#and Babs is still in a wheel chair and Oracle of course | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

elizabethemerald · 9 months ago

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Barbara Gordon had been enjoying Gotham City Comic Con so far. She had gone to a few signings and a few panels, and even did some signing of her own for those who recognized her as Babs-on-wheels. Dick was just enjoying being her handler for the Con. He had a cloth mask on and was ignored by most of the con goers, just like he liked it.

She loved conventions so much, even though they sucked in a lot of ways. They were hard on her body, she needed to take time away from being Oracle, and she somehow always ended up catching something no matter how much she masked or washed her hands. Even with all that, they were still fun, having a convention in Gotham just made things so much easier.

Of course GC3 still wasn't a popular Con. The risk of rogue attacks was too high for the Gotham locals and the non locals were too afraid of getting mugged or murdered on the way. GC3 struggled to get any real stars to show up for panels or signings and the artist alley was always distressingly empty compared to the size of the space.

At least this year the con was slightly bigger than usual. Bruce had used WE funds to sponsor personal security for any actor who showed up and Jason was personally paying for a bunch of Crime Alley artists to attend with their goods, including a lady who was selling extremely cute duck shaped candles. Babs was hopeful that if the others could keep the rogues at bay that this year might actually see the con's growth become the norm.

The best part of attending cons and especially of going in her costumes with her wheelchair was meeting all the people who had some disability coming up to her and showing off what she had inspired them to do. So many different amazing costumes for people in wheelchairs, with canes, or otherwise showing off their aids.

Like these three out of towners who had excitedly approached her.

The leader, who eventually was introduced as Tucker was excitedly stimming, his hands flapping and his words slurring together in his excitement. Every few seconds he would rock up on his toes like he was about to take off into the air. Barbara felt a small, fond smile creep up her face, Dick actually did the same thing though for a different reason.

Sam, the only girl of the group, also was the one who translated Tucker’s excitement into understandable words. She leaned heavily on a cane with a shoot of some vine growing up it.

The last of the group, Danny, introduced by both of the others as their boyfriend, was just as excited as Tucker. His wheelchair was beautifully disguised as the Curiosity Rover. The accuracy on the rover was truly stunning.

Tucker and his partners were all dressed up as Martian Warriors. 5th Dynasty if Bab’s recollections of J’onn’s lectures were correct. Actually some of the details were more accurate than the publicly available information. It made her raise her eyebrows a little, she didn’t think they were actually Martians, but it wasn’t impossible. More likely, however, they had some computer skills and were able to get access to some of NASA’s private files.

Barbara enjoyed the conversation with the trio, and Dick volunteered to take pictures of the four of them together. He had to take a couple of pictures before he could get one where nobody was blurry from stimming right as the flash went off. Finally he was able to get a good picture of all of them, including her pretending to be making first contact with them in character.

Their photo op was interrupted by the screens throughout the convention center that usually displayed maps or room numbers all went dark at the same time. Even the jumbotron that had been showing clips of happy con attendees in between advertisements for the corporate sponsors went black.

Babs felt Dick tense next to her, and surprisingly so did Danny in his chair. Their tension was immediately rewarded as all the screens came back on with Edward Nigma’s smarmy face. Babs had felt that Riddler had a very punchable face ever since she first started as Batgirl, and her opinion hasn’t changed since then. He looked even more punchable with his face that large on the jumbotron.

“Hello attendees of Gotham City Comic Con!” Riddler shouted out, deafening many.

Sam flinched violently from his voice and pressed her hands to her ears. She immediately wobbled like she was going to fall, but Tucker stepped up to her side and pressed her towards Danny’s wheelchair so she could steady herself.

“Sorry babe. They’re going to need me.” Dick whispered in Babara’s ear. She nodded and pressed a kiss to his cheek, both of them ignoring Riddler’s self-aggrandizing. “Stay safe, I love you.”

He stood up and hurried away. Riddler was an all hands on deck rogue, his preference for vastly complex plans featuring multiple threats across a wide area meant the Bats needed as much help as they could get to prevent any casualties. Sam had recovered enough to steady herself and glared after Dick.

