Mantis Listened Attentively As Loki Explained His Hesitance, Her Empathic Senses Attuned To The Nuances

"Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

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."

"Of course, I can help you navigate this maze of a tower! It can be quite overwhelming at first." Mantis smiled warmly, her empathic abilities already sensing the other's unease. "You're not alone in feeling lost here. Many of us felt the same when we first arrived. But don't worry, you'll find your way around in no time. Where are you trying to get to?"

anna marie was used to being around big groups of people , at least other mutants , but joining a new superhero team has her feeling all sorts of uneasy . avengers hq was completely different to xavier's mansion , she's already lost after wandering the corridors for so long . so she's grateful when she turns the corner and is greeted by a fairly familiar face .

" hey , y'all got a big place here . wont'cha help a girl out ? "

Mantis quickly caught the door before it slammed shut behind her, making sure to ease it closed before tiptoeing over to him. "So, we're playing hide and seek? I love this game!" She found a spot that was out of view should anyone else open the door, hand covering her mouth to stifle her giggles. "Who's it?"

"If you're coming in here, be quiet about it. Because I'm definitely not hiding from a mandatory meeting."

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

hope — my writing

"Well, I have been here for a few months now, it's about time I start acting more human." Mantis teased with a smile. As she focused, a gentle, glowing energy flowed from her fingertips, intending to ease the tension and soreness, replacing it with a feeling of relief. "There," she said softly, "feeling better?"

"Oh, damn. Look at you. Turning all human on me. No sympathy." But Johnny was smiling up at her as he said it. He raised a brow when she lifted her hand and shifted to look up at her. "Wait, seriously? Where have you been all my life? Yes, do it."

She had actually observed that fact, from the many videos she'd watched it seemed that falling over was indeed humorous, although she didn't necessarily see the humor in it. "I've observed similar behaviors among other species during periods of celebration or revelry. It seems that physical comedy holds a universal appeal across many cultures and beings. And I imagine the element of unpredictability adds to the excitement." Perhaps she would have to ask for a demonstration of it at some point.

"Well people find it funny when everyone falls over, and usually this game is played by children or drunk adults." She explained, shrugging. "If you play with a lot of people then the person who gets everyone out would step to the side, making less and less people with each round. That way the game lasts longer cause it goes pretty quick." Ella told the other girl, but wasn't sure how well she was selling it. "It can be pretty fun as long as you don't get hurt!"

Mantis thought that would be a very short game, as she had seen some very uncoordinated moves from humans in her short time on Earth. "So, how is it fun, then? If everyone is falling over, what is the point?" She tried so hard to understand the ways of Earth; this one, however, escaped her.

Ella laughed fondly, remembering playing the game when she was younger. She couldn't remember the last time she had played this game with someone who didn't already know how to play. "We aren't, that's what makes it fun! You have to try and put your body parts where it tells you without falling over."

Mantis giggled softly, setting her water bottle down. "What's that saying you humans are so fond of? No pain, no gain? Wasn't this the goal, then?" Holding her hand up, she tilted her head to one side. "If you want, I can help. Easing discomfort is kind of my specialty."

@guardianmantisx asked: 💤  for  a  lazy  starter

"I can'tttttt do anything else," he complained as he crossed the gym to where she was sitting. Johnny plopped down beside her and laid his head in her lap, pouting up at her as he said, "I hurt in places I didn't know existed."