” are correlative terms. Nonetheless, there are attempts nowadays to reduce persons to isolated individuals easily manipulated by powers pursuing spurious interests. Good politics will seek ways of building communities at every level of social life, in order to recalibrate and reorient globalization and thus avoid its disruptive effects. - FT #182

On a couple of occasions now I have heard fellow Americans say that the time has come to explore a third party. I agree with this notion. As a social democrat I push for the common good agenda within the Democratic party but I am not sure that is enough. A libertarian ideology has gripped the Republican party especially in economic and certain social matters while Democrats on the far left cannot seem to negotiate on the right to privacy (at least on identity issues and reproductive rights). CNN offers an interesting headline suggesting that this pinnacle moment "will reshape politics," and I think this is true. Republicans have been focused on this one social issue while doing everything in the meantime to promote market fundamentalism. With this social issue out of the way it will be curious to know how Republicans will continue their economic program. As for Democrats one gets the sense that they will now make reproductive rights their own social focus. Whether or not they have the ability to organize around other socio-economic policies remain to be seen. Like the article concludes: Democrats have yet to prove that they have the discipline, organizational capacity or rising political stars to mount a similar fight of their own.

For all these reasons I believe that now is the time for the moderate majority to enter the political fray. So far third parties have either usurped one of the other parties (as the Republicans replaced the Whigs in 1860) or cast a mayor influence on one of the two dominant parties (as the Populist Party influenced the Democrats in the early 20th century). It is impossible to see how this develops in the near future. If our two dominant parties are reshaped in the way it is suggested above then I believe we need a third party to pursue the "good politics" that Pope Francis suggest. A politic that places the common good and social responsibility at the center of its agenda. Maybe we can call on a respectful dialogue throughout our communities, with people on both sides of the aisle, that are willing to explore a common agenda based on the principle of human dignity, solidarity and the common good.

As for now I just hope and pray that we Americans can respond to these two burning issues calling to mind the social responsibility we have to one another.

#abortion #gun rights #right to privacy #us politics #gun violence

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sam-t-a · 3 years

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I'm praying really hard for a plot twist next episode that redeems Han Seo.

However, wishful thinking aside, I think the show set this episode up with Han Seo's arc so perfectly that it could go either way.

Han Seo is the perfect underdog, easily endearing and impossible not to sympathize with. We've also only seen it very briefly, but he has the capacity to be resourceful and generous, and he's a lot more resilient than he looks at first glance. All those things can make for a wonderful addition to an already colourful team that clearly benefits from growing and doesn't mind integrating reformed criminals into their newfound family. He has also pretty much cut all emotional ties with his brother and no longer struggles with the thought of betraying him.

His interactions with Jipuragi, especially in comparison with his interactions with the other side, are proof that working alongside them makes him feel good about himself and helps him in many ways. And while we've seen that he can be an astoundingly bad liar/actor at times ("You made a chess pun. It's so cool") he can also be a great one when necessary (the whole Babel Tower event), so just because he's convincing in the interpol scene, doesn't necessarily mean he isn't acting and making the best out of his new relationships.

In the hockey scene, for example, one nice thing that stuck out was that they were both dressed in the same type of clothes, as opposed to one of them wearing a suit and being in a position of weakness and the other wearing his gear and causing physical harm (which is the only way hockey has been portrayed so far in the show).

Him asking Vincenzo if he would kill him was also very different from how he asked his brother if he would kill him if he kept disappointing him. Neither one actually responded with anything resembling "no", and in both cases he had to guess the answer. With Han Seok, I would say it was "I think you will, but I'm still hopeful", whereas with Vincenzo, it was "I know you won't, but I'm still worried."

But on the other hand, much as I tried to focus on the "sweet" part of it (and I tried really hard), that scene still felt bittersweet. Han Seo has very traumatic experiences with hockey stuff and (most probably) with being punished for using banmal (I don't think we've ever heard him call his brother Hyung, it's always Hyungnim, which I think is telling, but that might just be me misunderstanding the culture). So, when Vincenzo hits the puck very hard and startles him and when Han Seo complains that he wasn't wearing the helmet or backs away from Vin, or says "thank you" and Vincenzo trips him in response, it stings a bit. Mainly because achieving that kind of rapport with someone (anyone) takes time, and achieving it with a torture survivor who has had little to no agency over his body since childhood is even harder.

Him being loud and brash isn't really an indicator that he's feeling comfortable or brave because we've seen him raise his voice multiple times with Han Seok and get punished for it and still do it later. Being cheery and smiley after the scene could mean a lot, because he's rarely ever seen happy, but it could also mean very little because he was equally cheery and smiley after his brother threw the lamp at his head just because he felt cool for dodging it.

A lifetime of handling abuse has not only taught him to bounce back really quickly, but also really raised the bar for what he would consider awful enough to pause at. Han Seo also definitely has major trust issues, regardless of the fact that Vincenzo hasn't really explicitly said he wouldn't hurt him, which would understandably be heightened by the fact that he just watched that one guy die after Vin promised him money and freedom.

He waves it off when Vincenzo doesn't answer his question, but the fact that their interaction could still be seen as brotherly when one party is literally afraid the other might kill him only works because "that is my brother" and "I'm not entirely sure he wouldn't kill me" aren't mutually exclusive in Han Seo's mind.

On Vincenzo's side, I think it's totally feasible that he would refuse to fully accept Han Seo. He's shown an appreciation for enemies joining his side, especially if they do it voluntarily (Bye Bye Balloon), but not when it's personal (the shadows responsible for lawyer Hong's death). The time Han Seo's resourcefulness shone was when he caused the deaths of the victims' families by helping his brother find them. Not only was this a very personal turning point for Vincenzo and Chayoung, but it was also completely his initiative. Han Seok didn't ask him to do this and might even have said no if Han Seo had asked him before doing it since he thought his way was "the hard way", but Han Seo did it anyway, and he did it purely to get his brother's validation and has shown no remorse or empathy throughout the whole ordeal.

There were times like this and like the time he basically begged his brother to assassinate Chayoung and Vincenzo where the only thing stopping him from being as ruthless as Han Seok was that he couldn't, not that he didn't want to, but perhaps the fear keeping him in check is now gone.

We've seen his personality completely change from the beginning of the show to this episode. Where once he would have pounced wholeheartedly and gratefully at what Han Seok is offering, he now hesitates and even turns it down at first. Han Seok comes saying "You're my brother" after Han Seo had already made peace with being a puppet and cut the strings off. He couldn't go back to being his brother if he tried. In fact, in none of the situations where Han Seok was at risk did he seem remotely worried about him. And the distance goes both ways - no more "stand with me while I do bla bla bla" from Han Seok. It's always "leave, get out, stay away".

Another reason might be the fact that Han Seok's olive branch (aside from being so obviously fake, even before you google Elizabeth Holmes), comes in the wake of weeks of escalation. First, we went from mark-less physical violence to wound-leaving violence and then to slapping on the face. I'm not sure if this is universal, but in so many cultures, a slap in the face is so much worse than most ways of hitting because it might mean less pain, but infinitely more degradation. It could also be the ludicrousness of Han Seok's phrasing, (I mean, "be nice to you and take care of you"? get outta here!) and he takes it with a lot more self-control than he originally would have.

Han Seo has learned how to emotionally distance himself from a lot of things, but he still doesn't have a real support system of people who care for and respect him. He has as much potential as he does baggage, and the transition phase he's going through guarantees that his feelings about everything and everyone, especially his brother and Vincenzo, are bound to be mixed and messy, so whichever way this swings, narratively speaking, I would totally buy it.

But I'm really really hoping this works out for him, because I'm going to be totally heartbroken if it doesn't.

#I have no idea how this got so long I'm so sorry #jang han seo #jang han seok #ok taecyeon #kwak dong yeon #vincenzo meta #vincenzo #what to do with all the feels

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sweetestlamb · 3 years

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Yoga

Summary: Vincenzo hides his jealousy as well as he hides being part of the mafia.

Author's note: it was supposed to be a cute jealous yoga story I don't know why this ended in angst 😂😂😂 I really need to get my life together. Also Vincenzo rubbed me the wrong way today and some people are trying to convince me that I'm interpreting the show incorrectly and explaining to me why it didn't offend them and why everything was fine and I just need you to know, my opinion isn't changing but listen if you had a great time today watching the episode please don't let me stop you. I don't need anyone to be outraged with me. I'll be mad all by myself I promise! But just to be clear my problem was the creation of yet another gay character who an awful person in a kdrama. I can count on one hand the amount of times I've seen gay characters not be predators or abusive.

Anywho I give you jealous aerial yoga fun that ends in man pain!

He probably believes that he's being inconspicuous again, hiding this side of him as well as he'd thought he was hiding being a member of the mafia. But he's just as obvious as he always is in her eyes, much like her he's too theatrical to ever really conceal how he's feeling. He talks too much and reveals his cards too easily- especially to her.

He's attracted to her that much is painfully evident, if her father's nosy assistant hadn't interrupted they would have kissed. She would have been laid across the table and taken apart, his eyes promised a great time as he devoured her. She was just as attracted to him, she wouldn't have stopped him from doing whatever he wanted.

It is getting more difficult to ignore the quiet moments though, when she can feel his eyes on her and it's not sexual at all. He's just looking at her and she feels bare, naked.

Those moments scare her in a way she hasn't felt before. Ergo she presses them deep, deep into the dark corners of her brain behind all the different ways that she has concocted to throw off others, she's used to being strange and having men overlook her for it.

She's never been what others would consider "sexy". But then he appears and suddenly men seem to see her in a new light. Or maybe he brings her attention to it.

It all begins at the coffee shop, they've made a habit of starting their mornings together by getting coffee. She doesn't analyze what exactly they're doing but some may consider it a date, she hasn't giving the outings a title there's no need to.

She feels comfortable with him and he hasn't been resistant to her pushing her way into his life. She has always been like this, too much and overbearing. Usually it drives people away and she pretends that it doesn't hurt that she's something that people need in doses, she's heard that so often that it's etched in her brain.

Friends in college, boyfriends and her colleagues to name a few.

But for some reason he keeps coming back for more doses, regularly smiling at her shenanigans even egging on her antics with full body laughs.

So he'd taken her to get coffee grinning once again as she dragged her caffeine deprived body dramatically like a puppet with its strings cut to the counter, plopping herself on the surface before crying out, "If I don't get a large sewage water in five minutes my death will be on your hands!" The barista behind the counter grinned over at her, used to her dramatics. He was young, barely nineteen and he'd tried his hand at flirting with her a few times. She had promptly laughed in his face the first time, spewing coffee everywhere before strutting out of the shop.