“Where is he going?” She snarled.

Babs grimaced, she could see how it looked from an outside perspective. It looked like Dick had abandoned her as soon as a threat occurred. The way the trio grouped together to watch each other’s backs showed clearly how inappropriate they found his supposed actions.

“Dick is a police officer, I assume the GCPD will need his help.” Babs could almost laugh at the way the trio reacted as if she had said he wanted to go sniff toilet seats. They would probably prefer he was just a coward rather than a cop. Even with her father being the Commissioner, she couldn’t quite bring herself to disagree. There was a reason she had become a vigilante rather than help her father directly.

“Maybe we should get off the expo floor.” Danny interrupted what would probably have been a breathtaking rant from Sam. “Two people in wheelchairs might look like attractive hostages if it comes to that.”

“Good thinking.” Tucker was tapping away at his phone for a second before he looked up and pointed at a set of double doors nearby. “There should be a storage closet there, it usually holds all the tables and stuff for the artist alley, so it should be empty now.”

Barbara followed, wheeling after them as the trio made for the storage closet. She wondered if she could get away with calling one of the Birds to pick the lock, or maybe it wouldn’t be too suspicious for her to pick it herself.

“May I touch your wheelchair?” Babs was knocked out of her thoughts by Sam’s words. Tucker had taken over pushing Danny’s chair, in fact he had turned them both around so they were both going backwards. Then Sam was holding one of Danny’s hands and holding out her other. Barbara nodded her consent, confused and curious as to what they were planning.

They were almost to the double doors and Sam laid her hand on the back of Babs’ wheelchair. Barbara could feel a tingling sensation pass over her body from her contact with Sam. Then to her surprise, Tucker looked around to see if anyone was watching them then passed effortlessly through the door. He pulled Danny’s chair through and Sam guided Babs as all four of them walked through the door as if it wasn’t there.

She wasn’t entirely certain that the trio weren’t actually Martian warriors despite the fact that they were supposedly extinct. Either way she was certain that J’onn J’onzz would want to have a word with these three. Tucker had passed his phone to Sam, who was using it to watch Riddler’s broadcast while he knelt down and pulled out his laptop. He nudged Danny as he did so.

“I’m going to try and back trace the broadcast, see if I can find Riddler’s location. Are you going to go deal with him?” Tucker asked.

Barbara watched Danny consider his partner’s words. It was almost like the trio had forgotten she was there as Tucker very clearly started to hack on his laptop, with the computer resting on Danny’s head.

“No. Gotham has her own heroes.” Danny said, shaking his head and almost dislodging Tucker’s computer. “If they need help I��ll jump in, but I don’t want to step on any toes.”

“In that case, I’ll take this seat.” Tucker said before plopping himself down on Danny’s lap. He continued typing away even as Danny wrapped his arms around him to keep him stable. Sam leaned over their shoulders to look at what Tucker was typing. “Ok, I think I’ve found the source, he’s bounced the signal around a couple of times but the Mark of Horus was able to track him down.”

Barbara felt her brows climb toward her hairline. The Mark of Horus was an infamous tracking software created by the hacker Duat_Pharoh, one of the best hackers on the planet. Duat_Pharoh could even challenge Oracle in a few fields, which was no small feat if Barbara said so. The Mark of Horus could track an IP against just about any defenses, like the mythological hunter it was named after. And worse the code had only been approximated a few times (once by Barbara herself) and required a supercomputer to run successfully. Tucker just whipped that out in a few minutes on a laptop in a supply closet. Either he was lying or he was secretly a major player in the hacker world.

“Do you mind if I help you?” Barbara asked, as she pulled her laptop from its hidden compartment in her chair and set it on her lap.

“Hmm? Oh sure.” Unlike other hackers Barbara had encountered, he didn’t seem to be talking down to her when he accepted her offer for help. She slipped her earpiece into place and dialed her number at the Clocktower. A few key presses and she had forwarded her call to the comms of the Bats.

“Nightwing, this is Barbara Gordon.” Barbara said as she connected, subtly showing the Bats that she was in her civilian guise. She ignored the whispered, “She has Nightwing’s number? That’s so cool!”

