"Oh, Come On! You Have To Come Dance With Me! Please?"

Mantis felt a warmth spread through her as Johnny wrapped his arm around her, the comfort of his presence grounding her. She let out a soft, contented sigh, leaning into him. "Thank you for sharing that with me," she said quietly, her antennae twitching gently as she spoke. "It's comforting to know I'm not alone in feeling this way. I didn't have a family for a long time, and it's still strange to think of the Avengers as my family, but I'm grateful for everyone in the tower." She turned her head slightly to look up at him, her eyes bright with sincerity. "If you ever feel like it's too much, you can always talk to me. Okay?"

"I get it. I was speaking from experience. I do, too." He looked up to see her already looking at him and smiled, shifting when she put her head on his shoulder so he could move his arm around her. "That was weirdly insightful this early in the morning while eating donuts," Johnny teased, giving her shoulder a squeeze. "I'm glad you feel like that, though," he continued, a moment later. "I know it's hard for a lot of people. It was for me." He dropped his head to the side, resting against hers. "Still is sometimes and I have my dad and stepdad here."

"You're right, Johnny. I do tend to overthink things sometimes," she admitted with a sheepish smile. "It's comforting to hear that I've fit in well with everyone here. I still feel like an outsider at times, but knowing that I have friends like you makes it easier." Her gaze lingered on his a bit longer before glancing around the common area, her eyes landing on the Avengers' emblem on the wall. "And you're right about not being normal. But I've learned that being different can be a strength." Mantis turned back to Johnny, her eyes sincere. "Thank you for reminding me that I have all of you. It means a lot." She leaned in a bit closer, resting her head on his shoulder as she picked at the rest of her doughnut. "And I'm glad to be here with all of you. Normal or not, it's nice to feel like I belong."

"I get that," Johnny nodded. "Self-imposed responsibility is a bitch. And you've had to think like that your whole life" He looked over at her and shrugged. "But you have a whole team of people around you now. You don't have to let the weight of everything weigh on just you anymore." He looked up at her, laughing at what she said next. "You are very welcome for that. And the doughnut." Johnny smiled. "Stop overthinking so much, though. You've fit in with all of us perfectly. We're not exactly normal anyway."

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."

Wrapping her arm around his, she rested her temple against his shoulder. The thought of walking out with twelve animals sounded like a dream, like those videos she'd seen of famous people playing with an entire litter of puppies while they answered questions. Mantis had only watched those videos for the puppies, of course; she had no idea who the people were, but they looked quite happy. "I think we'll start with one and see what happens with that. Maybe two..." she paused, biting back a smirk. "Okay, three tops! But really, I can't go too crazy."

Johnny laughed and grabbed her hand, running alongside her as if they actually were running from someone, and not just skipping out on a mandatory meeting. "Mission accomplished. Good job, agent." He smirked and gave her a wink as he dropped her hand, holding his arm out for her to take instead. "Oh yeah?" Johnny led her across the street, in the direction of the ice cream shop. "I think it'll be really good for you. Well, maybe," he added, teasingly. "You might come out with twelve instead of one."

"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 had created the ultimate haven of fluffiness, she sat proudly surrounded by an array of plush cushions and soft blankets, hugging a teddy bear tightly to her chest. "Come join me in the fluffiness," she exclaimed, patting the cushion next to her. The room seemed to radiate with a serene charm, with plush toys adorning the space it added an extra touch of whimsy. "I've created a fluffy haven and it's quite delightful. Feel free to share in the coziness and tell me about your day! And look! I have snacks, too!"

🥰 for a fluffy starter for @j-stcrm

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

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 )

Mantis beamed at the praise, her antennae perking up even more. She returned the shoulder bump with a playful nudge of her own. "Double points? Wow, I feel so special!" she said teasingly, glad that everyone seemed to have enjoyed themselves. "I'm glad nothing bad happened. I was worried that something might go wrong. It was really hard to focus on the party at times, I found myself more patrolling than partying more than once."

Johnny smiled and shook his head. "You had nothing to be nervous about. You did good, Bug." He sat down beside her and gently bumped her shoulder with his. "Mhm, it was fun. Your extensive research on all things related to Earth parties paid off. And," he continued, nodding at her. "Nothing bad happened. That's been a constant at every other thing we've had as of late, so I think you get double points for that one."

As Wanda finished her explanation, Mantis tilted her head slightly, her large eyes blinking inquisitively. "Oh, I see," she said, her gentle voice carrying a note of understanding, glad that nothing had actually happened between the two. "Hopefully the two of them stay out of trouble though, it would be horrible if they weren't allowed to work together ever." Ensuring that she was set for the evening, Mantis glanced around the area, the night seemingly quiet for now. Well, as quiet as New York got, anyway. "Shall we?"

🕸️ for our muses to patrol the city; @guardianmantisx

"My brother was going to be your patrol partner," Wanda started, as she approached the other woman. "But he bullied me into letting him switch with me -- he didn't really bully me," she added, knowing Mantis was too pure for her own good sometimes and would take that literally. She stopped fidgeting with her earpiece and explained, "He wanted to go with Johnny. They're not allowed to go together during actual missions because Pietro's an actual idiot. So anyway," she smirked. "You're stuck with me."