Laughing and punching a stranger in the arm, ignoring the loud "Hey! What are you doing," before she danced down the sidewalk, hand on her hip as she flipped her hair before shouting to the sky, "I've still got it, baby!"

That day he had glanced at Vincenzo before walking over to her, his eyes twinkling with mischief.

"I didn't realize I had so much power over you. What if I say I won't give it to you unless you let me take you on a date?" She remembered her eyes widening in shock and then disbelief and finally landing on bemusement, he was persistent she would give him that much but she was no cougar so his flirting was futile.

She opened her mouth to let him down easy- laugh in his face again and remind him that he had to be this old to ride her ride but suddenly her Italian was leaning across the counter, all cool lines with a deadly smile on his face.

With a his deep voice he chillingly said, "If you don't give it to her your death will be on my hands."

There was heavy silence.

He continued, "I know how to kill a man with only a coffee cup and a string."

The barista, Heon, stared at Vincenzo with all of the blood draining from his youthful face. She didn't blame him the man did sound unnervingly serious and the look in his eyes was a little too real to be purely acting. Plus there was conveniently a coffee cup and a string right there on the table, it was an oddly specific thing to say.

Then after a pregnant pause, he started laughing loudly filling the entire shop like a mad man and she looked over at him as if he had lost his damn mind but this was her favorite coffee shop, she couldn't be banned so she started laughing with him, guffawing and pushing the idiot on the shoulders.

"He's just joking! HahaHAHAHA, laugh it was a joke! LAUGH!!" She leaned across the counter to pat the scared boy on the back but then Vincenzo leaned into her, draping his arm around her shoulder and pulling her back until she was no longer touching him. His laughter static and too robotic to be anything other than a hoax.

She'd never seen anyone brew coffee that fast before. It was impressive what a person could do when they felt as if their life was in danger she'd thought, she gave him a generous tip before leaving.

Heon mysteriously stopped working when they would normally come to the coffee, another barista informed her that he had switched his hours. A certain Italian was really cheerful upon hearing the news, whistling an unknown tune as he sipped his tiny cup of espresso- double shot, traipsing away with a pep in his step and the wind beneath his suit coat.

His random violent outbursts continued.

Bartenders. Businessmen. Traffic officers. Other lawyers. A librarian who had flirtatiously whispered that she wouldn't need to be quiet when they were alone. Suddenly there were men everywhere and she was the hottest thing on the menu, her lower back probably had an imprint of his hand by now from all the times he would steer her away from her suitors.

Every time his excuses were the same, "I'm just protecting you. Guys like that are scum, you deserve better."

Well the one she wanted had no intention of staying so why was he blocking anyone else from trying?

Thinking about it makes her chest feel tight and she welcomes the weekend, she has booked an aerial yoga class to release some of the stress and tension just being around the Italian causes.

It's a warm day so she dons a small set, a light blue sports bra with matching shorts throwing a light jacket over in case the temperature drops at the end of the day. Looking in the mirror she scoops her hair into a low ponytail, pushing back baby hairs that frame her face.

She swipes a thin layer of chapstick across her dry lips before grabbing her phone, keys, gym membership card and her gym bag with a change of clothes.

The drive to the studio is short, she listens to BlackPink on the radio happily screaming about her dududududu complete with car choreo that consists of arm shakes and a lot of hair whipping. It's another miraculous day where she does not cause a car accident, she gives herself a high five for the small victory.

She parks her car haphazardly driving onto the sidewalk several times before getting it right. With a satisfied sigh she hops out of her car, opening the back door and bending over to grab her gym bag.

"Cha-young ah?"

A familiar voice surprises her and she jumps bumping her head into the roof of her car with a cry, she drops the gym bag and leans out of the car rubbing her throbbing head with a pained grimace.

Vincenzo is standing in front of her, in what is the most casual outfit she has ever seen him wear. A pair of navy blue sweatpants, a plain white t-shirt and expensive looking black sneakers, leave it to him to wear Balenciagas when trying to look casual.

Her mouth becomes very dry as she takes in the unexpected but very much welcome sight.

Shaking herself out of her stupor she raises an eyebrow at him, "What are you doing here?" She asks once again leaning into her car to retrieve her gym bag. When she turns around slamming the door shut she watches Vincenzo peel his eyes away, quickly looking away from her direction.

Had he been checking her out?

She smirks at the thought before openly checking him out. Eyes perusing his body up and down in a slow and thorough examination.

"Are you checking me out?" He asks amused as he folds his arms across his chest, making his already impressive biceps look even bigger and more enticing. She knows exactly what he's doing, he's about as subtle as a bulldozer.

"Yes, I am. Do you need me to turn around again so you can check me out?" She laughs easily as he sputters and tries to deny her claims, once he realizes that she doesn't believe a word he's saying he finally stops, admitting defeat.

"Those are...great shorts." He drawls, gone is the embarrassed act. Now he's freely eying her shorts clad body, eyes hot as they trail up and down her legs.

Shaking her head she smiles at him, "You never answered my question. What are you doing here?" He struts over to her prying her gym bag from her hand and throwing it over his free shoulder. She tries not to get too affected by his sudden closeness, his cologne filling her nostrils with the fresh earthy musk.

"My gym is here. I came to work out. You look like you had the same idea, you should have called me." There he goes again, making space for himself in her life although he has no intention of staying with her. It was cruel and she knows she should cut him off before it's too late.

"I don't think you'll be interested in what I'm doing." She answers walking ahead, holding the gym door open for him. They both show their card to the attendant at the front and the young worker smiles at her before saying, "Your aerial yoga class will be starting in five minutes. It's best to go early and secure a good spot."

She can see Vincenzo's questioning face in her peripheral but she ignores him to nod at the younger woman, tugging her bag off his shoulder and nodding at him in dismissal.

"Enjoy your work out." She climbs the stairs leading to the huge studio where the aerial classes are held. His eyes are like lasers on her back and she already knows that he's going to follow her, he's too intrigued to stay away. That's what she was banking on.

She would get him back for all his jealous tantrums this past week. There were so many places they were probably going to be banned from and all because he didn't know how to play well with others. She's wasn't some toy he could claim. Especially when she couldn't claim him back.

Finding a spot in the corner she puts her bag down on one of the mats that are provided, taking a few moments to do some light stretches. She bends over touching her toes before dipping her head and elongating her neck, then she does a few squats and jumping jacks just to get her blood pumping and her heart racing.

She can feel the exact moment that he comes, it also helps that all the women gasp and she can hear coy giggles about their new guest. She pretends not to notice him, stretching backwards into a perfect handstand holding it for a few minutes before tilting back and planting her feet until she's upright again. She almost loses her composure when she catches his expression in the large windows.

He looks shocked and aroused, neck redder than normal.

All the women settle down when the instructor comes to the front of the room, they have reached the point where he no longer shows them what to do instead he walks around the room correcting their form and giving tips or words of encouragement.

He's a beautiful man, with mocha colored skin and a lean muscled build and the most gorgeous head of coily hair. She has been coming here for months and they've become quite closer as they have a lot in common, most importantly they both love men. When they had run into each other and realized they were staring at the same guy's ass, it was love at first ogle.

When he comes over to greet her she immediately steps into his space with a mischievous grin. Sean grins back looking exasperated already but he still says, "What are you up to? I know that smile Ms. Cha-young." She leans closer certain that Vincenzo is avidly watching her every move. Trailing a finger up his thick bicep she whispers, "Nine o clock, don't look but I need your help to teach him a lesson. Are you up to it?"

Sean starts to turn his head before processing her order and stopping, he stares at her before a devilish look gleams in his bright eyes too.

"You know I'm always up." He replies voice full of innuendos and she fake swoons, bringing her hand to her forehead. "Don't tease me."

He chuckles at her before walking back to the front of the room, none of the other women react to their flirtations used to their antics and everyone already knows that Sean is as gay as the pride flag. Everyone except one fuming Italian.

She can feel his waves of anger crashing across the room and she tugs at the cloth in front of her testing the weight before easily hoisting herself up, letting it cup her bottom as her feet dangle.

She's ready to put on a show.

He hadn't stalked her per se, he'd merely overheard one of the tenants say that they'd seen Cha-young in a nearby studio on weekends so he'd went to see if she really did go there. And then there she was bent over in her car, pert little bottom sticking out the car and he wanted nothing more than to smack the flesh and watch it bounce and jiggle under his hand.

This was why he was so protective, not jealous. Protective. She was too careless with her body and there were salacious men out there ready to take advantage of that, she needed someone like him who had a pure heart to look out for her.

He was allowed to fantasize about spanking her while having a pure heart, it was called having duality.

So he'd followed her into the gym, a little peeved when she abandoned him without a word to attend something called "aerial yoga", he knew regular yoga and if it was anything like that he was very much interested.

In watching her do it.

Turning to the young worker who had been staring a hole in his face, he sent her a charismatic smile before leaning nonchalantly on the counter, he could tell that he had her full attention by the way her mouth fell open.

He almost felt bad, she seemed a bit wet behind the ears. But he wasn't really trying to seduce her so it was fine, he wasn't some old creepy predator.

"Hey, that aerial yoga class am I allowed to watch it? I want to see if it's something I might be interested in." He lies to the younger woman, watching her process his words before answering.

"Well technically that class is restricted for those who signed up..." She trails off looking at him and he smiles brightly, pushing his curly hair off his forehead he had forgo his products today and the way her eyes follow his fingers make him thankful that he did so. "But you won't do any harm by watching, I'm sure it'll be fine. Go on up." She finishes and he throws a mental fist pump, he still had it.

Outwardly he smiles serenely, thanking her before walking up the stairs that Cha-young just disappeared up. It leads to a spacious studio with a wall of gleaming mirrors and huge bay windows overlooking the city. He looks around before his eyes land on her, the reason why he's here.

He swallows a groan as he watches her stretch that slim gently curvy body, she's all smooth lines and feminine appeal. When she starts squatting he can't help but watch those firm cheeks tensing and tightening, he lazily leans back hungrily watching her.

Then he almost swallows his tongue when she bends backwards into a perfect bridge before lifting herself into a handstand, damn she was strong and deliciously flexible. Looking her in the eye was going to be even more difficult now.

His heckles raise when he sees another man approaching her suddenly, a Black man who seems way too familiar with his Cha-young based on the way they both grin and invade the others space. He sneers as he watches them whisper and grin at each other, who was this guy and why were they so close? He releases a sigh of relief when the man finally backs up, going to the front of the room before pressing a button and light soothing music begins to play.

He must be the instructor then. Wonderful. He prays that was the end of the unnecessary touching and standing too close to his lawyer. He doesn't want to have to make a scene.