“Go ahead Mrs. Gordon, this Nightwing.”

“Some civilian hackers from the convention and I were able to backtrace the Riddler’s signal.” She got a notification that Tucker was attempting to airdrop the data he had to her computer. Technically it shouldn’t have been possible for him to find her computer, but she guessed she shouldn’t be worried about what was supposed to be possible right then.

Barbara accessed the information and forwarded it to her husband.

“Riddler has several bombs hidden throughout the convention center, each clue will direct you to the next, eventually culminating in a showdown between himself and the Bats with several hostages as the stakes.” Barbara said, giving her directions to the family. “He does not currently have any hostages, but will be acquiring them from the convention, using the bombs as a distraction.”

“I haven’t found the location of the bombs yet, but I’ve got access to his computer, and it looks like he has his speech notes prepared on it.” Tucker said, still typing away at his computer. He paused, then looked at something closely. “Ugh. Riddles. I hate riddles. I have the full list of riddles which should give Batman a headstart on disarming the bombs.”

“Send them to me. I’m great at riddles.” Sam said from where she was leaning on Tucker’s shoulder. A ping on her phone and she leaned away to look closer at the riddles.

Barbara was impressed. Between herself and the trio the Bats were well on their way to clearing Riddler’s entire plot. She had managed to narrow down her search using the information Sam and Spoiler were coming up from the riddles to find several of the bombs around the center, directing the Bats to intervene and disarm them.

Tucker was able to create a virus that would isolate the bombs from exterior signals preventing a detonator from being used. Again, Barbara was fairly certain that Riddler usually was better about isolating his explosives than that, but she was certain now that Tucker was doing the impossible.

“Now for your next clue!” Riddler said loudly from where he was recording. “I am tall- what the fuck!”

His broadcast was interrupted by several members of the Batfamily crashing into his location. He lunged for the detonator on the table and managed to press the button but there was no explosion, he looked at it in disgust before throwing it at Batman.

“Someone skipped ahead on the show! Haven’t you ever heard of spoilers!” He shouted as he dodged a batarang.

“Spoiler? I hardly know ‘er!” Spoiler said as she swung in and knocked the Riddler flat. “Next time, keep my name outta your mouth!”

Barbara smiled and watched as the trio laughed and high fived, congratulating her and Tucker on their hacking job.

“Hey, I hope you don’t mind,” Barbara said, hating to kill the mood. “But maybe we can talk about what just happened? Because you all were very impressive.”

They looked at each other for a moment before nodding.

“Sure, but do you mind if we go somewhere with some fresh air, I can’t breathe in this closet.” Sam said.

DP x DC Prompt #83

Tucker loved going to conventions. He loved sharing the love of his favorite characters with other people who loved the same characters. Mostly, he looks forward to seeing the cosplayers who show up. And this convention is extra special.

A cosplayer he follows online is going to this one! She calls herself Babs, and Tucker hopes he’ll run into her. Her cosplays are always insane and detailed! Maybe she’ll even be willing to sign some fan art he made of her cosplays if he asks nicely enough.

#barbara gordon #danny fenton #dp x dc #sam manson #tucker foley #everlasting trio #aka chronic illness trio #aka i project my chronic illness onto these fictional characters #babs is fascinated by what these three have got going on #fascinated confused and more than a little delighted #dick is living his best life as a trophy husband and loving every minute

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internalsealpanic · 3 years ago

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Pop Songs

Summary: Shitty pop music is a comfort in the No Man’s Land. a/n: New Year, new characters. Here is my attempt in writing Oracle Babs. This is set during No Man’s Land so her characterization is Pre New 52. warnings: references to violence and possible me and Babs wanting to murder reader

The clock tower hummed in a concerto of electricity and sparks, circuitry and wires fanned out on the floor like spilled gore. Smoke weaves through the air as you work with a soldering tool one of Babs's agents found for you and left at the base of the clock tower. Walking up and down 40 floors was no cakewalk but it was worth it given how much easier it is working with it. As a bonus, they found the correct transistor and now you can finally repair the radio. It had been out for a week and honestly, you missed the crackling from the radio.

