Loweeell

Credits: @hachikojesus

An amazing Ukrainian artist and a great person Kiki ( @kikichuchundra ) recently passed away. Her art inspired many people, including me. Kiki brought light in other's lives, she was a very cheerful person, a ray of sunshine in this world.

In loving memory of Kiki, me and Hachiko @hachikojesus want to invite you all - her fans, friends and just people who care - in a little project. The idea is to draw her favourite characters, things and themes Kiki loved and if you want, add a message from yourself. Words of respect or something that was sadly left unspoken.

We're doing it with a consent of her family. Our goal is to bring attention to her art, to remember her and moments with her, to show our love, and also help her family. Kiki and her genuine passion about art, her contribution to Ukrainian art community will never be forgotten.

You can view Kiki's art on:

Tumblr

Twitter

Instagram

Telegram

Bluesky

I encourage you to do so

You can also help her family financially. If you want to donate, dm me for her bank account details. I am sharing it with a consent of her sister. Any amount of money or a simple repost will help. Thank you for your attention

The girl with the dragon boy

Feed me more!

As we know, each cross in Conclave has a unique design and meaning that reflects the character they're designed for.

The main symbol on Bellini's cross is the pelican. According to many ancient legends (pre dating Christianity) the pelican was believed to pierce its own breast with its beak to feed its offspring with its blood, so early Christians adopted it as a symbol of Jesus Christ sacrificing himself for mankind.

The most immediate explanation is that the pelican represents Bellini: he's the righteous cardinal who doesn't want the papacy, who sees it as a burden that will most likely destroy him, but who, at the same time, feels like he has to become Pope in order to prevent Tedesco from winning. In other words, he feels like he has to sacrifice himself in order to save the Church.

However, the quote engraved on the back of the cross reveals something more, something deeper. The quote comes from a hymn written by Thomas Aquinas in 1264, titled “Adoro te devote”.

Pie pellicane, Iesu Domine, / me immundum munda tuo sanguine.

Good pelican, Lord Jesus, / clean me, the unclean, with your blood.

It's a prayer TO the good pelican from the point of view of a sinner who feels unclean, impure.

And that's how Bellini constantly sees himself: as unworthy, as dirty. His whole character is built around this sense of shame, self loathing and self-doubt, which he must shoulder alone and which is at the centre of his (torturous?) relationship with God.

The quote is hidden on the back of the cross, it's private, it's for Bellini's eyes only, his shame is between himself and the Lord, the only one who can save him, who can clean him.

And of course you can read this however you like but it's definitely one more thing to be added to the list of gay undertones in Bellini's character.

i love multishipping the gay celibate old men

the book frames benitez as, literally and symbolically, a 60ish year old boy who has no idea what hes getting into. he stumbles to think of a name when he gets elected pope, begs lomelli to stay with him to guide him, and even the smallest papal clothes literally do not fit him because he's so tiny. he's framed with a childlike awe and openness needed to lead the church through dark and cynical times

i think another genius moment for the movie is that it frames benitez in almost the opposite direction. movie benitez is quiet and contemplative. he likes lomelli, but in the same way an angel would favor a prophet. he's the only one to care about His Holiness' turtles and see their virtue despite their apparent stupidity, which is obviously a reflection of how His Holiness saw the cardinals and the rest of the Kingdom of God. From the very beginning, he is isolated from the other cardinals, never really shown to discuss things with anyone other than lawrence. In the end when he scolds tedesco, you dont get the impression of a wise childlike figure speaking up against a bully, you get the impression of moses telling ramses to let his people go.

and in the end when movie benitez is elected pope, he pauses. he refuses to get dressed until lawrence sees him about the one issue he knows will be a problem. he comes into the papacy knowing he will make a great sacrifice, and he treats it that way.

While hellebore flowers can symbolize repentance, forget me not represent love and remembrance 🥰