Mantis Giggled Softly, Setting Her Water Bottle Down. "What's That Saying You Humans Are So Fond Of?

Mantis withdrew her hand respectfully as Loki reassured her, a hint of embarrassment washing over her. Had she overstepped? Pulling her hand back, she tucked her hair behind her ear, nodding at his explanation. "Oh, I see... well, please let me know if I can help in any way. As for my powers," she began, her gaze shifting momentarily as she contemplated how best to articulate her abilities. "To put it simply, I'm an empath, I can sense and to an extant manipulate the emotions of others." Mantis knew how that sounded, her face skewed slightly as she searched for a better explanation. "I can feel what others feel, understand their innermost thoughts and desires, and in some cases influence their emotions. Like with Ego, he would often ask me to clear his mind, make it to where he could sleep." Mantis paused, her eyes meeting Loki's with a gentle intensity, glad to finally have the sort of connection she'd been craving her entire life. "And what of you, Loki? What abilities do you possess?"

"Hm?" Loki glanced up when he saw her reach up. "Oh. No." But he put a gentle, genuine smile on his face a moment later. Loki did like her and it wasn't her. He'd been weird with anything like that ever since Thanos. "I'm fine, darling. I think it's going to be ever present, unfortunately. Thanks to the vast majority of people in this tower." He smirked and reached over for his coffee. "What are your powers exactly? I never asked and now I'm curious."

@guardianmantisx @darcylewisx @frostqueenhelax @micahrambeaux

symbol meme under the cut. remember to send some if you reblog. please only engage with this post if you're a member of variance hq.

spring themed

🌸 our muses go flower picking together

🧼 for my muse helps yours do spring cleaning

🚴‍♀️ our muses go on a bike ride

🍦 our muses get ice cream

🌱 for our muses to plant a garden together

🌷 for our muses go on a picnic in the park

🚶‍♂️ for our muses take a leisurely stroll through a garden

🏞️ for our muses to go on a nature hike together

🎡 for our muses to go to an amusement park

🕯️for our muses to go on a date

plot themed

🕵️‍♂️ for our muses to unravel a mystery together

💔 for my muse comforts yours after a heartbreak

🏰 for our muses to embark on a dangerous quest

🛸 for our muses embark on an intergalactic adventure

⚔️ for our muses to team up with each other

🌌 for my character to help yours master their superpowers

💪 for our muses to train together

🕸️ for our muses to patrol the city

🧙‍♂️ for our characters to navigate themselves through mystical realms

🤖 for our muses to face off against a horde of robotic foes

🎭 for one of our characters/both to disguises themselves on a mission

🏛️ for one of or characters to have legal issues

💀 for one or both of our characters to grapple with past actions

👀 for my muse to catch yours in a shady situation

emotions

😊 for a happy starter

🤬 for an angry starter

😭 for a sad starter

🥰 for a fluffy starter

😠 for an angsty starter

🤗 for my muse to comfort yours

👐 for your muse to comfort mine

🥞 for an early morning starter

🦉 for a late night starter

👻 for a scared starter

💢 to start a fight with my muse

💚 for a jealous starter

"Hey, Carol," Mantis began with a smile, her large eyes sparkling brightly. She'd found the other woman fascinating and fun to talk to; Mantis always felt slightly more elated than usual after an interaction with Carol. "How about we take a break from saving the universe for one night and go grab a drink? Maybe even off-world? You know, just, 'hang out' as they say."

@higherfurtherfasterr

She shook her head, wishing that were the case. However on her homeworld, the one she'd known anyway, there had only been her and Ego. "Not where I'm from, but I've seen a dog while I was traveling. I never got to actually meet them, but they did speak! So I was just shocked that the creatures here look remarkably similar to the one I saw, but they don't."

"Of course you have." Loki reached over and closed his laptop, not missing the look on her face. He wasn't going to question her on it because he had a feeling she'd tell him anyway. But what she said made him stop. "Wait, what? What do you mean do they not talk on this planet?" Loki just looked at her for a second. "Wait, do you mean puppies talk wherever you're from or all animals in general?"

"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."

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!"

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 was thankful that Loki didn't ask more about her history with Ego; eventually she would open up about it all. But at that point in time it was just too fresh of a wound to go and reopen. She uttered a soft thanks before her smile of appreciation turned into amused laughter as Loki described the happenings of home. "How lucky that she can communicate with them though! At least you'll never have to guess what the animals are thinking? There's probably a lot of people who'd be jealous of that ability. As someone who's thinking of fostering, I am one of those people."

"My father used me as a political pawn. Found out a few years ago." Loki looked up at her. "I get it. I promise. It sucks beyond reason to talk about, so we don't have to." His expression was softer when he said it, but didn't say anything else about it. At the shift in conversation, he scrunched his nose. "Do I not like it? Eh. I don't mind it. But my fiancé enables it, so there's a difference." He smirked, but then shook his head. "I think she can actually talk to animals, funnily enough. Which would make a lot of sense. Apparently her magical abilities manifested in nature, so I'm guessing that's why she's attracting them."

A squeal of delight escaped the tiny alien as she put her hand in his. "Well then, let's go," Mantis giggled in response, leading him to the dance floor. It was nice, to be able to relax like this after weeks of being on edge, even if she wasn't exactly familiar with all of Earth's dancing customs she found the activity to be quite enjoyable. "Sorry if I step on your toes. I'm still learning, but I'll follow your lead as best as I can!"

He laughed and set his glass down, reaching out to take her hand. "Why are you begging me? All you had to say was let's go."

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."