You flatten your back against the wheel of Bab's chair, the non-hot part of the soldering tool between your teeth. You hear Babs chuckle behind you and your chest flutters and your cheeks heat.

You elbow the chair lightly and Babs rolls her eyes turning back to the computer. Still nothing from Batman.

You glance at the screen and wonder what emails from Batman would look like. Does he sign it with a bat? You've never met the guy personally and you honestly don't want to. You like your nose intact but if Babs would let you, you'd like to lodge a formal complaint with some strong words. You know he's not the authority over the rats in the city but you're not exactly sure who is and he's the closest to who you think would be. The point is you're very tired of repairing wires.

You listen to the clack of keys clashing with the hiss of the soldering tool, the rhythm lulling your nerves to ease. It was a quiet day in No Man's Land. Rare which makes it even more unnerving. Probably why you agreed very readily to helping Babs repair her radio despite having to sneak past approximately two gangs and 4 rabid raccoons.

"Have you found Doritos?" Babs asks.

"Dunno, did you find Batman?"

"Clearly, one of us has better priorities."

"And the other one has more realistic expectations."

"Which one is which?"

"Batman is clearly more feasible than Doritos."

Babs blows a breath between her teeth but the smile on her face is infectious and you swallow hard to keep the heat from your skin. You look back down at the radio and smile down at it. Babs ruffles your hair and you all but swat her away.

After another round of keystrokes, Babs looks back down at your hunched form. She leans in, playing with your hair. Her fingers thread through your lock, gently weaving through the strand. The pressure and movement are soothing, if not a little distracting. You let your eyes slide shut for half a second, feeling the tips of her fingers graze over the nape of your neck in warm broken lines. "(Y/n), I could just get someone to find a new radio."

"And give poor Cass more work?" That and no excuse to stay near you.

"Cass will work something out," she chuckles.

"I almost have it," you whine, soldering one last wire in. Her fingers feel nice on your skin. What you don't know is that Babs is tracing over the scar radiating from your back. It branches and coursed out like tree branches. You never explained what happened but Babs knows it's from an encounter with one of the gangs, the LoBoyz or the Street Demons.

The fizz of the soldering iron is replaced with the crackle of music as it streams out the radio. It's something poppy and 80s or something in that neighborhood. You let out a little noise of triumph and turn to her with a big goofy smile. Babs smiles back softly, her heart bubbling with warmth.

The tune glitters in the dim room. You two let the music writhe and smoke in the air, the crackle of static adding to the texture of the music. The bubbly beats worm through you. Babs taps to the beat. The wretched lyrics making you both laugh and sing like teenagers high on adrenaline. You're pretty sure you've both gone insane.

"Shit, you're still terrible at singing," Babs laughs at you. She curls in on herself, the laughter making her stomach hurt. You slap her arm. "You're even worse!"

"Am not!" She shoves playfully.

"Babs, no one is worse than you. Period."

Babs snorts, her nose scrunching and showing off her freckles.

"Damn, I can't believe I'd miss shitty music," you squeal.

Babs licks her lips. "You wouldn't need to if you—"left when you had the chance. She bites her lip watching the high fade from your features. The creases of laughter on your face smooth over with confusion then wrinkles as her unspoken words sink in.

Your eyes lower to the radio in your lap. "I wanted to keep you company ‘til the storm blows over," you flicker your gaze up. "Besides, I wanna be the first one to take you out on a date when the restaurants open again. If— If you want."

Babs stares at you with an unreadable and you want to hurl yourself out the window in the next three seconds. She buries her face in her hands, her face and ears turning a shade of red brighter than her hair. It's cute and you almost forget your own embarrassment.

"You're such a dork," she sighs. "How do I keep attracting dorks?"

"Like calls to like?"

"Oh don't talk to me about physics right now."

"But we are talking about attraction," you grin, your confidence building, "besides, that was chemistry which we have. "

"God, you're just as bad as Dick," she groans, unable to hide her smile.

"You say that like I wouldn't take it as a compliment," you laugh, resting your cheek against the armrest of her chair. "Besides, like I said before you're worse, Ms. I'll-just-leave-notes-in-people's-things-like-a-middle-schooler."

