Fire Burning

indie mumu RP blog. 21+ muses and mun. ask for muses.

[artnoush]

White Fox ~ Marvel Rivals 🦊🩵✨

[bcrninghearts]

While the two of them were away discussing private matters for whatever reason, it gave Peter Quill time to think to himself. To think, Mantis had actually been out in the world and the rest of the galaxy, gallivanting around with Loki doing who knows what. Not that it was a problem or anything like that, and Thor would obviously vouch for his brother that the new leaves his brother turned over made him a good guy. But Mantis was his sister, and even as a grown ass adult, he wanted to make sure that Mantis wasn't doing anything that could potentially land her in a situation where she could get hurt. Even empaths were more than capable of getting their own feelings and emotions hurt. So Peter needed to make sure that he could set aside his own feelings and just make sure Mantis was okay with everything. When she reappeared, the tests set in motion.

"If he can't stand you, then why are the two of you spending so much time together? Don't get me wrong, I totally understand having to spend time alongside people you can't stand when it comes down to it. But let's take all things into consideration. You were with us on New Asgard, and were with Loki. Right now, Loki's out here telling me one thing and you're telling me the complete opposite, but why would Loki even bother lying about you of all people Mantis?" Peter crossed his arms, heavily contemplating everything that had just transpired in the last few minutes. "Sure you're weird, but you're my weird sister, and if Loki genuinely has an interest in you, I deserve to know. So let me ask you this Mantis...do you like him? Do you have a genuine interest in Loki?"

[mantcdea]

Peter Quill launched into something akin to an interrogation, asking question after question after question, all Missourian cadence and brotherly concern. The empath watched the Star-Lord as if he were simply discussing the weather, but in truth, she felt uneasy — Mantis didn't enjoy being the center of attention unlike Loki. She would've loved to turn around and walk away, fly to Tamal, return to the temple, let the Priests handle the situation for her as they wanted to do. They wanted to handle every situation for her, so devoted, so eager to protect their Madonna from everything, even from stress. But Mantis was still angry with the Priests.

"I was only joking. Of course he can stand me. He can stand me so much, that he keeps testing my patience. Are you really asking me why the god of lies would lie?" She exhaled, a clear attempt to stay calm, oh no, she wouldn't argue with the only sibling she had left over Loki, and especially not over romantic stuff. After a moment, she said, "I do like him. He is quite funny, when he wants to be." A smile, fondly remembering the prank they pulled on Thor together. "I like him, but I also like peace, and I do not think I can find it in him for now. He does not view me as his equal, he does not acknowledge his feelings, and he does not understand that I remain unimpressed by his arrogance." Her eyes darted around, and Mantis sighed. "And now I don't remember where I left the snacks!"

[bcrninghearts]

"I'm not asking you why the god of lies would actually lie. I'm more concerned with why you're actually entertaining it. Don't get me wrong, sometimes I get bored and I may have to change the tapes in my tape deck or shuffle the playlist on my Zune, but you chase thrills that aren't exactly worth it Mantis. Again, not that I'm judging or anything, but him of all people?" Peter certainly trusted Mantis with making her own decisions, but being her half-sibling came with its own set of questions and circumstances where he had to be at least a little bit protective over the people she let into her life, especially if Loki was trying to get involved romantically. Mantis' own observations should have given the galactic guardian a sense of peace and relief, but they didn't exactly put those fears and anxiety to bed just yet.

"Hey, you can't just excuse yourself out of a question that you're nervous about! Besides, we haven't refilled the ship with snacks yet. That's what Rocket and Groot are supposed to be doing." Peter sighed, rubbing the side of his temple trying to convince himself that he wasn't actually overthinking things right now, and maybe Mantis was just having one of those "moments" that he often had with people. "You say he doesn't see you as an equal, and that he's constantly lying as Loki often does, and that you're completely turned off by his arrogance, but I'm sensing a strong but here. What's the but Mantis?"

[mantcdea]

She appreciated Matt's honesty, even as worry tugged at her heart, a feeling of disappointment and despair tinged with cold fear. Could it be? Could they be trapped in the middle of a war without end? The thought was horrifying. Without an end to it, there was nothing left but infinite death, constant pain, eternal suffering. So many lives broken beyond repair, so many innocent souls crushed under the weight of grief. The restaurant suddenly felt smaller, emptier, and Mantis closed her eyes, as though reality itself were too painful to be looked at. When her eyes opened again, there was food on the table. Small comforts, small blessings, small things to be grateful for — and she was grateful.

