#I'll probably go see it again before it leaves theaters lmao

[cookinguptales]

OH right, Blue Beetle!

I really enjoyed it! I've been a fan of Jaime Reyes for a long time and I honestly never believed he'd get his own movie. And?? Such a good one???

I worried going into it that he looked too cool in the trailers. Is that weird to say? I loved dorky baby teenager Jaime when I was a kid. He felt like One Of Us, y'know? And then I watched the trailers and I was like "hmmmmmm."

But even though he's a bit older in this movie and has his shit together a little more, he's still very much Jaime Reyes at heart. 💙 Love that weird little dork of a man that always means so well, even if he doesn't always know what to do. And I found myself rooting for him so hard!

The movie was overall just really charming and fun and occasionally emotionally devastating. A good mixture of action, character relationships, humor, and politics, imo. The characters were so endearing, and I'm really looking forward to seeing how things develop going forward.

A few more thoughts (with spoilers) beneath the cut.

I was actually a little surprised by how sad parts of the movie were, but it felt right, too. The heart of the movie really was the simultaneous power of familial love and horror of family separation. Family separation really seemed to affect all the characters in their own ways, whether that was due to corporate greed, politics, war, racism, or just good-old-fashioned horrific US policy.

Like... You come to realize that it really permeated every part of the movie. Alberto's devotion to his family, the years he put into bringing them all to Palmera City. The very real fear that going to the cops would invite an unfair immigration investigation into their household. Jenny losing her parents at such a young age, and the sharp divide between her and her aunt. Jaime's family loss as well. Carapax's truly fucked-up backstory. Hell, even divisions being sown between Victoria Kord and her brother when her father gave the company to Ted instead of the person who'd built it.

(Don't get me wrong, Victoria Kord was truly evil, child soldiers and all. I was not rooting for her. But lbr, that doesn't seem to be why her equally war-mongering father cut her out of the company. You have to wonder if she would have done quite so much damage in the end if she hadn't felt such a virulent need to prove herself and destroy her brother's pacifistic legacy. But! Who knows? She might have been even worse if she'd had all that power from the beginning.)

And, y'know, all of the characters deal with the horror of family separation in different ways. Carapax became weaponized by an imperialistic power that didn't give one shit about him. Victoria became embittered, violent, and downright brutal. And Jaime could have gone the same way, so furious over the loss of his own family that he gave into wanton destruction as well -- but Khaji Da didn't let him. (WAILING.) Instead, he managed to take the same route as Jenny: transmuting his rage into a need for justice, into a passion for making the world better so no one else would lose their loved ones the same way.

Y'all, I was in there crying at a superhero movie!!! IT'S FINE, I'm FINE.

I heard that the creator of the movie hadn't actually initially intended for Alberto to die (which I understand, tbh) but I did think it was really beautiful the way it was incorporated into the movie. Bringing Mexican culture to the foreground yet again in its discussions about and attitudes toward death. God, those candles were beautiful. ;;

I mean -- as someone who literally dropped all of my DC subs the day they "fixed" Oracle and never gave DC another cent until this movie came out, I really am passionate about the need for diverse heroes. Part of the reason I felt like I was getting emotional in that theater was because I remembered how much Oracle meant to me as a young disabled teen who couldn't make sense of her trauma or her disability or her inherent power. I remember how much losing the only positive role model I had devastated me.

And like... I want kids with the same background as Jaime to see themselves in him. I want them to be able to feel the way I felt back then. Honestly, that was a lot of why I finally broke my boycott. I think characters like Jaime, while brilliant in their own right, are also important, and I want to support them.

So when I realized how raucously, joyously, passionately this movie was gonna depict Latino culture and its own diversity within the US, I was thrilled! And I cried lmao.

(What can I say, I've been kind of weepy lately lmao.)

But yeah, honestly I cheered in the theater when Khaji Da switched to Spanish. I was like YEAH GIRL.