It isn't the end. Not by a long shot.

The instructor who had introduced himself as Sean easily walked around, stopping every once in a while to correct someone or praise them for having good form. The ladies would preen and thank him and that was it, he would nod before moving on.

Cha-young was the only exception to this rule.

He watches mesmerized as the limber lawyer bends herself into a graceful pose that resembles a swan and he can't fight the images that start flashing in his mind of them in bed, her twisting around him with pieces of cloth. Tying him up and showing him just how flexible she is all night long until they both sore and sated.

When she suddenly releases the cloth and starts tumbling to the ground he finds himself jumping into action shoving the fantasy to the crevice of his mind, legs already moving to catch her before she saves herself with her ankles, her body swinging freely with her face only inches from the floor. His heart skips a beat before it starts chugging along again.

Why was she always worrying him?

"That was perfect Cha-young! You've finally let go of your fear of falling!" Sean praises her walking over and patting her legs, but he doesn't let go after the quick touch. He keeps those grabby hands on her thigh and helps her back up onto the cloth, he thinks that will be the end of it. He's wrong.

He moves her body into a new pose with the cloth wrapped around her shoulder and he glares when a hand runs down her back precariously close to her bottom before rolling back up. He pushes her gently on the cloth harness and she laughs gleefully before she whispers something to the instructor, it's hard to read her lips from this distance but he can make out, "with me."

He understands what she asked for when Sean nods and moves into position.

Sean wraps his arms around the same cloth and suddenly lifts himself off the ground, his face level with her groin and he wants to go over and rip the cloth from the ceiling and strangle the man with it. Then Sean pulls himself up and Cha-young slides out of her seated position, grabbing the cloth too until they're face to face and spinning in lazy hypnotic circles. They both have huge grins on their faces as they move together in perfect harmony, the last straw comes when she wraps her legs around his waist and their bodies are pressed together- he sees blazing red and disconcerting white and then finally pitch black.

He's fleeing before he's even aware of it. Bounding down the stairs, two steps at a time then shoving the entrance door open and letting the surge of cool air ease his anger. If he stayed another second the instructor would be dangling out the window much like that thug before except he wasn't sure if he would be able to pull him back up.

Why was he so anger? She'd looked fine, happy even. She clearly wasn't being taken advantage of. But his rage is bursting at the seams and he jolts when a hand suddenly grips his wrist. Instinctively he turns grabbing the person and slamming them into the nearby wall.

Cha-young looks up at him, face flushed and sweaty.

That will also be burned into his retina.

"You should know better than to sneak up on me." He warns taking deep breaths to suppress some of the frustration he feels looking at her, the memory still fresh in his mind.

"What's wrong with you?" She counters bringing her hands to his shoulders rubbing in a calming motion, "You look pissed. Did something happen?"

He watches her for a second, taking her in seemingly harmless question and recalls her legs wrapped around another man who wasn't him and he wants to punch that fucking handsy instructor right in his smug fac--

Wait.

She was smiling. No, smirking. Right up at him like she knew everything that was racing through his head.

He'd been played.

"Did you have fun?" He asks voice laced with snarkiness and he shoves her harder into the wall, red hot fury brewing in the pit of his stomach. She knew that he was part of the mafia but still acted like this. Did she not have any sense of self preservation?

"Were you jealous?" She asks in a ostentatiously cutesy voice like this is all a hilarious joke and he wants to kiss that damn smug look right off her face. No one has ever dared to treat him like this, acted like he was a joke.

She's playing with fire and he's not opposed to burning her up.

"Do you still think you have the upper hand right now?" He looms over her pushing his pelvis into her and she squeaks at the hardness that pokes into her. To his surprise she eagerly presses back, pulling him in by his waist until they are flushed chest to chest. He doesn't know if an upper hand exists anymore.

"Yes. I do, getting to see you jealous was the highlight of my day. Cute little jealous mafia lawyer."

He snarls at her feeling stupid because of how easily she can play him, and without thinking he wraps his arms around her.

"You looked really cozy with him."

She sniffs before pouting at him, "Yeah and you didn't fight for me at all. Where were the death threats and cold glares? Sean would have pissed his pants." Her giggles only make him angrier because she's seen through him all along.

He stares at her blankly before throwing caution to the wind and leaning down to capture her tempting lips, he runs a hand through her ponytail tugging her head closer to him and she moves easily with him standing on her tiptoes. He closes his eyes ready to put himself out of his misery when he feels a finger in his lips, he blinks his eyes open staring at her perplexed and a bit offended.

"What?"

"Are you staying in Korea?" She talks over him, her finger firm on his mouth.

They both stare at each other and her question spins in his busy mind, thoughts too full of her seductive moves earlier and how badly he wanted to destroy anyone who dared to look at her. He doesn't know why that question is coming up now, at this particular moment when he just wants to kiss her breathless. They can leave the rational thoughts for later, right now there should be more frenzied kissing. But when he tries to push her finger away she grabs his face hard, adamant.

He stares at her and finally he sees the chinks in her armor, gone is the overly confident Cha-young that he's so used to seeing and there's something softer in that stead, the vulnerability that always shrouds over her eyes when they have this reoccurring conversation is back and it leaves him feeling cornered as it always does.

He can't answer that question. The answer should be easy and it had been before her. He was going to take his gold and get the fuck out of this God forsaken country.

That had been the plan pre: Cha-young.

Now that plan was muddled and he could admit that he was jealous of other men stealing her away from him, at least to himself. Could admit that he wanted to wreck her completely, have her screaming in his bed those nimble limbs wrapped around him as he thrust into her over and over and over. But he wasn't ready to admit that he might feel something more than just intense attraction to her. That she had changed all his plans and made him consider settling down, with her. It was insane, he barely knew her and they weren't even in a relationship.

"No. I told you, I'm leaving."

He's a coward. He can admit that too.

She sends him a smile that doesn't quite reach her eyes before ducking under his arms.

"Then leave and don't confuse me. I'm not yours to get jealous over. I'll see you Monday."

She doesn't look back, walking straight to her car and speeding away without checking any of her mirrors as she's wont to do despite him constantly reprimanding her for it, he's certain she's over the speed limit.

He punches the wall with a yell, the pain in his fist nothing compared to the pain in his chest. It was a huge mistake coming back here.

#vincenzo #vincenzo cassano #hong cha young #aerial yoga #don't try any of things I wrote about #you might die #i made this all up #man pain #emotional constipation

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keiameli · 3 years

Text

Rest

[Vincenzo Fanfiction written by Kei]

“Where are you, Mr. Vincenzo Cassano?” Mr. Ahn placed his right hand on the head rest of his swivel chair. He sadly looked outside of his window, waiting for a miracle to happen.

Waiting for someone who was missing for 5 years.

“Bonjour!” Chef Toto was smiling widely while welcoming his customers. It was another busy day for him. It's been five years already; after successfully getting back the Geumga Plaza, the tenants were busy with their own life. Their own shop and store became well-known and a lot of people are visiting them. He walked towards the first table; a man wearing a black suit was sitting on the chair and he was busy looking at the menu. Chef Toto cleared his throat before speaking.

“Can I take your order, Sir?” he asked. The man looked up.

“I‘ll have Truffle Porcini Spaghetti,” the man said. Chef Toto was dazed for a moment. His thoughts went back to the first day when that ‘man’ ate in his restaurant. He also ordered Truffle Porcini Spaghetti. Unfortunately he didn't like the taste even though Toto knew that it was delicious. Chef Toto took his complaint as a compliment. It was better that way.

“Sir?” Chef Toto snapped back to reality.

“Ah. Si—Si,” he smiled.

Inside the Jipuragi Law Firm, loud zumba music can be heard. Mr. Nam was standing in front of the door of the firm, his hands on his hips. He really doesn't understand girls. They kept on doing weird things that no one could understand. And now, Hong Cha-young locked the door and loudly played zumba music. He couldn't enter the room so he decided to go to Mr. Tak.

Inside the Jipuragi Law Firm, Hong Cha-Young was standing beside her table while holding her bunny stick. She was still surprised by what she saw. She even paid no mind to the loud Zumba music playing.

“Yah, how did you get in here?” she asked the man standing in front of her. But the man was just staring at her, a clear admiration can be seen in his eyes. Hong Cha-young hissed and she nudged his cheek using her bunny stick.

“Don’t just stare at me. Answer my question, Monsieur Cassano,” she said. Vincenzo smiled.

“It’s French, Miss Hong Cha-young,” he corrected her. Vincenzo was wearing a black baseball cap, a red jacket and black pants. He was wearing a black mask earlier but he removed it. Now that Cha-young analyzed his appearance, she realized that his jacket was the same as the delivery man who always delivered the pizza they ordered. She looked at the center table and she saw a box of pizza. She smiled and looked at Vincenzo.

“Well, I never thought that they would not recognize you. They missed you badly so I thought that even if you wear a disguise, they will still know that it's you. Come on, I can recognize you even if my eyes are closed,” Cha-young said and she smirked. It was a bit exaggerated but well, she can really recognize Vincenzo Cassano even though the latter is in disguise. Vincenzo chuckled.

“Really? You can recognize me even if your eyes are close?” he asked. Hong Cha-young said a lot but it seems like Vincenzo only heard the last sentence.

When she saw someone sitting on her chair, she was nervous at first. Who wouldn't be nervous? The first thing you see in the morning is an intruder in your office. She was about to scream but when the person sitting on her chair looked at her, she immediately recognized him even though he was still wearing the black mask. Due to reflexes, Hong Cha-young locked the door and decided to loudly play music. Well, she never expected that Zumba music would play but she didn’t care about it. The important thing is no one should enter the room. The person sitting on her chair stood up and he removed his mask. Hong Cha-young walked towards him and that's how they ended up in their current position. They were just staring at each other while smiling, they were already happy because they were in each other's presence.

“Why did you come here? You know, it's still dangerous. There are—”

“I miss you, Hong Cha-young,” Vincenzo Cassano interjected. Hong Cha-young blinked. She couldn't believe what she had heard. After five years, Vincenzo Cassano was able to tell her that he missed her. She smiled mischievously.

“Yah—Yah. Really?” Her eyes widen and she dramatically covers her mouth. She lightly punched Vincenzo’s shoulder. “ You're getting good. Where did you learn that? Hm?” she asked.

Vincenzo Cassano sighed and he held her right hand that punched his shoulder.

“Why don't you believe me when I tell you that I missed you?” Vincenzo Cassano asked, in a low husky voice.

