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She tilted her head, her large eyes blinking in contemplation. "Oh, fostering," Mantis repeated, while absentmindedly petting Luna. The pup was content in her lap, her head flopped to the side so her tongue was hanging out of her mouth. Mantis was glad that Johnny had brought them in, they were quite amusing. "That sounds like a good plan, even if it would be hard to say goodbye to them when they get adopted." Giving the dog one last scratch behind the ear, Mantis looked back at Johnny. "Think we should take this play date to the park?"

"Yeah, of course." He smiled at her and nodded. Johnny moved so Noelle could curl up on his lap. "I get that. It's like having a fluffy toddler around," he smirked, ruffling the puppy's hair, looking up at Mantis. "There's a thing called fostering, though. It's when dogs at the shelter need a home, but they stay with foster families while they wait to be adopted. So that way you could get the feel for having one, but it's not permanent. You can try it out."

Mantis could hardly contain the squeal that escaped her as she sank to the ground, allowing the puppies to run up and jump all over her. "They're so fuzzy!" she giggled, the warm glow from her antennae an evident sign of her excitement. Her hands found a spot behind Luna's ear, the dog leaned into her palm as Mantis gave her a light scratch. "Oh, they're so sweet... Careful, I might steal them from you." She paused, tossing Johnny a playful smirk. "Actually, I think they're telling me they want to come with me."

"Yesss," he smirked and reached over to take her hand, tugging her out to lead her to the next room. Both puppies were making themselves comfortable in the common area of the Tower. "The white one is Luna and the black one is Noelle," Johnny said, as they walked in. He dropped her hand so she could go over to them. "Noelle's only a few months old. Her sister's a little older, but not much."

She had seen some amazing inventions in her travels around the galaxy, however none intrigued her quite as much as the human device known as a 'smartphone.' All of Earth's knowledge, right in the palm of her hand. Not to mention all the adorable creatures she could stand to watch, probably her favorite part of the device. "He fell into his bowl!" Mantis squealed in delight as she turned her screen to share the video of a puppy tripping into his water bowl with the other.

"Please be careful," Mantis pleaded. "We have no idea what threats are out there."

Me flirting: Your aura is pretty.

Mantis looked up, startled by Clint's unexpected approach. Her large, expressive eyes widened in surprise, but the curiosity quickly replaced any sense of bewilderment and a bright smile spread across her face as she eagerly accepted the invitation. With a nod of agreement, she gestured for Clint to take his stance, her enthusiasm undiminished. "Alright, but I'll have you know I've gotten pretty good at this."

Clint watched her for a good few minutes. He was the kind of person who always kept his eyes moving, who took in every detail. So he didn't miss the utter, completely sincere glee this woman had during her game. He walked over, smiling gently. "You know, it's even more fun with two people," he said, holding out his hands, ready to play. "C'mon, show me what you're made of," he joked brightly.

Though she'd only been on Earth for a short time, Mantis had found a number of things she enjoyed. Recently she stumbled upon an intriguing Earthly pastime—rock-paper-scissors. Not realizing it was a game better suited for multiple players, she had started a game by herself. With childlike enthusiasm, Mantis animatedly formed the hand signs of rock, paper, and scissors in various combinations, giggling to herself each time she'd 'won' her one-woman competition, blissfully unaware of anyone and anything.

🤔 for a confused starter for @awclintno

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It had been an adjustment, although anything was better than her life back with Ego so Mantis couldn't complain. "I've gotten lost around the tower a couple of times, but other than that, it's been quite pleasant," Mantis assured the other, face lighting up at the question. "There's so many things to love about Earth, honestly. The food has been very interesting. I've been trying so many new things. I also really like the animals the most, especially the babies ones. There's still so much I know I haven't experienced yet though, so maybe that part's my favorite. That there's just so much to do and love about it."

"Well, that's good," Wanda said with another smile, sitting down beside her. "I know this -- " she gestured vaguely around the space in the tower they were in " -- can be a lot at first. It was for me, at least, and I'm from Earth," she added, teasingly. "What's been your favorite thing down here so far?"

Mantis listened intently to Loki's revelations, completely understanding the complexities of his familial dynamics, having come from a similar background. She nodded sympathetically as he spoke of his father's disapproval and the challenges he faced in embracing his magical abilities. "It must have been difficult, living with your family not fully embracing who you truly are," she remarked softly, her voice tinged with empathy. "But it is good to hear that you are striving to embrace your abilities for the sake of your daughter. Hopefully she'll never have to feel what you did."

"Impressive enough to shut down an entire city and put country's government on alarm," he smirked, before shaking his head at her question. "It's not an ability that's looked upon highly back home." Loki paused at that, adding, "My father wanted that part of me suppressed." Until it was the right moment for him to reveal it and use it for his own gain, but he left that unsaid. "But my daughter has the same magic, so I've been trying to use it more for her sake."