Other times I was actively fangirling in the theater:

Nana Reyes gunning down imperialists

Ted Kord reveal(s)!!!

"Batman's a fascist. Blue Beetle knew how to have fun." :')

Khaji Da stopping Jaime from killing that man

Milagro and Rudy having no such compunctions

Dr. "Sanchez" standing up for himself and his name reveal (which is a very fun easter egg for WWDITS fans, lmao. I wasn't expecting it and I had to stifle a little shout of laughter.)

Honestly, as a former DC fan I really loved how much thought and care was put into incorporating the really messy canonical history of the Scarab. Obviously they deviated from existing canon, but in ways that I thought were really fun and interesting. I'm excited to see what happens with the Kords going forward, y'know? I hope that Jenny, too, isn't cut out of her own family legacy. I'd never want to separate Khaji Da and Jaime, obviously, but there has to be something for that woman to do to follow in her father's (secret) footsteps.

I realize that this review is kind of all over the place (like my mind the past few days), but I really, really enjoyed it. I was feeling pretty out of sorts the day I saw it and it really raised my spirits a lot. It turns out that after all these years, I still really love Jaime Reyes! And I love his family! And I love Jenny, too!

even dr. de la cruz a little bit, even if he sure did take his sweet time to find a backbone

The movie was just super fun (as well as unexpectedly thought-provoking) and I really enjoyed it!

[dreamerdoesthewritething]

[Part 8 of AFAB Bestie x Leon fic series, because I'll only stop when I run outta steam, and then I probably won't touch this for months lmao.]

[Post with links to previous parts]

Leon leaves your home for about an hour before he returns with a bag of his stuff. His gross tactical belongings were taken home and exchanged with this, apparently. He doesn't ask if he can stay with you. He just does. And you don't mind. He can stay with you as long as he wants, as long as he doesn't bother you when you have to study for your classes. It'll be the most time he's spent with you in years.

You remember your mother asking you why Leon doesn't just move in with you. With how often he comes over, he might as well live at your place. Of course, she made this observation a few years ago, when Leon was still in training and not gone as much. He'd save on rent and the two of you paying the bills at one location would help from a financial standpoint as well. It wouldn't be the first time you've lived in the same house, either. Still...

At the time, your answer to your mother was that you thought Leon enjoyed having his own place and the two of you needed to be able to put space between you every once in a while. What you didn't say was you thought it would jeopardize your friendship with him due to temptation. Because constantly sharing the same space would cause you to have to repress your feelings, which would eventually come to a head and you'd end up doing or saying something stupid that would ultimately destroy everything. Your unorthodox friendship is too good, too comfortable to risk losing.

Little did you know Leon's waiting for you to ask him at least one question. He would ask you himself, but he doesn't want to seem pushy. He'd rather you take the initiative, considering it'll affect your life much more than his. If he asked, you'd feel obligated to agree. So you need to be the one, because then he'll know for sure it's what you want, not something you're agreeing to for his sake.

He figures he'll be waiting a while, watching you struggle to put the fitted sheet onto the mattress of the guest bedroom. You're not one to pursue these things, even if you know he knows you have feelings for him.

Or had. He's unsure if you still do.

There's no doubt you care about him, but do you love him the same way you used to, the way he does you?

"Whoever invented this shit got it all wrong," you grumble, throwing your hands up in defeat when the corner of the fitted sheet once again escapes the mattress.

Leon chuckles. "You, uh, need help over there?"

"No, I got it, I got it," you say, trying once again to get the sheet to hug all four corners. Hair falls into your face. You blow hot air in an attempt to get it out of the way, but your forehead's gotten sweaty from this mild excursion and refuses to let the hair go. Your cheeks puff out as you pout, brow furrowed.

"Yeah, I can see that," he teases. "Look, it'll be easier with two people. I'll take this side, you take that one. Then we only have to fight two corners each."