It's been five years. Whenever Hong Cha-young says “I miss you,” Vincenzo Cassano always replies “Me too.” Whenever they meet in the art gallery every year, it's always their routine. They checked on each other, updated each other and uhh—kissed each other, and after that Vincenzo had to go back to Malta. Hong Cha-young will stand far away from him, watching him go inside the plane. They will look at each other; Hong Cha-young always giving a small smile and encouraging nods to Vincenzo Cassano. For five years, that’s what they do whenever they meet each other.

Hong Cha-young never gets tired of their situation. Every year, she is very excited to meet Vincenzo. She’s willing to wait but now, she thinks that she needs to rest.

She never gets tired but their situation is really tiring. They can just meet once a year. Heck, their meeting never lasts for a day!

For five years, Hong Cha-young never believed him whenever he said that he missed her too. Not that she doesn't believe him but she just wanted him to do something to prove that he really missed her. And that will always end up with a long passionate kiss. But not now.

Hong Cha-young wanted to tell him to stay. She wanted to be selfish and stopped him from going back to Malta. She wanted him to live with her happily in South Korea. They can even live in the countryside to hide Vincenzo Cassano’s identity. But she knows that Vincenzo’s life is in Malta. And she has her own life in South Korea. She will never demand anything from Vincenzo Cassano because she wants him to do the things that will make him live his life without regrets. So, Hong Cha-young was willing to wait but then she also needed to rest.

“How did you sneak into the country? I mean it's still May and the yearly diplomatic celebration is in June. Mr. Cassano, you know you have to keep yourself safe,” she said. She felt a tingling sensation on her right hand; the hand that was held by Vincenzo. It was warm and the way he held her hand was so soft and comfortable. Her heart was beating faster than usual. She smiled in her mind when she remembered something. Well, she thinks that she doesn't need to test her feelings now unlike before.

“Hm. I’m bored so I decided to come here. I pulled some strings in order for me to get here,” he said and his lips curved into a sly smile.

“Woah. Being a Mafiiiiyaaa Godfaaaaaaather—” she exaggeratedly pronounced the Mafia Godfather, “is awesome.” She shook her head in disbelief.

“Shhh someone might hear you,” Vincenzo jokingly said. They looked at each other and they both laughed softly. Maybe, they were in their own world because they didn't mind the loud Zumba music playing in the background. They just silently stare at each other, letting their eyes talk and also taking the opportunity to memorize each other's faces.

“Cha-young ah,” Vincenzo called her. He let go of her hand. Cha-young was unwilling to let go but she had to, in order to preserve her dignity. But the next thing that Vincenzo did surprised her. Vincenzo leaned towards her and he embraced her. It was a warm and protective hug. Hong Cha-young was taken aback for a moment but after a second, she hugged him back and she leaned her head on his shoulder. Their bodies were a perfect fit for each other; it was like they were made for each other.

“I want to invite you to my island,” he whispered. Hong Cha-young bit her lower lip because his breath tickled her ear. She slightly tapped his back. She heard him chuckling.

“The room I've set aside for you is always ready, Cha-young ah. You always held a place on my island.” She hopes that he will not hear the loud beating of her heart. She blinked her eyes; stopping herself from shedding tears.

It was better than I love you.

But then, she remembered that she needed to rest.

Vincenzo Cassano was hugging Hong Cha-young tightly. He closed his eyes for a moment because of the overwhelming emotions he felt when he embraced her. Her arms felt like home. Her embrace was Vincenzo Cassano’s safe haven. For him, it was the safest place in the world. He opened his eyes when he felt that she hugged him back.

One of the Italian Mafia Famiglia was waging a war on Cassano Famiglia. It was the first time in five years but Vincenzo had control over the situation. But then, when he discovered that their enemy sent someone in Korea to look for his weakness, he was immediately enraged. He ordered Luca to get rid of any trace of him in South Korea but it was too late. The enemy already had the upper hand when they knew about a certain lawyer named Hong Cha-young. Vincenzo Cassano immediately made a plan and he flew back to Korea without hesitation. He’s going to protect his safe haven.

So where's the safest place when there's danger? Of course, the safest place is by his side. Hiding Hong Cha-young is no use because they already know her. They even sent someone to follow her but Vincenzo already got rid of him. And now, Vincenzo is sure that he can protect her if she stays with him. Thankfully, the Geumga tenants were not targeted because they were not useful to the opponent Famiglia. They only need Cha-young to defeat the invincible Caporegime of Cassano Famiglia.

Unfortunately, they can't defeat him. They can not outsmart him.

He came back to reality when he heard a sniffing sound. His eyes widened when Hong Cha-young let go of him and he saw a solemn tear rolled down on her cheek; her expression looked calm but she kept on sniffing.

“Cha-young—”

“Mr. Cassano, it's been five years,” her voice was shaky due to stifled sob. She cleared her throat and sighed, “I—I always wait for you and I am thrilled whenever the month of June comes because it means that I can see you again. It was a yearly routine and I want you to know that I will never get tired of it,” she said. She looked at him with dejected eyes. He can't react; the way she looked at him made him downhearted.

“Vincenzo.”

He was afraid of her next words. He came here to protect her but it seems like he was the one who hurt her. He felt like someone was squeezing his heart; it was suffocating.

“I badly needed to rest,” she finally said.

Vincenzo Cassano held his breath. He looked at her straight in her eyes; figuring if what she said was true. Her eyes were empty of emotions.

He can't breathe.

She wanted to stop. She’s tired. She was thrilled but she was also tired. Vincenzo can't blame her. Their setup was really tiring and he never gave reassurance to her. And now, when he finally decided to take her with him, it was too late.

Should he just focus on his duties as the Mafia Boss of Cassano Famiglia?

“I‘m sorry—”

For the second time, his eyes widened due to shock. Hong Cha-young pulled him and her lips met his.

His eyes were still open when Hong Cha-young let go of him. It seems like he needs a doctor because he was still in shock. Hong Cha-young was grinning like a Cheshire cat. Song Joong Ki blinked his eyes, unable to process what he had just seen. He was sure that he saw Hong Cha-young crying but now, the woman kissed her and grinning while slyly looking at her.

“My acting improved, right?” She laughed evilly. Just take note that her hands were still on his neck so they were so close to each other. “Well,” she smiled, “I always practiced acting because I always use it whenever I need to convince someone,” she hummed, “I’m stopping myself from laughing when I saw your reaction earlier. Ah, it was such a waste I was not able to record it,” she said. Vincenzo Cassano chuckled. He never thought that Hong Cha-young’s acting skills would improve.

“You were shocked, weren't you?” She slightly pouted her lips, “Monsieur Vincenzo Cassano, I badly wanted to rest. Can I rest on your arms?” she asked.

Vincenzo Cassano leaned towards her. He smiled at her. He slowly slides his hands across her body and then he rests his one hand on her cheek giving Cha-young butterflies on her stomach. Vincenzo’s face was getting closer and both of their hearts skipped a beat when his lips met hers.

And they ended up with a passionate and earth-shattering kiss.

#vincenzo cassano #cencha #fanfiction #celebrities #hong cha young #jeon yeo been #kdrama #song joong ki #tvn vincenzo #jeonki #one shot #corn salad #vincenzo #vincha

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tianqius · 3 years

Text

Jang Hanseo, my personal thoughts.

As the puppet of his brother that would eventually be cast aside, Hanseo took a leap of faith to fight against the puppeteer and the strings that tied him up. While he used to be a coward that would run away with his tail tucked between his legs, he matured into a young man who could stand for what he wished for and what he believed was right. Overall, his character leaves behind a message that left many thoughts for me to ponder and write about. Buckle up, and hopefully enjoy.

(PSA:

This will be less wordy than my previous draft, which tumblr ungratefully destroyed. It's okay. You are saved from my wordiness.

PSA 2.0

This is somewhat of a character analysis. It pretty much is. I'm not perfect at character analyses, so hopefully you get what I'm trying to say. If not, my bad.)

Jang Hanseo's first impression on me wasn't that memorable. He appeared somewhat snobby, much like typical CEO rich men, but he lacked confidence. It was almost like he wasn't the one pulling all the strings - like someone was pulling his own.

Almost immediately after, he's revealed as a puppet of the real figurehead of Babel - although their identity is not revealed until a few episodes later, his interactions with his puppeteer highlight his cowardice and weak attempt to stay on their good side. His cowardice makes up the foundation of his character.

When Hanseok - the puppeteer - is revealed, his relationship with Hanseo can be examined with much more depth. Hanseok has obviously caused Hanseo to fear him, in order to prevent him from acting out of line. But Hanseo still has some bits of resilience left in him, even after Hanseok thinks he's smoothed it all out.

Hanseo is seen voicing his wishes to be free from his brother multiple times. Of course, he is afraid of what his brother might do to him, or he's fearful of what he might lose if he turns away from his brother's side. Even so, he shows enough resilience to want to break free from his brother's control.

Hanseo finds an ally in Han Seunghyuk, a friend who resembles him when it comes to cowardice. Hanseo probably knows but doesn't acknowledge that Seunghyuk is not enough to break free from his brother, but he still follows his advice and acquires the necessary means to take his brother out once and for all.

Although Hanseo has the determination, he lacks the confidence. He does a shabby job of injuring his brother, which is nowhere near a successful kill. He doesn't have the confidence to kill his own brother, which can be seen in his hesitation throughout their hunting scene. A part of him still considers Hanseok part of his family. It holds him back, which is why is he is unable to kill Hanseok that day.

His failure only makes his brother more aggravated. Hanseok is now aware that his puppet's strings are starting to become loose and thin, to the point of breaking. He reins his brother back in, using the tactics he's always used, and decides he needs to come out from the shadows.

Now, Hanseo might think that he's finally been tossed aside as a puppet. But deep down, he realizes that he's nowhere near safe yet, because he's under his brother's radar, and who knows what Hanseok might pull in retaliation for his stunt during their hunting trip. While Hanseok might talk sweetly and make him believe that he won't be harmed, both brothers know that can be changed in an instant.

Even with Seunghyuk on his side, Hanseo knows that he needs something else to grab on. His final straw.

Vincenzo Casanova Cassano.

When Mr. Consigliere intereferes with Hanseok's intitiation ceremony, Hanseo looks at him with awe. He knows that Vincenzo is the enemy of his brother, the enemy of him, but he needs to find a method to keep himself safe and free from Hanseok's iron control.

Seunghyuk's suggestion to meet Vincenzo is the lifeline that Hanseo grabs onto with his dear life. He won't let go after this.

While their first meeting is unsightly and particularly rude on Vincenzo's behalf, Hanseo most likely believes that Vincenzo is the only way he can be free. He even offers to deliver his brother into Vincenzo's hands, to which the mafia man says he doesn't interfere within family matters.

