#way to be lowkey and incognito 😌

[deadlyhand]

@psyblcde​ said: 👀 + Kwannon and Shangqi but additionally I would like Kwannon / Shangqi / Katy friend group headcanons please 😌

send me 👀 + a ship ( platonic / romantic / hate ) & i’ll give you 3 headcanons!

Kwannon and Shangqi

They’re always intune to each others emotions, or they pay careful attention to it. Even when they’re hanging out with Katy, Shangqi and K keep an eye on each other. Trauma buds. To sum it up, Shangqi vc: “hey, are you alright?”

Whenever Shangqi wants to communicate something non-verbally to her, he touches her palm/the top of her hand (whatever’s more available). Sometimes he doesn’t have words, so he passes on a feeling. For instance, he’ll pass on the gut feeling that something bad is about to happen or the creepy vibes he gets from a person. If he wants to communicate this more incognito, he’ll maneuver so their forearms graze or something lowkey.  He does this a lot, because sometimes he doesn’t have the proper words to communicate. 

I can see them being the nerds that agree to read the same book at the same time so they can share their thoughts with someone. Sometimes they have reading sessions together where they sprawl out on the couch together (maybe I’m being generous when I say she tucks her feet under his thigh?). 

The Squad (tm)

Katy often tugs Shangqi and Kwannon around the city to do random, but fun things! She can be very convincing, and she’ll try to reason with them if they resist. Once Kwannon becomes a regular to their hangouts, Katy will dedicate outtings to just doing things for Kwannon. Since she was trapped for ten years, she has a lot to catch up on.  ( Katy and Kwannon friendship supremacy) For a good chunk of their friendship, Shangqi is only along for the ride -- even to places like spas, manicures/pedicures, etc. He’ll always be a step behind.

Katy is the talker for all three of them. Katy walks in front, Shangqi and Kwannon carry up the rear. Whenever Katy says something bizarre, Shangqi and Kwannon exchange either humourous or concerned glances. Though I can see Kwannon and Katy walking side-by-side, chatting with each other while Shangqi just listens. 

Kwannon carries a lot of weight in their friendship. By this I mean, Shangqi and Katy will manipulate their plans in any way if Kwannon says the word. K doesn’t want to do karaoke? Cool, they can go get sushi? If K doesn’t think something is safe, Katy reluctantly agrees and changes plans. Shangqi always glares at Katy when something like this happens, because Katy never listens to him. I can see Kwannon being the voice of reason frequently. Also the one who will immediately throw down if someone is mean to her friends.

[wordpress-blaze-36010151]

I am a Failure

Recently, I have been contemplating failure and its spiritual dimensions. In large part, this is because failure’s counterpart, success, is such a strange thing to pin down. I think Daniel Berrigan was onto something when he referred to success as being a weasel word and horribly American. But this recent contemplation of mine is also because, by all accounts, Jesus of Nazareth was a failure as well. Certainly, he had the makings of a successful person, but in the end, he died scandalized and humiliated on a Roman Cross.

As I was recently reminded at a gathering of Lutherans, many are certainly happy to celebrate Jesus becoming a failure for us, but those qualities that brought him to a Roman cross seem to be overlooked for the systematic nature of Paul’s letters. At times, I am not so sure what to make of this dynamic, because when Jesus’ words are referenced, they are just as quickly taken out of context.

It might seem strange that I am writing about failure, given my background as a pastor and professor with a Ph.D. I think I would be considered a “success” by some. However, in a very real sense, I don’t know what to do with such a judgment. Not because I am against being considered a success, but because there is so much more to me than just these things. There are many places where I might be deemed a failure. I resigned from a reputable pastoral position in part because of interpersonal dynamics, I struggle with OCD, I can certainly worry about the most ridiculous things, and I can be harsh and impatient. My successes can all too easily cover up my failures or, in another very real sense, my humanity. However, what strikes me through all my experiences is that it is in the failures and the struggles that the gold is found. After all, Christians believe that one man’s failure is what saves us from our sins.  

Recently, I read a great interview with theologian William T. Cavanaugh concerning success and failure. In the interview, Cavanaugh explains how, when it comes to positions of power and our desire for them, we rarely ask or consider how the position might change us. Rather, we often view it in the opposite direction, with a very individualistic lens, on how we can change the world through our position. I thought this was such a powerful insight, as we tend to approach the world around us in such ways when, in all actuality, the world around us influences us far more than we influence it. And really, wasn’t that the struggle of Jesus of Nazareth, not succumbing to the influence of the world? Satan tempted him with the very things that make for a successful person: power, prestige, and security, and certainly, no cross. Peter rebuked him over all his cross talk. And certainly had Jesus been more agreeable, he could have found a seat at the table of his enemies, the Pharisees. Yet, the ultimate symbol of failure lay ahead of him for all to see. I suppose we can say that such is what happens when one does not seek success, but instead faithfulness to the ways of God – failure.

Source: I am a Failure