Babs face crunches and it's your turn to snigger. She looks so cute when she hates you. She straightens up and looks down at you like she's going to break your nose. You laugh even harder.

"Ok, so you don't like them," she huffs.

The color and laughter fade from your face. "Well, I didn't say that. Babs, c'mon."

She hums, not listening to you, trundling away from you.

You give her that big puppy look and oh god, she has a type. She sighs. "Fine and also yes, when we get out of this, you're allowed to treat me to the fanciest restaurant. No holding back. Deal?"

The smile on her face grows as the kinetic energy from your own sparks through the air and tugs at her lips. You cheer silently, letting the stupid pop song play on in the background, the chorus swelling along with your heart.

#barbara gordon #barbara gordon x reader #oracle barbara gordon #dc x reader

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smokeybrandreviews · 5 years ago

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Smokey brand Movie Reviews: Open Wide

A few weeks back, i saw an advertisement for a flick called Run coming to Netflix. I thought it looked interesting but i really paid it no mind because it’s on Hulu. Cats can always watch it whenever s i out it on the back burner. It dropped last Friday, i think. I had planned to check it out in a week or two, but the reviews for this thing started dropping and they were glowing. This was enough to pique my interest. What really caught my attention was the fact that the co-lead, Kiera Allen was announced as Barbara Gordon for that Titans show on HBOMax. Considering both the actress and the character use a wheel chair, that means we're getting a proper Oracle and i cannot be more hype! Admittedly, I've never been a huge fan of Babs as Batgirl, my favorite is definitely Casandra Cain, but Babs a Oracle? That sh*t felt real right! This casting feels right, just from what I've inferred Allen’s performance through those reviews i watched. So, instead of waiting. I've decided to check this thing out now and see for myself if it stands up as one of the best this year.

The Exceptional

Before we get into anything, i just need to commend the adroit direction exhibited by Aneesh Chaganty with this movie. It’s crafted SO goddamn well, for so many reasons. I can gush about this dude’s technique for the entire review but that would be a disservice to literally everything else that makes this experience so brilliant. There is definitely a Hitchcockian edge to Run that Chaganty captures effortlessly, but it’s never an imitation or plagerisim. That sense of unease comes naturally with the story being told and the clarity of Chaganty’s vision for these characters.

As if to drive the point about Chaganty’s ability home, aside from the fact that he’s only twenty-nine and delivering sh*t like this onscreen, dude also has a writing credit on this. He f*cking wrote this movie, too. That level of auteur creativity bodes incredibly well when navigated with aplomb. It;s hard to do for lesser director, Zack Snyder comes to mind, but when it’s executed to it’s full potential, you get brilliance like this.

Off the top, Sarah Paulson is absolutely excellent. She usually is. Paulson is one of those rare talents that uplifts straight up schlock with her raw talent and it’s always a pleasure watching her do it. She did it with the absurd Bird Box. She did it with the over-the-top Ratched. She did it every season she was on AHS. She does it naturally and, when there is actually something to dig into, when the part has some bite, Paulson can work miracles. Her antagonistic turn as Diane Sherman stands next to Kathy Bates and Amy Dunham as one of the most vicious, calculating, and cruel femme fatales to ever be captured in modern cinema.

Kiera Allen is f*cking amazing as our heroine, Chloe Sherman. I literally just gushed about Sarah Paulson but Kiera is JUST as incredible in this movie. She had to be. It’s her movie. Paulson gets top billing, of course, she’s Sarah Paulson, but this movie is not a film without Allen. She is more than capable to match Paulson’s energy, more than capable of elevated this script. You feel her panic and desperation, every second of that struggle. It’s both exhausting and captivating, testament to the raw ability Allen displays. Considering this is just her second credit, i look forward with great anticipation for what comes next in her career.