Even so, Hanseo does not give up. Instead, he becomes one of the moles that Vincenzo wisely utilizes. In some instances, his quick thinking got Vincenzo out of some sticky situations - particularly the situation with the INTERPOL. Hanseo's actions reflect his decision to follow Vincenzo and support him, which is something he may not have even done with Hanseok.

Hanseo's bond with Vincenzo is special. He regards him as a brother, someone he feels much more comfortable with than his actual brother. His bond with Vincenzo allows him to shrug off the strings that his brother placed on him, and he starts to grow out of his own shell. He begins to spread his own wings, and become more confident in his character.

When Jipuragi reunites with Wusang in court, Hanseo makes clear whose side he's on. Seated next to his "Vin hyung", he flaunts his relationship with the Italian lawyer to his associates and a very peeved Choi Myunghee. He's happy to be by his side, and he doesn't regret it one bit.

(I found this interaction between Vincenzo and Hanseo absolutely precious. They're just two brothers looking out for one another.)

To the very end, his loyalty towards Vincenzo never wavered. Even as Hanseok promised to spare Hanseo if he just followed his orders, Hanseo ignored his brother's potentially false words and retaliated - he's ready to be finally free. He knows that once he goes down this road, there's no turning back.

As Hanseo calmly says, he "will make a choice that [he] won't regret". (This is my favorite quote ever. Not even gonna lie to you.)

In his tussle with Hanseok, Chayoung becomes one of the injured. With quick thinking, Hanseo sacrifices himself and fights with Hanseok for control of his gun once more. He sets himself up as the sacrifice so his brother won't harm the other two, which is completely unlike his character thus far. Hanseo has always feared his brother and his abuse, but he now places himself in the way of bullet in order to protect Vincenzo and Chayoung.

In the end, he takes the bullet. He's free from his brother, but at what cost? His own life. It's an ending that Hanseo knows was coming.

Hanseo's character has always had to make very difficult decisions. Whether it was to follow his brother's orders, betray his brother, suck up his pride and plead to his brother for a second chance, follow Seunghyuk's advice, or even take to Vincenzo's side, Hanseo has had multiple decisions that affected his growth as a person. If Hanseo hadn't taken the leap of faith to follow Vincenzo and break free from his brother, he might've been stuck at the strings of his brother's doing for much longer. He might've died at his brother's hands as nothing more than a pawn waiting for its removal, rather than die in his attempt for freedom.

Hanseo is a character that endlessly struggled for what he wanted, and some might say he died in vain. He would probably disagree with that. While he still feared his brother, he didn't let that fear overtake him; he looked death in the eye as he was willing to sacrifice himself for his loved ones' sake. He no longer cowered in fear; he bravely stood for what he believed was right.

All in all, Jang Hanseo was not a character who died in vain. His story of redemption leaves behind a reminder to viewers that struggling may be necessary to move onto a life that is much more fulfilling; you don't always get the easy way out. Hanseo was scared, he was always scared of his brother, but he also summoned the courage to stand against his own brother, simply because he wanted to be free. He was strong enough to fight against his brother, rather than sit by and let him do what he wanted.

Hanseo didn't die with regrets. He was happy to finally be free.

#vincenzo #jang han seo #jang han seok #kwak dong yeon

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keiameli · 3 years

Text

Looking For You

(A Crossover Fanfiction—Vincenzo×HongCha-Young×YooShi-jin)

“Yoo Shi-jin. A captain of South Korean Special Forces?” Vincenzo read the information Luca gave to him.

“Sì, capo. He keeps on lurking around the Geumga Plaza. We often saw him talking with Ms. Hong Cha-young,” Luca said. Vincenzo Cassano, the Caporegime of Cassano Famiglia, put down the folder he was holding on the glass center table. He was lost in thoughts for a moment and Luca did not say a word. When seconds turned into minutes, Luca decided to say something in order to bring back his capo to reality. It was a rare sight, Vincenzo Cassano, staring blankly at the space.

“Should we—” Vincenzo looked at Luca. Luca made a gun hand gesture and he pointed it on his forehead. Vincenzo shook his head.

“No. It’s not a good idea,” he said. Vincenzo held his Zippo while Luca was looking at him, the poor man was confused.

‘Killing him is a bad idea, he’s part of the Special Forces. It will surely cause a lot of problems,’ he thought. He started to flicker his Zippo; the sound made him concentrate and help him to think calmly. It was so comforting, the flicking soothes his lost mind and soul. His mind wandered towards the person who held a room on his island; and also held a place in his heart.

Hong Cha-young was sitting on a chair, her leg-crossed and she kept on tapping her bunny stick on the table. The uneasy and awkward silence is bothering her; she can clearly hear the ticking of the clock, the tapping sound of her bunny stick and—

She glared in the direction of Mr. Nam.

—The flicking of the lighter.

Mr. Nam was busy flicking his lighter that was given to him by a certain someone. It was a gift of gratitude for—Cha-young scowled when she remembered the reason—it was a gift of gratitude for keeping an eye on her. It was an unnecessary thing. Keeping an eye on her? Who does he think he is?

“Aish—Really—” She hasn't seen him for one year and he’s really bothering her. Should she punish him for what he had done? Wait—Did he do something wrong?

Her sentiment was interrupted when she heard a loud clearing of the throat. It was meant to pick someone's attention—and Cha-young looked at the person in front of her.

Yoo Shi-jin.

Yoo Shi-jin cleared his throat again and he smiled when Cha-young looked at him. Cha-young was immediately annoyed. This man in front of her was the cause of her anger, her hatred, her loneliness, her sadne—well, the truth is Yoo Shi-jin was the reason why she’s not in a mood for a week. He met the man in a restaurant a week ago; it was raining really hard and she forgot to bring an umbrella. It was already late and she had to go home. Yoo Shi-jin was also in the same restaurant and he offered his umbrella to her. Cha-young immediately accepted his offer but she regretted it afterwards. It was like Yoo Shi-jin had a hidden agenda; she felt like the man was kinda suspicious. And her suspicion was confirmed when Mr. Nam did some background check on the guy; Yoo Shi-jin is the captain of South Korean Special Forces. It seems like he wanted to know something from Cha-young so he decided to approach her and get to know her slowly.

And now, it's already one week after that incident; Yoo Shi-jin keeps on visiting Cha-young in Geumga Plaza. The tenants were also suspicious about the man and they don't like him visiting the Plaza but they can't do anything about it because Yoo Shi-jin was a stubborn man. All they could do was to send glares towards him.

Yoo Shi-jin just answered their glares with a boyish smile. Truth to be told, the tenants can't harm him because he reminds them of someone; a certain someone who taught them how to fight; a certain someone who taught them to stand on their own. Cha-young also told them that they don't need to do anything because she can handle the troublemaker soldier.

Or not.

When Cha-young’s attention was on Mr. Nam, Yoo Shi-jin decided to look around. His attention was caught by the postcards on the wall. His forehead creased when he saw that all of the postcards were the same; a picture of an island. Should he take a picture of it? He felt like it was something important so—his gaze turned to Cha-young when he heard her snarling on herself. His lips automatically formed into a smile. Her little sentiment with herself was so funny and he enjoyed watching her being dramatic. He enjoyed annoying her because her facial expressions were so cute. It was a refreshing sight. He cleared his throat in order to get her attention and he did not fail. He smiled boyishly when she looked at him.

“What are you doing here, Mr. Yoo Shi-jin?” Cha-young asked. Yoo Shi-jin looked at her disappointedly and he slightly pouted his lips. It looks like he was sulking. And then, she heard him sigh.

“Cha-young, I thought we’re friends already? I’m visiting you for a week and you're still calling me formally,” he said.

“If you don't have any business with me, please leave,” Cha-young politely said.

Yoo Shi-jin never thought that it's difficult to break Cha-young’s wall. He approached her because he was curious about something; he stumbled upon a case that was already closed but it was not solved. It was about the death of the chairman of Babel, a lawyer from Wusang and the CEO of Wusang. After their death, their crime was revealed. The person who killed them was named Mr. V but until now, he’s still not found. He was curious because the three people that were killed were known people in the society but it seems like their case was not important. He did some digging and he discovered that the NIS pulled some strings in order for the case to be closed even though the murderer is not yet caught. Someone told him that he should not stick his nose in others ' business but having a little fun and adventure is not bad, is it? He also discovered that Cha-young was involved with Babel and Wusang once. And Yoo Shi-jin is 95% sure that Cha-young knew the person who murdered the three important corrupt figures.

“Do you want to have dinner with me? My treat,” he offered.

He was curious about the case but after meeting the person in front of him, he is more curious about her now. He wants to know her more; for him to be enlightened about the case and also to break her unbreakable walls.

Cha-young was speechless. She was shocked and in awe because of how brazen Yoo Shi-jin’s attitude is. Sure, this man has a resemblance to a certain man who is currently in Malta right now; enjoying the majestic view of the sea but they have differences in attitude, in presence, in aura; and well a little bit of similarity also. Cha-young put the bunny stick down and she leaned on the table. Yoo Shi-jin was also looking at her, his gaze was steady and he was not blinking. Cha-young smirked.

“Hm. Let’s eat something spicy, should we?” she asked.

They stared at each other, unblinking. It looks like they have a secret competition where they have to stare at each other and the first person to blink will lose the game.

Their lips were formed into a small playful smile. A tension was building around them—their only background was the flicking sound of a lighter; it was steady at first but the flicking sound became sloppy as seconds passed by. It seems like the person who’s flicking the lighter was nervous and uneasy of what's currently happening.

“Hm. Shall we, Cha-young ah?”

Cha-young gulped. She’s annoyed and at the same time nervous. What if someone came in and that someone is—she erased that thought in her mind.

“Sure, Shi-jin-ah. Set the time and day,” she answered.

The flicking of the lighter stopped.

The truth is Cha-young already noticed what Yoo Shi-jin is up to. He is looking for Vincenzo Cassano. She noticed him looking multiple times at the post cards and how his forehead creased. He was curious about something or rather, to someone.

Cha-young was bored so why not enjoy and have fun?

#celebrities #tvn vincenzo #vincenzo cassano #hong cha young #song joong ki #jeon yeo been #kdrama #fanfiction #crossover #jeonki #cencha #vincha #vincenzo #corn salad

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jamesgraybooksellerworld · 4 years

Text

To see the web page which goes with this choose the link [in blue] below.

Seven Emblem books and two others!

Two sort of emblematic books (A&B) and Seven(1-7) emblem books in contemporary or original bindings!

