"Thank You, Johnny," She Replied, Her Voice Filled With Genuine Gratitude. "I Was Nervous, But Everyone

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."

Mantis smiled warmly as she considered the idea of adopting a furry friend, the notion of forming a connection with a small Earth creature intrigued her. "I think I would like that. Would you go with me to pick one out?" Not that she was looking to get one right at that moment, although she probably wouldn't need much coercing to change her mind. She was quite enjoying the companionship of her new friends already. Having one around all the time sounded very pleasant. "You know, when I'm ready for one. I don't think I'm quite there yet."

"Yeah. Tell me about it. It gets everywhere." The white fur on his hand after he ruffled Luna's fur was evident of that. He smirked when she curled up on Mantis's lap and looked up at her. "They've been coming with me on days we aren't out on a mission, so feel free to whenever. Just not permanently, because my husband would hunt you down," he teased and sat beside her, gently bumping her shoulder. "You should totally adopt one, though."

Mantis cocked her head to the side, her antennae twitching with curiosity. Her large, dark eyes sparkled with interest as she considered Ella's invitation. "It sounds like it could be quite amusing," she replied, her slender fingers twirling the stick of the spinner. "Maybe we can play this another time, and for now maybe you can show me other games and things people do to pass the time?" From her observations so far, it seemed as though humans never ran out of ways to keep entertained.

Ella smiled at that, enjoying to know that different species had things in common. "Yeah! That's totally a part of the fun- wondering when someone's gonna fall over!" She was glad that Mantis seemed to understand. "I mostly only know humans so I can't really speak on other species but it's cool how that can be funny for everyone. Do you think you want to try playing or maybe another time?"

Mantis nodded slowly, her expression a mixture of vulnerability and gratitude as she squeezed Johnny's hand back, drawing comfort from his reassuring touch. "Yes," she admitted softly, her voice barely above a whisper. "It was… unsettling." Her gaze drifted to the ground for a moment before she met Johnny's eyes again. "But I'm glad we made it out alright. It was still very odd to see the Iron Man suits attack people like that. What if it happens again?" She bit her lip, pausing briefly. "Not to mention it's made me doubt Tony a bit, and I hate that feeling the most. He's a teammate, I should be able to trust him."

Johnny gave her a mock pout when she hesitated, but took her hand when she did reciprocate and gave it reassuring squeeze. "It's fine if you're not," he said, easily, fingers lacing around hers as he led her out. "No one's fine all the time." Johnny looked over at her. "Is it because of what just happened?"

"Your emotions say otherwise," Mantis murmured softly, her empathic abilities picking up on his turmoil. "I can alleviate some of your discomfort, if you'd like?" She gently reached out a hand towards Loki's forehead, intending to use her empathic touch to ease his headache. "As for the idiocy of others, unfortunately my powers can't help with that."

Loki didn't realize his hand was on his head until he caught the other looking. "I'm fine. Headache." he dropped it, nodding to the case in front of them. "Because apparently everyone collectively decided to be idiots this week."

Mantis smiled, giggling softly at Carol's response. She hadn't really chosen the name for that particular reason, but she enjoyed the reaction she got either way. Her expression became puzzled when Carol said she was going to be a bad influence, from what Mantis could tell she was a very vibrant personality, the kind she couldn't help but be drawn towards. "I don't see how that's possible, but I'd be more than happy to be shown around. There's so much of the city I haven't seen yet. You've been away though?" That comment definitely intrigued her, especially paired with the term 'earthside.' "Where were you traveling?"

"I love it. Of course, I love any species that decapitates the males after they're done with them," she said, with a wicked grin on her face. But it softened as Mantis continued. There was something very sweet about her. "You know, I'm going to be a very bad influence on you. But if you're okay with that, I would love to show you around a little. Not just here, but the city too. I've... been away a long time. Just got back earthside myself. So we can check it out together, take in the sights."

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."

"Crack the eggs, crack the eggs!" Mantis happily sang to herself, attempting to avoid making a mess as she cracked open the shells. Unfortunately, she missed the bowl and she left a yolky mess on the counter as her attention shifted to the toast popping up from the toaster. "Oh, yay! Toast!" she cheered, smothering her overdone toast with butter before turning back to her abandoned attempt at pancakes. "Okay... so now I stir this and pour it into the pan." Mantis carefully dipped her mixing bowl over the skillet, dumping a rather large amount of clumpy batter into the center. Her attention was drawn away once again as her roommate joined her, a bright smile crossed the alien's face as she greeted the other warmly. "Hi! I'm making breakfast!"

@stvrlcrd

Mantis looked up, startled by Clint's unexpected approach. Her large, expressive eyes widened in surprise, but the curiosity quickly replaced any sense of bewilderment and a bright smile spread across her face as she eagerly accepted the invitation. With a nod of agreement, she gestured for Clint to take his stance, her enthusiasm undiminished. "Alright, but I'll have you know I've gotten pretty good at this."

Clint watched her for a good few minutes. He was the kind of person who always kept his eyes moving, who took in every detail. So he didn't miss the utter, completely sincere glee this woman had during her game. He walked over, smiling gently. "You know, it's even more fun with two people," he said, holding out his hands, ready to play. "C'mon, show me what you're made of," he joked brightly.

"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."