There is a distinct authenticity to Allen’s performance as she, herself, is really wheel chair reliant in life. I commend the production for actually casting a properly disabled actress for the lead in this flick but, more than that, when Chole is struggling with her mobility, that sh*t is true to reality. It’s grueling to see, stressful to witness, and raises the sheer theatricality of this entire ninety minute run time

The tension in this movie is f*cking insane! It starts fast, grabs your throat, and never let’s go. You’re right there with Chloe, every step of the way, being inundated with the quiet viciousness of her mother, the things she’d do to keep her daughter locked away, to feed her delusion, and its f*cking horrifying. There is a deliberate, escalating, pace to the unnerving violence presented on film. It’s rare that a movie can hit me as hard as this one. It’s no Uncut Gems but it’s still one of the stressful times I've ever experienced on film.

Run is f*cking beautiful. The camerawork displayed is exceptional. Every shot with Chloe as she grapples with her plight, feels brutally intimate, almost intrusive in nature. Every close up of Paulson as she spins her wed of deceit feels detached and inhuman. The cinematography is just that powerful. Every pan, fade, transition; All of it is expertly crafted and visually striking. This is one of the best looking movies released so far this year. i kn ow that’s slim pickings but, truly, this flick is a gem for the eye.

The sound design in this thing is an actual character, itself, and deserves a proper mention. All that tension i spoke of earlier? None of that is possible without that inflicting, stressful, score. It compliments the increasing sinister tone to this film perfectly, another feather in the cap of Aneesh Chaganty.

There is a lot, like the most, show-don’t-tell in this thing and i respect the f*ck out of it. The narrative isn’t difficult to flow or anything but it doesn’t hold our hand with a sh*t ton of verbal exposition. It trusts the audience enough to allow them to engage, use their intellect in an effort to tell a far more compelling, far more engaging story. That sh*t is rare, especially in this age of Hollywood Bayhem. It’s incredibly refreshing to see such a well crafted film like this one, especially when you consider how difficult it is to craft such a purely visual experience.

The Ugh

There are some things that happen in service to the plot, some “movie” things that need to occur in order to properly tell the story. They’re aren’t many but everything else about this flick is so tight, so well thought out and put together that, when these things pope up, they are very, VERY, pronounced and, for a split second, kind of pull you out of the experience. I don’t think the majority of the movie going audience would have such an averse reaction to them as i did, most cats don’t pick apart movies like i do, but I'd be lying if i said that stuff didn’t get under my skin a little.

This thing should have been released in theaters, man. Seriously, the way this film is shot, the way the sound design hits, the way it’s lingering shots rest; All of this would have been far more impactful on the big screen with a proper sound system. This is definitely not a knock n the film, itself, this thing is f*cking amazing, it’s just, as i watch this, i can see it impacting as strong as Hereditary, Suspiria, or The VVitch, if it had an opportunity for a proper theatrical run.

This thing is only ninety minutes and it’s a brisk ninety to boot. You’re in it, it’s in you, then it’s over and you’re left wanting so much more. I wanted so much more anyway. That’s testament to the inspired crafting of this movie, man. Again, not a knock, just something that irked me.

The Verdict

Yo, i f*cking loved this movie. It’s one of the best crafted, well written, and tension filled film experiences I've had in years. These characters are that compelling, the direction is that dazzling, and this narrative is that gripping. Run is a pure thriller but it feels like the best Slasher I've seen in decades, minus all of the gore. It’s all atmosphere and inference and i adore every second of it. The strength of this film is easily carried in the shoulders of two performances that, if this were a regular year in film, should definitely be considered for all of the awards. Sarah Paulson is her requite brilliant but newcomer Kiera Allen is just as shiny, just as great, and its her manically desperate energy that carries this bundle of stress across to it’s finish. F*ck, that last scene in the hospital? Are you kidding me?? Run is one of the best films released this year and deserves all of the clout it can get, all of the eyes on it. It’s an exceptionally crafted film with great performances and a level of atmosphere that rivals f*cking Alien. I can’t say it’s my favorite movie of the year, Palm Springs still holds that title, but it only has the slightest of edges over Run. Both are excellent. Both are on Hulu. Go watch them right now.

#Smokey brand Movie Reviews #Run

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smokeybrand · 5 years ago

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Smokey brand Movie Reviews: Open Wide

The Exceptional

The Ugh

The Verdict

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