1) Andres Alciati 1492 – 1550

V.C. Emblemata (Viri Clarissimi) Emblemata. Cum Claudij Minois ad eadam Commentariis & Notis Posterioribus. Quibus Emblematum omnium aperta origine, mens auctoris explicatur, & obscura omnia dubiáque illustrantur.

Lugduni (Lyon), Hæred. Gvlielmi Rovilii, 1600. 1600. Bound in coeval vellum with author and title on the spine in an early hand. Octavo ã8, e4, i8 A-Eee8, Eee*2 Fff8 Ggg4.

The ultimate reference for this book is Daly’ Andres Alciatus Index Emblematicsus 1985; ; Landwehr, J. Romanic emblem books; 89 ; Adams, A. French emblem books; F.063; Emblem books at the Univ. of Illinois; A32; Green, H. Andrea Alciati and his books of emblems,; 127; Baudrier, 1895-1921, v. 9, p. 464-65;. Item #738G

The emblem book, which attained enormous popularity in continental Europe and Great Britain, while it is possible to trace it back before was certantly made most popular by Alciati. . Alciato’s emblems were first published in Augsburg in Germany (two editions in 1531 and one in 1534); from 1534 onwards publishing shifted to France and remained there for the next thirty years. Wechel, who printed the Paris editions (from 1534), are like those in Augsburg. He can be said to have set the standard for clear presentation of emblems, with each emblem beginning on a fresh page, featuring the motto or title, the pictura below that, and then the subscription/epigram or verse text the main focus of publication for emblems shifted more firmly to Lyons from the mid 1540s, The 1550 Latin edition by Rouille is the first to have 211 emblems (the whole corpus, apart from the so-called obscene emblem ‘Adversus naturam peccantes’) illustrated. This edition includes biography of Andrea Alciati (leaves i1-i8). These emblems depict Alciati’s concern for the eternal nature of man and its contradictions, the attentive ear to the popular speech, the unfolding of the personality, madness, the reflection on human existence, the relationship between man and the woman, the struggle between reason and passion, and to the satire of society and its rules and rulers.

A) CARTARI 343J Vincenso Cartari. 1531–1569

Seconda novissima editione delle Imagini de gli dei delli antichi di Vicenzo Cartari …Ridotte da capo a piedi alle loro reali, & non più per l’adietro osseruate simiglianze. cauate da’marmi, bronzi, medaglie, gioie, & altre memorie antiche; con esquisito studio, & particolare dligenza da Lorenzo Pignoria … Aggionteui le annotationi del medismo sopra tutta l’opera, & vn discorso intorno le deità dell’Indie orientali, & occidentali, con le loro figure tratte da gl’originali, che si conseruano nelle Galleri de’principi, & ne’musei delle persone priuate. Con le allegorie sopra le imagini di Cesare Malfatti … Et vn catalogo di cento più famosi dei della gentilità. Con l’aggiunta d’vn’altro catalogo de gl’autori antichi, & moderni, che hanno trattato questa materia, ordinato & raccolto dal medesimo Pignoria che ha accresciute le annotationi & aggiunte molte imagini.

In Padova, Nella stamparia di Pietro Paolo Tozzi. 1626. Quarto, 9 1/4 x 6 1/2 in 224×162 mm. Signatures: ‡8 ≠≠1,a6, ‡‡4 [∏2 FOLDOUTS] A-Z8 ,AA-OO8 (38 pages, 589 pages illustrations, two folded plates) [[38] pages, 589 pages illustrations, two folded plates 24 cm]. 2 double-page woodcuts and 227 full-page and in-text woodcuts of the ancient gods by Cesare Malfatti. * *. *

#1 Vincenzo Cartari, Images of the Gods of the Ancients: The First Italian Mythography, translated and annotated by John Mulryan. Medieval and Renaissance Texts and Studies vol. 396. Tempe, AZ: Arizona Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies, 2012.

Praz 36; Cicognara 4686; Graesse II.56; Nagler XXII.15, ; Harvard 156.108; JCB Library catalogue; 2:198; Sabin 11104.; BM. STC.(Ital.) 152.; ‘Choix 4280. See Also: Mortimer, Italian, 108 note. Caillet 2047 (French trans.) Brunet I,1601. Graesse II,56.Univ. Cat of Art, 287. Arntzen & Rainwater H35.Dekesel 16th, C11. And :

1)Sonia Maffei, ‘Le imagini de i Dei degli antichi di Vincenzo Cartari: Dalla poesia all’archeologia’ http://dinamico2.unibg.it/cartari/leimaginideiDei.html

2) Marco Urdapilleta Muñoz, ‘El bestiario medieval en las crónicas de Indias (siglos XV y XVI)’, Latino América, Revista de Estudios Latinoamericanos, 58 (2014), 237-70. 5160.235500

3) Miguel A. Rojas Mix, América imaginaria (Barcelona, 1992) LB.31.b.10858

4) Rosa López Torrijos, La mitología en la pintura española del Siglo de Oro (Madrid, 1985). YV.1988.b.1010 María Jesús Lacarra, Juan Manuel Cacho Blecua, Lo imaginario en la conquista de América (Zaragoza, 1990). YA.1997.a.7376

5) Mercedes Aguirre at 11:59:11 in Americas , Collections , Latin America , Medieval history , Mexico , Rare books. BL.

6) Mexican Codex Vaticanus 3738. Item #743

This is the First Edition in which the antiquarian and egyptologist who was also interested in the sciences, and a friend of Galileo. Lorenzo Pignoria added his appendix Seconda Parte delle Imagini de gli Dei Indiani displays detailed illustrations of some archeological remains portraying Mexican, Egyptian, Indian and Japanese gods, seeking ‘a sort of unique visual language in pre-Christian religions. It is bound in.

Price: $4,500.00

B). Cuper, Gisbert Cuper. 1644-1716

Gisb. Cuperi Harpocrates, Sive Explicatio imaguncluæ argenteæ perantiquæ; quæ in figuram Harpocratis formata representat Solem. Ejusdem Monumenta Antiqua Inedita. Multi Auctorum loci, multæ Inscriptiones, Marmora, Nummi, Gemmæ, varii ritus, & Antiquitates in utroque Opusculo emendantur & illustrantur. Accedit Stephani Le Moine Epistola de Melanophoris.

Utrecht: (Trajecti ad Rhenum) Apud Franciscum Halma, Acad. Typogr., 1687, Quarto. This copy is bound in 20th century quarter calf. .

¶Harpocrates was adapted by the Greeks from the Egyptian child God Horus, who represented the newborn sun, rising each day at dawn. Harpocrates’s name was a Hellenization of the Egyptian Har-pa-khered or Heru-pa-khered, meaning “Horus the Child”. In the second century B.C., Egyptians connected Harpocrates with the mystic cult of the Egyptian goddess Isis. Harpocrates holds a finger to its lip for the Egyptians a symbolic gesture representing childhood.

¶Yet the Greeks mistook for a hush for silence., misinterpreting Harpocrates as the personification of silence, and this particular work is a study of statues and other art from classical antiquity that depict these later figures of silence. And again, the Roman interpretation added strength to the Mystery of silence.

The frontispiece signed and dated in the plate: Joh. van der Avele invention and fecit. Title page in red and black. This edition is enhanced with a letter of Etienne Le Moyne; this text has a half-title and the second text: Monumenta Antiqua. Cuper’s research is a precursor to art history and Winckelmann.

Brunet 6, no. 22603; Cicognara 3212; Ebert 5512; Graesse 2,308 , Item #388J

Price: $1,800.00

2). David, Jan David. 1545?-1613

Veridicus christianus: auctore P. Joanne David … Editio altera, auctior.

Antverpiæ ex officina Plantiniana, M. DCVI. Second edition. This copy is bound in full contemporary blind stamped calf over wooden boards with two working clasps. Quarto ‡4, ‡‡4, A-Z4, a-z4, Aa-Ee4.+ 100 Numbered Plates. With a special engraved t.p. with allegorical depiction of Christ carrying the cross, surrounded by ten artists at easels painting scenes from his life (as well as a few questionable profane subjects). The vovelle : The centers of the engraving and the volvelle (through which a string passes) are reinforced with small paper roundels printed with the monograms of Christ. The numbers are keyed to an “Indiculus orbitae” that follows (Bb1r-Bb2r). There a number, having been selected, is provided with a phrase from various Latin authors (listed on Bb2v), and a reference to one of the hundred sections that comprise the main text. It is suggested in Bibliotheca Belgica that this game may have been intended as a pious alternative to such superstitious books as Thuys der fortvnen.

Veridicus Christianus emphasizes the Society of Jesus’ investment in thinking in, though, and about visual images that exemplify the supreme mystery of God. Published as a tool of devotion and meditations, it features one hundred chapters that encompass a wide

range of topics for reflection. Each chapter incorporates an extensive commentary that interprets the emblematic image David too follows the order in which we apprehend things with our senses, beginning with a visual representation at the head of each chapter. Then comes the explication. The symboli explicatio was considered necessary because cultivated readers would be more susceptible to a reasoned argument than a

picture. The text is divided into 100 chapters, each with an allegorical engraving incorporating letters keyed to the explanatory text and with marginal references. Each of the 100 numbered plates has a single line of Latin at the head giving the subject, with two-line explanatory verses below the allegorical engraving in Latin (roman letter), Dutch (civilité) and French (italic) First plate (following [2 daggers]4) is added title leaf for the ill., which were also published separately; see Bibliotheca Belgica. The added title reads: Icones ad Veridicvm Christianvm P. Ioannis David e Societate Iesv At the end is Device with compasses and the motto “constantia et labore” on Ee4r . This book is notoriously found defective in one way or another, this copy is perfect and complete. . Item #382J

De Backer-Sommervogel Vol.II col 1845 N. 5; Funck 302; Praz 313: EBIU D 17; Landwehr EFBLC 138; Landwehr FISP 253. Daly & Dimler CLE Jesuit Series Part one p160 #J.153.

Price: $5,500.00

3) David, Joannes David 1546-1613.

Duodecim specula deum aliquando videre desideranti concinnata.

Antwerp: Antverpiae: Ex officina Plantiniana, apud Ioannem Moretum, 1610, 1610. Theodor. Galle fecit. First Edition? This copy is bound in a contemporary soft vellum, (recovery vellum with writing. Faded and on the the inside. ) Ex libris ms.

First edition of this wonderfully illustrated work about 12 mirrors mankind uses to try and see God. David was born at Courtrai and entered the society of Jesuits in 1581. He was distinguished for his zealous fight against heresy. “Emblem number with caption,pictura with motifs flagged, then subscriptio,prose identification flagged motifs,facing page with number followed by a prose conversation between Anima and Desiderus.