"And each other, Mr. Incredible," you say, but you agree nonetheless to his proposition.

"If I'm Mr. Incredible, does that make you Elastigirl?" he asks.

"Uh, we're not married, so I'm gonna have to say no."

"We could be," he wants to say. Instead, he says nothing.

"I'm surprised you've seen that movie. It's only been out in theaters for like a week," you continue, not noticing how Leon's looking at you.

"I'm not always on duty or training. I do have free time every now and then, you know."

"We could've gone together."

Your voice became so quiet and small when you said that. Leon freezes as you raise your gaze to meet his. It's brief, but you lose your smile for a fraction of a second before looking away. He really hadn't thought about that, he realizes. Why didn't he think of asking you to go to the movies with him?

"It was a midnight viewing. You had work the next day and you have your studies," he says.

"I would've put it all on hold for you." You've done it before, which you don't say but your tone is enough to tell him that. You sigh. "You know I can do things other than give you a place to sleep and give you comfort during the tough times. I am your friend, aren't I?"

Oh no. The road this conversation is taking makes Leon's stomach churn as his heart begins to hurt. Your smile is gone, replaced with a resigned expression. The light in your beautiful eyes, artificial before, is now gone completely.

Then you shake your head, a clear sign. You're not actually going to have the conversation. You won't risk upsetting Leon. You don't think your thoughts are worth hearing. He can read it in every motion of your body. He's always been able to read you like this.

Normally, he lets you get away with dropping subjects for his sake, but not this time.

This time, it will be different.

He drops the side of the mattress and fitted sheet he was working on and gently grabs your face, turning it towards him. You tense up, releasing your own side as you're taken by surprise by his sudden action. He takes a seat on the unmade bed, pulling you down with him onto his lap. You turn red and try to turn away, but he won't let you.

"Sweetheart, talk to me," he pleads.

You bite your bottom lip, shaking your head again. It's nothing. It's not worth bringing up...

He knows your weakness, though, and says your name in that voice he uses, the one that gets you to cuddle up to him at night when he needs someone to lean on. Despite your best efforts, you give in as tears sting your eyes. No, you won't cry. You won't let it get to that point, you think.

"Why do you only come to me when you need comfort? Why do you only seem to come for me when you're suffering? Why don't we do things normal friends do?" you ask in the smallest voice.

Part of you hopes he didn't actually hear any of it, but you know he hangs onto every word you say.

"Are we...Are we even friends anymore? Or am I just, like...I don't know...your fucking security blanket?"

There's venom in that last bit of your question. It curdles Leon's blood, threatening to kill him. Is that really all you think you are to him? Has he been that callous towards you? The very thought makes him sick.

"I'll never turn you away. You know this too well," you continue, trying to keep the harsher emotions out of your words. "But dammit, Leon, I just...I want to be able to do things with you that aren't just in this damn house or that involve a bed or a fucking bottle. I want to go to the movies or go shopping or to the arcade or just a goddamn walk once in a while. Is that so much to ask?"

He opens his mouth, but you're not done.

"We don't even talk that much. I know nothing about your life anymore except that you work for the damn government. You hardly ask about mine. Our phone conversations are lucky to get past the minute mark. You never tell me when you're coming. You just show up looking like shit in the middle of the night and expect me to..."

You take a haggard breath. "God, I'm so tired. So, so fucking tired, Leon. I care about you, and I know to some degree you care about me, too. And I get that you can't be too open with me about certain things because of your shitty-ass job. I get it, I do. But I just..."

Trailing off, you shake your head again before hiding your face in your hands. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything. Forget it, can we just go back to--?"

Leon cuts you off by pulling you into a bone-crushing hug, putting the hand that once cupped your face onto the back of your head to guide it to rest on his shoulder. "Oh, sweetheart, no. No apologies. I told you to talk to me and you did. Thank you."

"For what?" you ask. He winces from how small your voice still is.

