JAN WA

[fleurmortelle]

Word Association is a common word game involving an exchange of words that are associated together. The game is based on the noun phrase word association, meaning "stimulation of an associative pattern by a word" or "the connection and production of other words in response to a given word, done spontaneously as a game, creative technique, or in a psychiatric evaluation." ~ our lord and saviour wikipedia GUIDELINES ① post with your character's name & series. ② include a word of your choice and optionally the definition in the body of your comment. -- visit the random word generator if you need help! ③ other characters will reply with the first word their character associates with the one you chose. ④ continue back and forth until one of you just has to know the story behind an answer.

Comments

[haunteur]

It's 2023. I don't judge people by their appearances. People can look like nerds and not be, or not look one and be, or whatever they want. I get told I look Goth and I don't have any Gothy interests. Appearances mean nothing.

Astrology.

[It's said with such contempt that it's clear Nothing's hatred of star signs is a very genuinely felt sentiment.]

[theotherobin]

Holy shit, dude. You're something else. You're literally standing here judging me too while telling me you don't judge people. That's bullshit too, by the way.

Psychics.

[haunteur]

That's different. You get all flustered and animated and I just... find it entertaining. [Cute. It finds it cute. Then Nothing quietly, almost hesitantly adds,] If... um. If you could not call me dude, that'd be great. I got too much of that and 'man' and 'my guy' and 'son' and 'bro', when I came out as nonbinary from my family and they didn't accept it, so it feels a little. Um. Not great. [Even though Nothing is 100% aware Jason doesn't mean it that way. He's not the type to do that on purpose.]

Tarot.

[theotherobin]

...My bad. Sorry. I didn't mean it like that. I'll stop.

Don't think I'm gonna forget you called me entertaining, though.

Cards.

[haunteur]

I know you didn't. You're not that kind of person.

[GAH. No. Well, yes, it was semi-intentional flirting but Jason says it like it's going to be ammunition and that's intriguing and something to be wary of at the same time. It coughs, awkwardly. Nope. Not addressing this. MOVING ON.]

Birthdays.

[theotherobin]

Thanks for telling me, though.

[ sometimes anything can be ammunition. but also Jason doesn't always realize when people are flirting with him. probably because it doesn't happen very often. he tends to push people away before it gets that far. ]

Shitty.

[haunteur]

No problem.

[Flirting is a new idea for Nothing. Not many chances to do it post-powers, and frankly, it didn't do it much prior, either. Or at least, it didn't do it well.]

Doctors.

[theotherobin]

[ they'll get there. ]

Hacks.

[haunteur]

Conversion therapists.

[theotherobin]

That's two words. I win again.

[haunteur]

It's one concept. You're allowed two words if it's one concept.

[theotherobin]

No you're not. It's one word. Word association.

[haunteur]

I've done this in therapy before. You're allowed two words if it's one concept. Those are the official rules.

[theotherobin]

Well guess what, this isn't therapy, and those have never been the rules before.

[haunteur]

I think you're just desperate to win to the point you're discarding rules when you think you can get away with it.

[Sometimes, Nothing is entirely aware of how what it's saying is going to rile Jason up, and does it intentionally. He's just so animated when he's annoyed, so effortlessly endearing. Resisting is impossible.]

[theotherobin]

Desperate to win the point?? I did win the point, you're just a sore loser!

[you're kind of a jerk, Nothing, riling Jason up. honestly it doesn't take much when you know the right buttons to push. he's so easy sometimes.]

[haunteur]

[Yep, there it is, there's that reaction. Nothing steps closer, a telekinetic hand reaching out to touch one of Jason's while it keeps its' visible hands firmly at its' sides, lest Jason's training kick in and he think a fight's going to break out. It means to say something normal here, some kind of 'I was just joking' or 'fine, you win'. Instead, what comes out is:]

God, you're beautiful sometimes. I wish I could paint you.

...fuck. I just said that out loud, didn't I?

[theotherobin]

[ Jason does tense up when Nothing steps closer, ready for a fight if need be... but he knows that isn't going to happen. not with Nothing, even as he feels the touch to his hand.

and truly, what better way to halt Jason's thoughts than with a compliment like that. his eyes go slightly wide, eyebrows shooting up. ]

Uh... yeah?

[haunteur]

[Oh. Oh, no. His eyes are gorgeous. Stop Jason you're making this worse.]

Yeah. That's... that's not creepy, is it?

[theotherobin]

No... it's not creepy.

[he laughs softly, reaching out to nudge his hand against Nothing's for real. it's not often he gets a compliment, especially like that.]

It's kinda nice, actually.

[haunteur]

You just... you light up sometimes, you come alive and I wish I could paint that, the light in your eyes, the striking bone structure, all of it.

[Not that it can. Art supplies are way, way out of the budget. But Jason's hand up against its' feels good, humanizing in a way that takes the sting out of the impossibilities Nothing has to live with. Gingerly, it wraps a few fingers around a few of Jason's, like testing the waters for holding hands. That should broadcast just how long it's been since Nothing was close to anyone and how sincere this is - if it were joking around, it wouldn't be so hesitant about everything.]

There's flecks in your eyes that shift shade depending on the lighting. I don't think I could do any painting of you justice, honestly.

[theotherobin]

[ Jason knows it's no joke. he's been on the other end of a lot of hateful, sarcastic comments. things sneered at him or said in a terrible joking way. this is nothing like that.

he doesn't ever get to hold anyone's hands either, so he understands the hesitation, but he doesn't hesitate to curl his fingers back around Nothing's. it's nice. it feels so good to have nice. ]

Well shit. I don't think anyone's ever thought about my eyes like this before. You... could paint me if you wanted to. Like, I'd be cool with that.

[haunteur]

[Nothing inches a little closer. Not a lot. This is very new and while Nothing wants to be smooth and cool the way the papers think it is - likely because Nothing doesn't talk much to the press and thus doesn't have the chance to misstep with them - in the presence of someone willing to touch it, Nothing is equal parts elated and nervous.

This is nice. This is good. And this is all a little baffling. Surely Jason has better options to flirt with than some art nerd recluse.]

I wish I could. But I can't afford art supplies these days. There used to be an art supply shop that'd let me take the expired paints, but they went out of business, so... well. Someday. Just promise not to be too harsh if it's not a perfect likeness.

[theotherobin]

[ it's a little strange, being this close to someone who has generally kept far enough away. a someone who is covered head to toe, and Jason wishes he could see the person under all of these layers. at least a face.

now that Nothing is this much closer, Jason wishes he could see their face. ]

We can get paints, that's no big deal. Paints and brushes and whatever else you need. It's cool. Bruce gives me a ridiculous allowance.

[Jason knows exactly what it feels like to have nothing. before Bruce took him in he was living on the streets, eating out of dumpsters. he couldn't afford a single damn thing, but now? now he can afford to get some paints.]

[haunteur]

[Thank God Nothing has a full helmet on. That keeps the temptation to impulsively kiss Jason at bay, even if that temptation is probably going to manifest in dreams later regardless. But there's reasons for the identity protection, and there's also outright insecurity.

Jason wouldn't find what's under this helmet. Nothing is, at best, plain. It knows this well.

Its' first thought is but don't you need that money before it remembers Bruce is loaded beyond imagination. For once, there's no shame in taking an offer for help because there's no way for that to backfire on the person offering it. Nothing swallows, though, surprised by the offer. People offer up vital things like a coat or food, when Nothing has saved their lives. People don't offer up something personal without any reason to.]

I - I'd like that. I'd like that a lot, honestly, I just... I just hope I can do something for you, someday. You deserve it.