Youth edition with engravings only, without text. Each plate bears, at the top, a serial number and an inscription indicating the subject represented in the bottom part a Latin couplet with a summary explanation. RRef. Landwehr 188, Funck p. 303, BCNI 5556, Bibl. Belg. D 157, Praz p. 313 “scarce”

DeBacker-Sommervogel vol. II col.1851 no.20 ; McGeary & Nash. Emblem books at the Unviersity of Illinois,; G2; Daly & Dimler corpus Librorun eblematun(CLE) J141; Praz, M. Studies in 17th century imagery,; vol. I p.192 vol.. II, p. 46; Landwehr, J. Dutch emblem books,; Funck p. 303, BCNI 5556, Bibl. Belg. D 157; see also The Jesuits and the Emblem Tradition: Selected Papers of the Leuven International Emblem Conference, 18-23 August, 1996.

. Item #409J

Price: $1,900.00

4) Izquierdo, Sebastian Izquierdo, Saint Ignatius of Loyola

Praxis exercitiorum spiritualium P.N.S. Ignatti. Auctore P. Sebastiano Izquierdo Alcarazense Societatis Jesu.

Rome: Romae : Typis Joannis Francisci Buagni, 1695, 1695. Octavo 7 X 4.75 inches A-G8,H4 This copy is very clean and bound in full contemporary vellum. Landwehr, Romanic, 412.Sommervogel, IV, 70 1#4 ; Palau 291230; Landwehr:Romantic 412.; Praz,p.382. Item #716

The Jesuit Sebastián Izquierdo in his Práctica de los ejercicios espirituales, written in (Spanish in )1665 translated in to Italian the same year then in 1678 translated as here into Latin and later published in several translations and versions offers an illustrated guide to the Ignatian spiritual exercises. The illustrations, 12 of them, are the subject of image meditation which was a favorite method of the Jesuits who, beginning with the monumental Evangelicae Historiae Imagines (1593) of Jerónimo Nadal, actively took hold of religious iconography and adjusted and concentrated it for the teaching of the Societies ( and Ignatius’ ) vision. The images are not just simple depiction’s instead they are mnemonic devices. These images are points of departures and give the current 21st century reader a precious examples of images that inspire meditation, direct the reception of the teachings and anchor them in the memory. Particularly memorable is the Image of Hell on page 72, The lay-out shows the pedagogical intentions and possibilities of this little book: there are 12 parts consisting of 12 separate quires, numbered from ‘A’ to ‘M’ and paginated each from 1-12, each with its own full-page illustration , these could have been meant to be distributed separately – according to match the educational needs or level of the students. The Images are in high contrast, with plenty of Bloody and memorable images. The Puteus Abyssi depicts a poor man who is naked and sitting in a chair in some sort of oubliette. He has sevenswords, each with animal head handles, in him and each is strategically stuck in various parts of the body. The swords are labeled for the passions. Most interesting of these might be the sword marked ‘Vengeance’ it is hanging offer the mans head, the Idleness sword is stuck between his legs, Gluttony in his stomach, Lust … Envy in his back, Avarice between his Shoulders and Pride in his heart.Izquierdo was also the author of Pharus scientiarum, a treatise on a methodology to access knowledge,

conceived as a single science. In this work, he assimilated Aristotelian and Baconian logic, and he expressed some original ideas on mathematics and logic that have earned their author a reputation as an outstanding mathematician. Not just like his Spanish contemporaries John Caramuel or Tomás Vicente Tosca , but also significant foreign mathematicians as Athanasius Kircher , Gaspar Knittel or Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz , the latter, in particular, cited with, his Disputatio of Combinatione, in Combinatorial Art (1666).

Price: $1,800.00

5) SCARLATINI, Ottavio Scarlatini

Homo et eius partes figuratus & symbolicus, anatomicus, rationalis, moralis, mysticus, politicus, & legalis, collectus et explicatus cum figuris

Augsburg & Dillingen, Johann Caspar Bencard, 1695. First and only Latin edition. Bound in a beautiful contemporary pig skin over wooden boards. Caillet 9948 (“unique in its genre”); Landwehr, German emblem books 530; Praz 490 note; R. Raybould, Emblemata 29. Item #734

With 42 engraved emblems revolving around the human body and body parts. It describes and depicts the human body in its details and in its entirety in every aspect conceivable. The book also discusses magic, in the strict sense of the word, revealing many marvellous secrets, such as the occult properties of saliva, urine, sperm, etc.”The erudition demonstrated by the author is really quite extraordinary” (Raybould) including metoposcopy (the interpretation of facial wrinkles for divination!). . Book One studies individual organs: heart, etc. And Book Two the overall dignity of the whole and aspects of human life.An appendix adds short accounts of several subjects, including “hieroglyphia” and “androgyni”, along with short works by other authors: Lactantius Firmianus’s “De opificio Dei”, Coelius Rhodiginus on humanity, and a long “Ode” to humanity: “Considerationes patheticae de creatione, & dignitate hominis” based on Trismegistus, Plato, Coelius and other ancient sources.With a faint marginal water stain and a couple small rust spots in the paper, but

otherwise in fine condition. The binding shows a few scratches, cuts and stains, small cracks at the head and foot of the hinges and 1 sewing support broken at the hinge, but is still in good condition. A fascinating emblem book for both text and imagery (some of it now also humorous), and an impressive piece of book production.

Price: $5,500.00

6). Sucquet, Anton Sucquet

Piæ considerationes ad declinandum à malo et faciendum bonum : cum iconibus Viae vitae aeternae R.P. Antonij Sucquet è Societate Iesu.

Viennæ Austriæ : Wien : [s.n.], 1672, 1672. Boetius a Bolswert and title by “I.M. Lerch sc. Viennae. Quarto,4 ¾ X 7 inches . ( no printed signatures) π 4 A-T4 V2. This copy is bound in original vellum. There is a really interesting modern bookplate on the pastedown. ¶ Praz, M. Studies in 17th cent. imagery (2nd ed.),; p. 506; Corpus librorum emblematum. Jesuit series,; J.1414; Landwehr, J. German emblem books,; 564; De Backer-Sommervogel,; VI, column 892, no. 2. Item #715

There is an engraved emblematic title page signed “I.M. Lerch sc. Viennae;” The other 32 illustrations (numbered 1-32) are full-page emblems engraved by Boetius a Bolswert–See Landwehr. ¶The Illustrations are printed on the verso of leaf, recto is blank; accompanied by explanatory text on facing leaf. The text and illustrations are printed within ruled border. This popular emblematical work is arranged as a series of meditations, by the Jesuit Antoine Sucquet. Many religious emblem books were published during the 17th and 18th centuries, and of these, Sucquet’s work was one of the most popular. Because of its engravings by Boëtius a Bolswert , it was especially important for the development of the 17th-century Christian iconography. The counter-reformation produced a great number of emblematic meditation-books where text and illustrations are interwoven. Emblem books were therefore much favoured by the Jesuits for the purposes of teaching, as religious propaganda, and to provide subjects for meditation. The 17th-century Jesuit curriculum prescribed that emblems were composed in the schools. Members of the highest classes in the Flemish Jesuit colleges each composed an emblem, and the production of the entire class was collected in commemorative albums painted by professional artists and calligraphers. The meditation on the soul’s relation to Christ was precisely guided by provision of references in the engravings. The first religious catholic emblem book was published in 1571 and composed by Arias Montanus. In 1601 Jan David composed the first Jesuit emblem book, the “Veridicus Christianus”. Sucquet’s work is composed around the widely spread concept of the “homo viator in bivio”, the creature who during his life again and again arrives at the cross and has to make the good choice for the narrow and difficult path to his eternal destination. Sucquet made clear that vision is the most important sense of a human being. It had foundational importance for the Christian iconography of the seventeenth century. According to Brunet the work was very much searched after by the pious for its texts, by the curious minds for the 32 engravings by Boetius a Bolswert

Price: $1,900.00

7) Venius, Otto van Veen

Theater moral de la vida humana, en cien emblemas; con el Enchiridion de Epicteto, y La tabla de Cebes, philosofo platonico.

Antwerp: Amberes,{Antwerp} Por Enrico y Cornelio Verdussen 1701, 1701. The Rubens master. third Edition.This large folio is bound in full contemporary vellum with gilt tooling. Snags repaired in the blank of the title page and on the folding Engraving , without damaging the text. Scattered freckles. Good copy. Landwehr, Dutch 240; Landwehr, Low Countries 678. (cfr. PRAZ, Studies in seventeenth-century imagery I pp.523-524 & Peeters Fontainas Bibliographie des impr. espagn. des Pays-Bas mérid. 1275;. Folio. 14 x 9 inches * 6, ** 4, *** 2, A-Z4, 2A-2C4 / a4, a-f4, g2. Item #97

This Emblem book is made up of three Stoic works, beginning with Text from Horace in latin with 103 copper plates of engravings, That is a full page engraving of Vaenius by his daughter Gertrude van Veen engraved by Pontius.

These emblems also appeared in “Emblems from Horace, but not directly, these engravings represent both allegoric and general passages from Horace, these are in Spanish. The Horace is followed by

The Table of Cebes which has a large folding plate (16 x 13 inches) Cebes’ Tablet is an Ekphrastic work interpreting a probably mythical Tablet which symbolically represents “the whole Truth of Human life” Cebes is one of the characters in The Phædo of Plato. Xenophon tells us that Cebe was in the inner circle of Socrates’ friends. This is followed by The ENCHRIDION of Epictetus, in spanish. This manual is a ‘hands-on’philosophical collection of epigrams which promises to free the mind from Fear and enslavement to false Ideas.

Price: $3,500.00

Seven Emblem Books and Two others To see the web page which goes with this choose the link below. Seven Emblem books and two others!

#Alcati #Early Anthropology #Emblem Books #Iconology #Illustrated #Jesuits #Mexico #Mythologics

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pandora-morningstar · 5 years

Text

1920's Mobster au ghost style

Firstly I found all the pictures I used off of here and bing images, I don't own any of them so all credit goes to the rightful owners

Secondly I know I'm late to the whole mob au thing.

I'm gonna use the names my friend @papa2asks give the Papa's and Copia

Papa Eldritch Emeritus nihil is the big boss, he's essentially like the Godfather, he runs the entire operation and pulls the strings from the shadows while being respected and feared in the public eye. He's one of the most influential men in the whole of Italy and that shows.

Papa Alabaster Emeritus 1

First born, so he has a lot to live up to when his father retires. He hasn't killed anyone because it makes him sick to his stomach so he gets his younger brother to pull the covers. He's wise and helps new ghouls, ghouletts and siblings of sin with training and dutys, he's also the adoption father of two children, and adoption grandfather as well.

