@guardianmantisx @darcylewisx @frostqueenhelax @micahrambeaux

She couldn't help but chuckle at Peyton's sleepy protest. "Sorry for the early ruckus. But you see, pancakes wait for no one!" Mantis grinned, her eyes sparkling with joy. As Peyton scooped up her curious cat, Mantis's smile widened. "Hello, Luke! Would you like some breakfast too?" she asked, her voice filled with warmth. Peyton's compliment about the smell made Mantis's heart flutter with pride, even if the appearance of her breakfast creation was a tad unconventional. "Thank you! I promise they taste better than they look," Mantis assured her with a playful wink. At least she hoped it did. "And there's coffee too! You know, this cooking thing is pretty easy once you get the hang of it." Mantis paused to take a bite of her toast, leaning against the counter while waiting to flip the pancake. "So, any plans for the day?"

Peyton padded into the kitchen, making a noncommittal noise when she heard her roommate already moving around like it was a normal hour of the day. "Bruh. It's 8 am. It's basically illegal to be this awake at 8 am." She pouted a little, about to say something else, but one of her cats was on their way over to the pancake mix. She scooped them up -- Luke, she realized once he was in her arms -- and returned the other girl's smile. It was annoyingly infectious. "Hi. It smells good." She hopped up onto the counter, Luke on her lap. "Lowkey looks kinda weird, but smells good."

Mantis tentatively stepped closer, her large, empathetic eyes studying Pietro. "Sometimes, being alone isn't the best way to heal," she said softly, her antennae twitching slightly. "I can feel your sadness, your pain. You don't have to carry it all by yourself." She hesitated, then added, "I didn't mean to intrude. I just want to help."

Pietro heard the voice from behind him and turned with a scowl. "Who invited you up here?" he asked, looking back to the cityscape. There were plenty of balconies in the tower, but this particular section of rooftop was a little harder to get to, more out of the way. Still, maybe she had just stumbled on him by accident, and she'd leave as quick as she'd shown up. "I'm fine. I'm not hurt." Not physically anyway. "I just wanted to be alone."

Mantis nodded thoughtfully, her eyes following April's movements. "I think you're right, April. When I first arrived on Earth, everything felt so strange and unfamiliar. I kept comparing it to what I knew, trying to understand it through the lens of my past. But now... I just let myself experience things as they come." She took another sip of her tea, her expression serene. "Accepting who I am now and embracing this new life has brought me so much joy. And having friends like you makes it even better." Mantis glanced at the vegetables April was gathering, scratching her cat behind its ears as he jumped up into her lap. "Are you going to feed your turtles now? Can I come with you? I love watching them eat. They always look so content, and I think Rocket likes them, too."

"Yeah? Well, that's good." April smiled at her, happy to see her friend finally feeling one hundred percent settled into life on earth. She took a sip of her coffee and sat it on the table, before going over to the fridge. "I think you just stopped overthinking it all too, you know?" She pulled out some carrots and various vegetables to bring to her turtles. "Like, once you just accepted this was who you are now and not putting too much thought into it, you settled more." She smiled back at Mantis again. "And you seem alot happier now, too."

Upon reaching the designated training area, Mantis felt a mixture of excitement and curiosity. The sleek, high-tech surroundings of the tower stood in stark contrast to the cosmic landscapes she was accustomed to, and the hum of machinery combined with the faint glow of holographic displays created an atmosphere of anticipation of training with Mighty Thor. While Mantis had learned some fighting skills during her time on Ego's planet, she'd hardly had any kind of formal training. A part of her worried she'd be a disappointment to the team, no matter how much she tried to push those thoughts down they fought to resurface. "So... ready?"

⚔️for our muses to duel / fight for @strongestavengerthor

Mantis stood perplexed before the colorful mat on the ground before her, her large, almond-shaped eyes evident of her bewilderment at the seemingly arbitrary rules of the game. "Can humans even move like this? They don't seem to be quite that flexible."

🤔 for a confused starter for @isab3lla-mills

Mantis blinked in confusion, her head tilting slightly. "Inside her head?" she questioned, trying to imagine what the inside of the giant green lady might look like, which only made her wonder if it was rude to be wandering inside of the lady to begin with. Peyton's question about fostering animals pulled Mantis from her thoughts, her heart fluttering with warmth at the idea. "Oh, I've been thinking about it a lot, actually. A cousin for Leia and Luke would be wonderful. I can sense their longing for more family," she mused, her empathic nature attuned to creatures as she reached over to pet them. "Maybe we can fit that into today's plans too, although I did ask Johnny if he wanted to come when I decided... But nothing says I have to decide today! We're just looking."