"For being honest with me. I know how hard it can be for you," he replies. "I am so sorry I made you feel this way. I really don't deserve you. Thank you for keeping me, even though I've done this. I'll do whatever I can to make it up to you, and I'll do whatever it takes to be a better friend. You deserve the world. All I can offer you is mine."

You're speechless and unable to hold back the tears. All you can say is his name as you wrap your arms around him, relaxing in his grasp. The two of you just hold each other for a while, minds going blank as you simply enjoy being together again. He hopes you feel better now that you have that weight off your chest. You shouldn't feel guilty for speaking your mind. Everything you said he needed to hear, needed to know, needed to consider.

He never thought he would be the friend who was all take and no give, and yet, he became that person without even realizing it.

And if you were dating, like he wishes you could, that would make him such a shit boyfriend, too.

"What do you want to do right now, sweetheart?" he asks in a whisper.

"You."

He nearly falls off the bed when you say that. His reaction causes you to burst into a fit of giggles.

"I'm kidding, Leon," you assure him, gently patting his cheek as he stares at you with wide eyes and a slack jaw. "My virgin ass ain't ready for that kind of thing, and besides, we don't have that type of friendship, now do we?"

"We...We could, though."

His arms around you is the only thing that keeps you from falling off of his lap and the bed. You blink several times, unsure if you heard him correctly or if you just imagined it. The reddish pink creeping into his cheeks tells you that yes, Leon S. Kennedy did in fact actually suggest your friendship could become the "with benefits" type. Your expression becomes a mirror image of his.

"Okay, let's, uh...Let's put a pin in this conversation for now, yeah?" Leon suggests, tearing his gaze away from yours. "How 'bout we, uh, finish making this bed...and then think about dinner. Sound good?"

All you can do is nod.

He carefully lifts you from his lap and places you onto the bed beside him before standing up, taking a deep breath to compose himself. What was he supposed to think now? Does your reaction mean you still loved him after all these years? Or are you simply sexually attracted to him now, like many people? Does it matter to you what the distinction is? Does it matter to him?

No, no it doesn't.

Never before has he wanted you as badly as he does after hearing your silly little joke. Who'd have thought a simple exchange of "what do you wanna do?" "you" could lead to him imagining all the lewd things he'd do with you? He's got some experience from short-term relationships that crashed and burned between the police academy and now. You, however...You've never even been on a date, let alone kissed someone, let alone had...

Get your head outta the gutter, Leon thinks. He shoves those lovely, nasty thoughts aside by thinking of the least attractive person he can--your great-aunt Henrietta. Yeah, that's a real boner killer right there. How she ever managed to get five men to agree to marry her is anyone's guess, what with that hideous personality.

But hey, if that bitch could get dates, so could you.

So why haven't you ever done that?

Have you really been waiting for Leon all this time?

[trashmuis]

I had SUCH a good time this weekend!!!!

This was my first ever horror convention, and I left SO happy!!!

Bill Moseley was sooo chill and so nice! I can't believe I actually got to meet him and pose with him and get a selfie and an 2 autographs! I got a signed Chop Top headshot personalized for me, plus I got a Cornbugs CD (Celebrity Psychos) signed, and a selfie with him holding it <3 !!

it was pretty cool because he couldn't get the plastic off of the CD case so he pulled out a pocket knife with a dramatic flourish and sliced it open, but he accidentally cut into the case but I was like "no that's fine thank u omg" so I have a slightly knife-cut version of the CD case i guess, with his name on the CD itself and honestly I'm happy about it. for the photo, he asked me my name and shook my hand and was really kind, and he asked what i wanted for the quote and i just. i panicked. i froze. i forgot every line of dialog in the movie. i said "um there are too many, uh, i don't know um-" and then he proceeded to rattle off like every quote at me in the voice with the intonation and- that was. that was great. i settled with the classic "lick my plate, you dog dick" line bc it's iconic and also feels like he is insulting me with his quote on the picture which is just too goddamn funny to pass up.