Papa Frate Emeritus 2

There are many words to describe this man. Murder, hitman, gun for hire. He takes care of any problems by making them disappear. The last thing his victims see is his signature dark green tie, white eye and skull paint. Frate takes his adoption nephew with him on jobs and is always armed, he's also a bit of a player.

Papa Dante Emeritus 3

If you think papa 2 was a player, you haven't met the youngest emeritus. Dante is a total womaniser, he leaves a trail of broken hearts where ever he gose. He also owns the local casino and bar which is his base of operation, his role is to seduce information out of rival gangster's partners and with his devilish charm and charisma who could refuse.

Cardinal Vincenzo Copia

Papa nihil's right hand man, and spy. He's known as the rat because he can get in and out without detection and whispers back what he's learned. He's also the manager at Papa 3's establishment and runs the gambling tables. He's been called sleezy before but he gets the job done he's also the most hard worker at the Devil's Paradise.

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ifridiot · 5 years

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Punchable

Naia gets some help from Cable. Takes place about six months or so before the last fic I posted, History. Plot suggested by @byfe

Naia knew who Cable was, had seen him in the news, heard Wade talk about him way more than they honestly ever wanted to, but he was one of those sort of… distant people, like a celebrity or a politician. He was a step above a myth, confirmed real but certainly not someone Naia ever expected to meet.

Or, as the case may be, almost punch in the face.

One minute, Naia’s alone on a dark rooftop, watching a small caravan of cars pull up to the warehouse where the Giuliani family was set to have some kind of meetup to discuss a weapon they’d acquired. Naia needed to figure out what the weapon actually was, and why Vincenzo, who previously had stuck to the drug trade with a healthy side of racketeering, had decided his family should dip into the weapons trade at all. If it came to it, they were prepared to kill a few mafiosos, but at a small sit down like this, they hoped to be able to keep casualties to a minimum.

They’re alone, mentally running through the blueprints they’d memorized of the warehouse interior, deciding the best way to sneak in without being noticed -- recon was the most important part of the night -- and then their danger-sense was going haywire.

Nothing sounds wrong, at first, but thirteen years have taught them to trust that when the danger-sense said ‘something dangerous is behind you’, something dangerous was probably behind them.

And so, before they’ve even gotten a chance to see the man up close, they spun and tried to punch him in the face.

The blow, aimed for someone closer to their height, should have hit the man in the neck, too low for a clean strike to the mouth, but still devastating. Naia could lift railcars; a punch provoked by fear was bound to be devastating.

Except, they manage to get through the spin, leaning into the punch, but then they seem to freeze, their whole body seized by some kind of paralysis.

Gives them plenty of time to recognize the dour face of the time travelling mutant soldier. His head tilts just slightly to the side, as if, when they’d turned, he’d started to sway out of the line of fire before remembering he could do this telekinetic freeze bullshit.

Let me go, fuckhead, they badly want to shout, but Spider-man is generally less ragey than Naia, and would give a guy with a reputation like Cable at least a little respect. So they just think it, loudly, before remembering that the asshole can read minds, too.

All four arms are starting to feel stiff and sore -- honestly, this is worse than trying to hide their secondary arms -- and they register that even if they could figure out something appropriate to say, they can’t move their jaw to speak.

Okay, that’s a little scary.

“Spider-man,” Cable says, measured, calm. Like he’s trying to be soothing, but is also impatient. “I need you to come with me.”

Just like that, the force holding them drops, and they stumble, catching themselves and glaring at Cable. The mask won’t translate the look, but they indulge in it anyway. Judging by the way his lips press thin together, he’s picking the sentiment up just fine.

“You realize I’m at work, right,” they hiss, two hands gesturing toward the warehouse, outside of which men are drifting, casing the area, creating their security net. It was still a few hours before Vincenzo and his guests were scheduled to show up, time Naia needed to see how the goons were going to arrange themselves so they could figure out the attack plan. “Would you show up at like, the hospital while a surgeon is scrubbing up before surgery to demand help?”

“If it were necessary. If the future depended on it,” Cable says, all cool and collected like he’s making an effort to be patient. Naia groans, sagging backwards with their face angled at the overcast sky. It’s July, and the weather seems dead set on raining. So much the better for stealth; the sound of the rain would mask any noise they might make sneaking around.

Now Naia was wasting time talking to this busybody asshole with his distracting metal arm and vaguely disapproving frown. Okay, yeah, they could maybe see where Wade was coming from, maybe, but he was still an busybody asshole.

When he smiles, the expression mostly just a deepening of the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes, barely a quirk of the lips, Naia scowls. He even makes smug look good, wearing self-satisfaction with the ease of one who fully knew that he’d earned the right to feel it. Absolutely obnoxious, ugh.

“Look,” Naia says evenly, the voice modulator evening out the little bit of anxiety that would otherwise have managed to leak into their tone, “this is a one-night-only high stakes event. Whatever you want, I’ll help you tomorrow. Or next week. Or whenever you need, just not tonight, thank you for the offer, goodbye.”

Cable sighs, the resignation in his posture enough to communicate that he’d expected this to be difficult but had hoped it wouldn’t be and now he was disappointed. “Wade was right. He told me you were funny. And stubborn.”

“Yeah well, fair’s fair, Wade was absolutely wrong, ‘cause he told me I’d think you were cool and you’re actually just a bit of a prick,” Naia throws back, turning to gesture sharply, all four arms rigidly extended toward the warehouse. “I have a job to do. Stop giving me the guilt-trip Dad-Eyes and go save the future somewhere else.”

Silver eye brows hitch pretty high for a moment, lips pressing thin again. “Saving the future involves you leaving with me. Now.”

Naia turns toward him again, arms dropping. “If I don’t figure out what the fuck those men have and what they’re planning to do with it, they’re going to start killing people. People will die. I know you’re all about the ‘big picture’ and a couple dead mobsters here, a dozen dead civvies there, they ain’t nothin’ to you, but see, they are a big deal to me.”

“If you go in there tonight, you will die. I can’t let that happen.”

A beat of silence before Naia groans, turning away and staking toward the edge of the rooftop where they’d set up their little stake-out nest. “If you expect me to believe that I’m somehow important enough that the time and place of my death affects anything in the grand scheme of things, you’re way, way dumber than Wade’s led me to believe.”

“You need to know what they’ve got? They’ve got two things, Spider-man. A very powerful telepath and a lot of guns. You’ve been fed information to lead you here tonight, and they’ve done a good job, because you absolutely believe you can sneak in there and listen in on a meeting that’s not even going to happen.”

Cable talks like Naia is being obtuse, and frankly, the tone is kind of ticking them off. They get the distinct impression that he’s trying to pull strings here, and they don’t like being led. “Vincenzo Giuliani is a small time crook, he’s got no scores to settle with me outside whatever grander bullshit the Italians might be thinking. There’s been no word of a raise in the reward for my death, no incentive for him to suddenly set up some elaborate trap to reel me in.”

“The Italians have all kinds of reasons to want you in the ground. In fact, most of the criminals in New York would like to see Spider-man dead. You’re walking into a trap that was specifically designed for you, and I’m trying to help you.”

And the worst of it is, guided down that path of logic, Naia can kind of see what he means. Naia would never have gotten wrapped up in this if it was one of the bigger families, the ones with more consistent megalomaniacal bends; they would have tipped off one of the big guys, because they were great at handling small time stuff, okay with a few supervillains now and again, but they really didn’t do the flashy stuff.

Friendly neighbourhood Spider-man. A small mob family looking to dip their fingers into the weapons trade? Just their speed, something that could become a big problem but that could be taken care of before it became too much of one.

It really was sort of a tailor-made situation for them to have spent time on (and oh god, what kind of shit might have been going on while they were putting this case together) and put their focus on, and it would be, in an enclosed warehouse in an industrial park with no witnesses around, exactly the right environment for them to be outnumbered and overwhelmed. Pulled off right, it was the perfect setup to catch them, because the danger wouldn’t be direct enough for the danger-sense to warn them until it was too late. Telepaths were never fooled by their cloaking ability, and they might have a thicker skin than most, but they were definitely not bulletproof.

They couldn’t think of a reason why Cable would lie about this, but it was also… troubling… to try and figure out why it would matter enough for him to intervene. People died all day every day. Someone was probably being murdered right now, someone who could have changed the world somehow but never got their chance. What in the hell could be so important that Time Cop Jesus would decide to step in?

“Things are going to get very dark in the next few months,” Cable says, gravely, like that clarifies anything. “People will need you, your strength, your kindness. Not just the memories.”

“If this is all some kind of plot, aren’t they just going to double down on getting me dead?”

Broad shoulders rise and fall in a shrug. “You know there’s a plot now. I imagine you’ll figure out how to deal with the Italians without getting killed.”

Naia squints at Cable, head tilting to one side, assessing him. “You got a real big gun there. And I’d guess you’re better at telepathic shielding than me with your, y’know,” they wiggle the fingers of one hand by their temple. “Bet together we could really fuck Giuliani’s shit up.”

This time the smile is a little more present, crooked like he’s trying to keep a straight face. “I’m not going to do that.”

“Okay, fuck, so you’re Tuxedo Mask, show up, flip your cape, you’re done here.” Naia scoffs, throwing all four hands up. “What good are you?”

“I just saved your life.”

“Yeah? You want praise and accolades? Christ.”

They can feel him staring at them as they gather up their equipment. “Wade told me you had an… interesting sense of humor.”

“Wade tell you I don’t like nights off? Fuck, I wasted so much time on this shit and I can’t even punch anyone over it.”

Cable is smiling openly when they look at him again. It’s still a rather subtle expression, a curl of his lip, the deepening of the wrinkles around his eyes. No business making smug look hot, but there he stands, the absolute bastard.

“Well,” he says, “I could use a hand with something.”

They perk up a little. “Would I be allowed to punch people?”

“It was implied, yes.”

Thunder rumbles, and the first few drops of rain splatter against the mask as they drag their jacket back on and move toward Cable. Down below, Naia can hear Giuliani’s men shouting orders at one another, still setting up security. Part of them quite badly wants to go down there and hurt some people, and they’re willing to bet that, whatever Cable said about them being important in the near future, he’d let them go if they went, even if it got them killed. He’s got that powerful Good Guy energy, the kind that says he can’t fault free will.

But why die when you can live to kill the assholes another day, when they’re not expecting it?

“Alright. Let’s go punch some assholes.”

#naia leadley #spidersona #into the spider verse #nathan summers #cable #neoma writes

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