"Yep." She agreed with a nod, sitting Leia down beside her brother so they could eat the pancake together. "I don't actually know yet, but it's not top secret unless they tell me. And they didn't tell me. So..." Peyton looked up at her and smiled, before snorting at what she said next. "Yes, we can go get a giant pretzel. And go to the Statue of Liberty. You can walk inside her head." She nodded at her. "So, did you think about fostering an animal anymore? I think they could totally use a cousin."

Mantis listened intently to Johnny's words, feeling a sense of warmth and understanding wash over her. She appreciated his efforts to comfort her, even if she still struggled to fully grasp the complexities of human emotions. As he stopped walking and held both of her hands in his, she couldn't help but be touched by his sincerity. "Thank you, Johnny," she murmured, her voice soft yet filled with genuine gratitude. "Your words... they help." She offered him a tentative smile, her trust in him growing with each passing moment. "And yes, I understand what you mean," Mantis dropped her gaze momentarily, processing his words. "I'm just glad to know it doesn't mean I'm a bad person... I want to believe Tony is a good person, he's never given me a reason to think otherwise. This was just a lot."

"Yeah. Well, I mean it was kinda the first big thing that happened for you down here," he mused, giving her a small, but reassuring, smile when she finally looked up at him. But then Mantis continued and he stopped walking, the amusement fading and giving way to a more concerned expression. "You should be able to, yeah. But you saw something that scared you and made you have doubt. That's okay, babe." Johnny lifted his his free hand and held both of hers in his own as he came to a stop in front of her. "It's a normal reaction to what happened. And it was freaky as hell. Being worried about it is only human." Johnny wrinkled his nose, almost immediately catching himself. "You know what I mean."

Mantis gave a nod at the question, although she couldn't really say why she had picked the name. "I did, it just spoke to me. I can't really explain it, but thank you! I think Carol is a nice name as well. I've heard so many names on Earth, but yours kind of just rolls right off the tongue." The contrast between Carol's firm handshake and Mantis's soft one intrigued her, sensing a subtle charm in the exchange. As Carol expressed pleasure in their meeting, she couldn't help but reciprocate the sentiment. "Yes, I'm new in town, the planet really. I'm still adjusting to the way things are done on Earth, but it's been easier than expected, especially with such warm and welcoming people like yourself. I feel right at home."

"You're welcome, Mantis. That's a sick name, oh my god. Pick it yourself?" she asked, instantly curious about this woman. The handshake was soft and gentle, compared to Carol's firm enthusiastic grip, but she liked it. "Believe me," Carol said, eyeing Mantis up and down. "The pleasure is all mine. You're new in town?" she asked, flashing one of her best smiles. "Don't mind me, I'm a shameless flirt. In fact, shameless is probably one of my best qualities."

symbol meme under cut. reblog to participate. only interact with this post if you're a member of variance hq.

emotions

😡 for an angry starter

😄 for a happy starter

😲 for a shocking starter

😭 for a sad starter

🤔 for a confused starter

😶 for an angsty starter

🥰 for a fluffy starter

👻 for a scared starter

💢 to start a fight with my muse

💀 for a jealous starter

🤗 for my muse to comfort yours

plot-themed

👀 my muse catches yours in a shady situation

🔎 our muses find a clue to an investigation

🕵️ my muse helps yours on a mission

🛡️ for my muse to shield your muse from something

⚔️ for our muses to duel / fight

texts

✨ for an excited text

🔥 for a lustful text

💔 for a heartbreaking text

🗣️ for a rude text

☕ for a morning text

💤 for a midnight text

🍺 for a drunk text

muse

📷 for an instagram post

👶 for a throwback instagram post.

🖼️ to see the last pictures taken on my muse’s phone.

🎭 for a gif moodboard of my character ( or a + character name )

🎨 for an aesthetic of my character ( or a + character name )

🎵 for a mini-playlist my character ( or a + character name )

"No, I am not from here either," she replied softly, her voice carrying a soft lilt. "I come from a distant planet known as Ego, and trust me when I say it's quite unlike anything you have likely seen here." She tilted her head, studying Klara with a gentle intensity. "But I find Earth fascinating. There is so much diversity, so many different beings coexisting in this vibrant tapestry of life." A gentle smile graced her lips as she spoke, her demeanor serene yet filled with an unspoken wonder. "And even with all there is to experience here, I can't seem to pull myself away from this thing." She gestured to her phone as she spoke, swiping up to the next video.

Growing up on Asgard for her entire life, Klara understood the excitement over Midgardian technology all too well. She'd only been living on Earth for three years and there were still so many things she had to explore. "Oh that is very cute," she agreed with a bright smile. "I take it you're also not from here?" Klara asked after a few moments.