Bill Johnson was a sweetheart and it just was obvious. like i can tell even from his demeanor that he was so patient and kind. i got a headshot of Leatherface signed (which goddamn he has beautiful handwriting and it was amazing to watch him make sure it looked as good as possible) and I also got a selfie with him too :D !!

I bought a crap ton of stuff and WON the silent auction being held in the main autograph room, so even if I never meet Edwin Neal (I hope one day....) I DO have an autograph from him that I got from that! It's a picture of the hitchhiker cutting himself and it's signed by him, and it's verified and that's so dope

I wore my costume all day on Saturday, and got some professional pics with both Bills, all in costume. So. That was cool! I got some photos with other people, and my costume is probably floating around there somewhere on Facebook, according to one guy. But. That's ok. I'm basically unrecognizable in that outfit lmao

Bill Moseley complimented my Chop Top costume tho at the photoshoot, and then again when he was leaving! That was great

That night, I went to see the TCM2 showing with live commentary and it basically was just watching the movie with Bill Moseley and Tom Morga. Bill just drank a Dr. Pepper (I know because he declared that before the movie started) and ate popcorn and kind of laughed at parts, and gave a few facts I wasn't aware of, and Tom mostly bounced off of Bill. some of these details are in the tags of my other posts but i do mean it when I say, it is incredible to be in an actual full-sized theater watching The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 and hearing Bill Moseley chuckle at the movie every now and then

and then in the morning today, I went around for the last time, bought a few more Leatherface items, and sadly had to go home

but I ABSOLUTELY want to go to a horror convention again, and if I get the opportunity to meet Bill Moseley again I probably will and I'll gift him something next time bc I just. I want to. I wasn't expecting Bill Johnson to be there tbh (it was much more last minute on the website?) but if I see him again too, I'll do the same :)

[ritz-writes]

So... when I said that everything was the same in spotlight au... that includes Macaque making a deal with LBD. cuz who am I if I don't have some kind of angst hehe. Though, there are a few differences. The main one being that, when Spider Queen tries to take over the city, LBD keeps herself hidden from Wukong. This also means that he doesn't leave during season 2. At least, not at first.

This is another drabble that got way to long hhhh

Words: 1128

(Everything said in this post happens about a week after the attempted city takeover.)

By this point, Macaque's friends know Wukong is the ex and still don't rlly like him, but they can see he's trying, so they r giving him a chance. But, like I said, they have their ups and downs. At one point, they have a fight. I haven't worked out what the fight is about, but they both say things they regret later and Macaque storms off to the theater, his one place of solace (he and a few other long term actors have the codes to get in and are allowed to whenever they want). A few of his cast mates were there going over lines and immediately rush to comfort him, letting him vent out his frustrations.

Here's where the angst comes in >:))

It was well into the middle of the night when the lights flicker out, a man stepping out of the shadows, purring about how "easy it was to find the lady's little play thing."

Macaque immediately backs away in terror, knowing full well what the man was there for. Or rather, who.

(Theres like 6 people there including macaque, but i dont have any names, so I'm just gonna use letters to address them lmao)

"Uhm, excuse me sir?" A said nervously. "You can't be in here, you need to leave."

The man chuckled, ignoring them completely, his eyes zeroed in on Macaque alone. "You know, if you were trying to hide, you did quite a poor job of it."

B and C move forward, the others converging to stand in front of Macaque. "Hey, back off, man." C snapped. "You need to leave. Now."

The man raised an eyebrow, then smirked. He rushed forward and in the blink of an eye, had B and C by the throat in either hand, raising them off the floor.

Macaque pushed passed the other 3, eyes wide. "Stop!! Stop, let them go, please! I-I'll go with you, okay?"

D grabbed Macaque's arm. "Mac, are you crazy?"

