Mantis's Eyes Widened With Excitement At The Mention Of Puppies, Her Antennae Quivering With Anticipation.

Mantis returned the warm smile, her antennae twitching slightly. "Yes, thank you," she replied with genuine appreciation. "The transition has been smoother than expected, and everyone has been incredibly welcoming, and it's been rather fascinating learning the ways of humans. The internet has been very useful in learning Earth customs, too so I've been watching a lot of videos on that."

Wanda had her mouth open ready to say something, but the other woman cut her off before she could speak. She laughed and nodded, reaching out for the bubbles. "I was going to ask you how you were doing, but you seem to be doing alright." She blew some herself, before turning a warm smile to Mantis. "Are you, though? Settling in? Everyone being okay?"

Mantis carefully listened to Ella's explanation of spring cleaning, her large eyes blinking slowly as she absorbed the information. She found the concept intriguing, a ritual of renewal and purification. With a nod, Mantis picked up a cloth and began wiping down the surfaces of the room. Dust particles danced in the sunlight streaming through the windows as she worked methodically, her movements precise and deliberate. As she cleaned, Mantis couldn't help but ponder the idea of getting rid of things one no longer needed. It struck a chord within her as she thought of her journey of self-discovery. She'd gotten rid of things that no longer served her, and it had in fact enriched her life in ways she never expected. "Interesting... shedding the old to embrace the new," Mantis murmured softly, her voice barely above a whisper, "a beautiful analogy for growth."

Ella didn't mind cleaning, she found it a good way to distract herself from other things going on with her life. At the sudden question though, she paused. "Oh we still clean in between! But Spring cleaning is supposed to be like a big deep clean. Where you might get areas you don't usually clean or you even get rid of stuff in your house that you don't need anymore."

Mantis paused in her cleaning, contemplating Ella's question. "The weather here is… different," she replied thoughtfully, her antennae twitching slightly as she recalled her experiences on various planets. "I have been to a few planets, and each of their climates and atmospheres its own beauty and challenges." She resumed her task, a serene expression crossing her face as she continued to tidy the room. "But there is something tranquil about the gentle warmth of this planet, a sense of harmony in the air." Mantis glanced out of the window, observing the vibrant colors of spring beginning to emerge. "It is quite pleasant."

Ella nodded with a smile, glad that it seemed to resonate with Mantis so well. "It is isn't it?" She grinned, finishing up what she was wiping down. "This is probably my favorite time of year. With all the flowers blooming and the weather getting nice but not too hot yet." Speaking somewhat mindlessly. "How do you like the weather here? I bet you've experienced a lot of different types on other planets right?"

Mantis chuckled softly at Peyton's initial assumption, shaking her head as she watched her roommate's reaction to the creature in her arms. "No, not a construction worker this time," she teased lightly, her smile widening at Peyton's immediate change in demeanor. Setting the cat down gently, she observed Peyton's affectionate interaction with the furry newcomer before replying, "I know, I was leaning towards a dog, but when I saw this little one at the shelter, I just couldn't resist. Isn't she just precious? I just loved her cute little face, there was no way I was leaving without her." Mantis went to set the cat on the ground, hoping she would acclimate to her new surroundings quickly. "They called her Maine Coon, but that's not a great name, I think we should rename her."

Peyton had been awake for a little bit, not surprised to see that Mantis was gone, already up and about despite it being early on a weekend. She yawned, stretching her arms behind her head as she padded down the hall. "Please tell me you didn't bring one of those construction workers home. Babes, even if they tell you sweet stuff, they aren't -- " She dropped her arms, pout immediately forming on her face when she saw what her roommate was holding. "Oh my God! It's so cute!" She went over to gently greet the cat. "i thought you were getting a dog."

Thankfully, in her experience at least, men had been an upstanding sort, though most of her human interaction up until this point had been with the Avengers and a few SHIELD agents here and there. She'd been venturing out into the human world more and more as of late however, which opened her up to a whole new world of human interaction. "Sadly, they're located right in front of my favorite donut shop, so I'll have to go without those while they're working. Oh! We should go find a new donut spot to go to!"

"Oh. Yeah." Peyton set Leia down beside her brother when she started squirming and walked over to her roommate, cat leashes that both cats were ignoring still in hand. "It's 'cause men are assholes." She knelt down to their level and made a face when Luke started resisting the leash again. Letting out a breath, Peyton looked up at Mantis, clarifying before she could question her on the asshole comment, "They're gross. Have no moral center. No decency. Most of them anyway."

Me flirting: Your aura is pretty.

Mantis beamed at the compliment, her antennae perking up slightly. "Thank you, April. I'm so glad you had fun and got some good content." She answered softly, her delicate fingers wrapping around a cup of tea. "I'm actually feeling really happy," Mantis continued, her eyes reflecting her genuine excitement and joy. "Seeing everyone enjoy themselves made me feel warm inside. It's probably the first time since I've been here that I've felt fully integrated, you know? It's been a crazy adjustment, but I think I finally got the hang of this human stuff."

April snorted and sat at the table, smiling fondly at the display. "You're too adorable. And yes, I did. It was amazing. You did a good job, babe. It was a lot of fun and I got a lot of good content, so that's always a plus." She picked up a pastry. "How are you feeling after it?"

"Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

Mantis fought the urge to look back to see who could be trailing them, not wanting to escalate the situation if she could avoid it. "Do you recognize them at all?" She questioned, looking for an escape route. "We should be able to turn up ahead, maybe we can shake them on that street."

"Someone's following us. We need to lose them."

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