With A Serene Expression, She Joined Peyton On The Floor, Hugging Her Knees To Her Chest While She Contemplated

"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 could hardly contain the squeal that escaped her as she sank to the ground, allowing the puppies to run up and jump all over her. "They're so fuzzy!" she giggled, the warm glow from her antennae an evident sign of her excitement. Her hands found a spot behind Luna's ear, the dog leaned into her palm as Mantis gave her a light scratch. "Oh, they're so sweet... Careful, I might steal them from you." She paused, tossing Johnny a playful smirk. "Actually, I think they're telling me they want to come with me."

"Yesss," he smirked and reached over to take her hand, tugging her out to lead her to the next room. Both puppies were making themselves comfortable in the common area of the Tower. "The white one is Luna and the black one is Noelle," Johnny said, as they walked in. He dropped her hand so she could go over to them. "Noelle's only a few months old. Her sister's a little older, but not much."

Mantis shifted uncomfortably, her large, expressive eyes blinking slowly. "It's just… complicated. My father had dark intentions, and I was a pawn in his grand plan." She hesitated, reliving memories she'd rather forget. "Well, if one ever does, make sure to record it. People seem to really love the videos of the animals pretending to talk, think about how popular your video would be if they were actually talking!" Mantis offered a reassuring smile, hoping to ease the tension that lingered in the air. "A personal zoo sounds fun, though. Do you not like that idea?"

Loki caught the slight hesitation and looked up. "Is the past a no-no subject?" He questioned, head tilted. "Your father sounds delightful. And like he'd be best friends with mine. I get it." He gave her a small smirk, before shaking his head and switching the subject off of that, "But the talking animals thing? You described my daughter's heaven. She's apparently made it her mission to create her own personal zoo and I'm waiting for one of them to start talking or something at this point."

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?"

It had been an adjustment, although anything was better than her life back with Ego so Mantis couldn't complain. "I've gotten lost around the tower a couple of times, but other than that, it's been quite pleasant," Mantis assured the other, face lighting up at the question. "There's so many things to love about Earth, honestly. The food has been very interesting. I've been trying so many new things. I also really like the animals the most, especially the babies ones. There's still so much I know I haven't experienced yet though, so maybe that part's my favorite. That there's just so much to do and love about it."

"Well, that's good," Wanda said with another smile, sitting down beside her. "I know this -- " she gestured vaguely around the space in the tower they were in " -- can be a lot at first. It was for me, at least, and I'm from Earth," she added, teasingly. "What's been your favorite thing down here so far?"

"Oh, a stealth mission! I love those," Mantis giggled softly. As they crept into the hallway, she lowered into a crouching position to appear as small as possible. She couldn't contain her excitement, her antennae twitching with anticipation. With each step, she moved as silently as she could, eyes wide and scanning the surroundings. So far it seemed as though the hallways were deserted, making the game all too easy. Pausing at a corner, Mantis poked her head carefully to ensure nobody was in their path. "Coast is clear," she whispered, motioning for Johnny to follow as she pushed forward, excitement building as their chances of winning looked better with every step. She so hoped they won this game. "Where are we headed when we get out of here? Where's the safe zone? Oooh, is it the ice cream shop? That would be the best prize!"

Johnny opened his mouth to mention the door was going to slam, but Mantis caught it before he could. He snorted softly when she tiptoed over to him, tilting his head to look at her. He glanced back at the door, and then to her again, before answering, in a quiet voice, "Everyone who isn't us is it." He smirked and took her hand, tugging her back towards the door. Cracking it open and nodding into the seemingly empty hallway, Johnny continued, "And we have to get out quietly and quickly before anyone sees or hears us."

Mantis blinked, her large eyes widening with amusement as she tilted her head, considering the peculiar question. "Oh, well, I've always been told that I am quite small, actually," she replied with a serene smile, her delicate antennae twitching slightly. "But I believe we are exactly the size we are meant to be in this moment. Are you alright?"

"Am I small or are you just really big?" He asked the person in front of him. Honestly he wouldn't have been surprised either way. It wouldn't of been the first time he'd had a few to many drinks and ended up shrinking himself without even realizing.

"It's easy, Peter! Just let the music guide you. Feel the rhythm and let your body follow. You don't need to worry about your hands, they'll find their own groove. Trust me, dancing is like tapping into the universe's heartbeat." She extended her hand towards him, a hopeful smile lighting up her face. After a while, dancing on Earth didn't seem all too different than dancing anywhere else in the universe. "Come on, just one dance won't hurt!"

"Look, I'm refusing for your benefit, I swear!" Peter insisted, laughing. "I have no idea what to do out on a dance floor. Like, what do I even do with my hands?"

She met his challenge with a confident smile, her eyes focused and determined. "You caught me," Mantis admitted, acknowledging his observation about her practice. Her own hand swiftly formed scissors on the count of three. "Looks like scissors cut paper this time," she teased playfully, so very glad that he had stopped to play her game. He was right in his other observation that most others seemed to have other things to worry about than playing games. "Best two out of three then? Or three out of five, make it a bit more of a challenge?"

"Oh, I know it. I saw you practicing," he said, gesturing back to where he'd come from. He took his stance, standing in front of her, one fist laying on a flat palm. "Don't go easy on me now, I want your very best shot." He grinned, glancing around for a minute. "You don't see a lot of people around here playing this. Like they get 'grown up' and decide rock-paper-scissors isn't fun." His eyes came back to hers, and he counted them down. "Three, two, one, shoot!" He tossed out paper.

"Thank you, Johnny," she replied, her voice filled with genuine gratitude. "I was nervous, but everyone seemed to have a good time." She tilted her head, studying Johnny's expression. "Did you really think it was good? I hope I didn't miss any important Earth party traditions."

"So," he started as he walked into the common area of the Avengers' quarters, bringing breakfast for both of them. "How do you feel after throwing your first party on Earth?" Johnny sat the food down on the table. "You did good." ; @guardianmantisx