Macaque ripped out of the hold, moving closer. "Let them go and I'll follow you without a fight. I'll do whatever she says, just... don't hurt them, please. " His voice was shaky, as were his hands. He thought he'd gotten away from Her years ago, thought he was free despite the feeling of chains in his dreams.

He now realized just how foolish a thought that was.

The man's grin widened. He threw B and C forward, the duo crashing to the others with a yelp. Macaque moved to help, but was stopped by and hand gripping the back of his neck, sending shivers by his spine.

"And the lamp?" The man hissed in his ear, smile ever present.

Macaque was near hyperventilating. He didn't want to do this. Gods, he did not want to see her again, but he had no choice. He had to keep his friends safe.

Shit, why did he have to go and get attached again?

E stood up, seeming just as scared as Macaque. "L-Let him go!"

The grip on his neck tightened. "The lamp, Macaque."

Macaque shut his eyes, tail curling around his leg. "I-It's at my house."

"Good. Take us there. We don't want to keep the lady waiting, now do we?"

Macaque bit his lip and summoned a portal under them. He opened his eyes long enough to see the terrified expression of his friends, B and D rushing forward, arms outstretched toward him.

He couldn't let them get hurt. He could probably--maybe--fight the man off, but he couldn't risk LBD using his friends against him.

Macaque reached into his pocket and, right before he dropped into the portal, threw his phone towards the group, praying to any god listening that they'd know who to call.

And that he'd be willing to help.

---

Wukong was surprised to see Macaque calling him. Normally they went days without talking after a fight. He honestly didn't want to answer at first, but he knew that'd probably just make things worse.

So, with a heavy sigh, he swiped answer. Before he could even speak, though, the sound of loud sobbing filled his ears, the noise coming from the background. He sat up from his couch, fur bristled. "Macaque? What's going on, who's crying?"

Someone took a deep breath, then spoke. Someone who definitely wasn't Macaque. "Sun Wukong?"

Wukong growled. "Who the hell is this. Where's Macaque."

"This is B. I'm a friend of his. He... shit this dude just came in and took him!"

Wukong jumped off the couch and ran out the door, summoning his cloud and taking off toward the city. "Took him? What do you mean? Who was it?"

"It was this weird dude in a suit, he came out of nowhere. I think Mac knew him or something. The dude said something about a-a lamp? I don't know, but he threw his phone before they left. I'm assuming he wanted us to call you."

Wukong swore under his breath, urging his nimbus to go faster. "Do you know where they went? Did the man say anything else?"

"Mac said the lamp was at his house, so he took them there. Uhm, the guy said something about a lady?"

Wukong felt cold. "A lady?" He repeated quietly.

"Y-Yeah. I think Macaque knew who he was talking about? He said 'she' at one point. I-I'm sorry, it's kind of a blur, everything happ—"

"Are you sure?" Wukong repeated, voice strained. He had to be wrong, please, he had to be wrong. "He said 'she'? Do you remember what Macaque said exactly?"

B took a shaky breath. "He said 'I'll do whatever she says.' He was trying to get him to not hurt us."

No.

Gods, he was such an idiot. How did he not see it before. People don't just come back from the dead on their own. Someone brought Macaque back, someone with a purpose. Someone who was supposed to be dead themselves.

A low growl made its way past his throat.

B spoke again. "You know what's going on, don't you?" It wasn't a question.

"Yeah," he answered. "What's his address?"

B hesitated, but only for a second. "It's ______"

"Alright. Thanks for calling me. I'll handle this."

"I'll keep his phone on me. Keep me updated."

"Sure."

"I mean it," B snapped. "You better keep me updated. I want to make sure Macaque is okay. I don't trust you, but he obviously still does. Don't let him down again. Please."

--

By the time Wukong made it to Macaque's house, there was no one there, the magical presence of the lamp faded.

The next day, Monkey King went on 'vacation.' He didn't tell B about it.