"Well," she chuckled, "I know you won't judge me, but I'll try both things separately first. This smells really good." Mantis carefully picked up a slice of pizza, antennae tilting toward it, getting used to the scent. She took a bite and instantly brightened. "Delicious!" Her mood seemed to improve with each bite. It was hard not to feel better while enjoying food this tasty. "It's a good thing Drax is not here, he would fight you for the last slice of pizza. Groot would order more food to offer a peaceful solution, and Rocket would secretly steal it while you and Drax fight each other."

[bcrninghearts]

"Explore your taste buds, allow yourself to figure out what you do and don't like. That's part of the human experience after all," Matt managed a small chuckle, curious to see how Mantis reacted to various combinations of Earth food. While he wasn't necessarily used to dealing with off-world visitors like this, it didn't mean he wasn't experienced in these sorts of scenarios either. When you were a superhero in this line of work, every once in a while the universe had a way of throwing you a curveball, whether that be Doctor Strange's astral form paying you an unannounced visit or Mantis throwing down on Earth food. What a live they led, right? "Drax? That's the alien with the combat knives, right? I feel like I may have crossed paths with him before in one of those "end of the universe" type of situations being on the line, but my memory can be hazy sometimes. But it's nice to see you have a level of camaraderie with your friends in times like these." If only he could have that again with Spidey, Luke, Jess, Danny, and all of his other friends who meant the world to him from his own universe. Truly heartbreaking to still think about that at times.

"i'm sorry if I'm giving off unhappy vibes right now. I promise you I'm alright, even with the Beast still emanating deep within my soul. Maybe your senses can make out whether or not that's true, but in the end, I'll be fine, I promise." Taking a moment to say a silent prayer to himself, Matt picked up his slice of pizza and consumed it at a decent rate, savoring the taste of the greasy food that once populated the neighborhoods of his own world in Hell's Kitchen. "Is it true that you have more than one stomach?"

[floruiabloom]

formula luna icons / screenshots

[sersi]

Iron Man (2008) Daredevil: Born Again 2.08: The Southern Cross (2026)

[rounyawn]

just doing some vigilante stuff

[marveldaily]

The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special dir. James Gunn | 2022

[bcrninghearts]

@mantcdea

[bcrninghearts]

If you know a White Fox/Ami Han writer, send them my way. I wanna write with one with my Lin Lie/Iron Fist or even Daredevil so badly 😢

[shanediomorrissey]

[bcrninghearts]

White Fox is coming to Rivals, I have needed this! 😭😭😭

[mantcdea]

Matt would order, then. Everything had a delicious smell. She trusted his senses in the matters of pizza, though the empath would not trust his opinions pertaining to emotion management just yet. Mantis didn't judge him, nor did she judge anyone choosing to express anger overtly, but anger was still something she didn't particularly enjoy clinging to. Besides — Mantis didn't remember her own timeline. What could she be angry about?

Her small, fidgety movements stilled as she listened to the Daredevil tell his story, even though she had no story to offer in return. His increasing levels of anger were noticeable not only in the change in his posture, but also in the way it bled through his words, in the way his energy became frayed and agitated. Now that she knew his story, Mantis understood him a little better.

"I'm sorry. You've lost so much," she said, voice gentle, brimming with sincerity. Against her better judgement, knowing that she could become angry as well, Mantis placed a comforting hand over his. Her mouth was dry with worry. "When you were in Hell... I can't imagine the things you had to witness there. I'm afraid to ask, Matt, but I'm also afraid of this war. Do you know... if the war will end?"

[bcrninghearts]

Her questions gave Matt a brief pause; did he really have the answers to any of those questions? Despite everything that he'd lost, Matt had consistently put his head down and grit his teeth, continuing to fight his ass off as much as he could in order to do his part in restoring the multiverse. But jumping between the different worlds and timelines to help with a lot of the big fights had given Matt some unique perspective that he hadn't had in such a long time since killing the essence of the Beast before it essentially became a part of him. "You don't have to be sorry Mantis. We all face our own personal hells in life at some point or another. You've cut your teeth on steel to get to this point, and I have zero reason to question your resolve or toughness. But this war that we're fighting, against the two Dooms? I don't have an answer for you. An honest one, at least."

The food was at least finally delivered to the table before Matt could delve into his feelings further, or Mantis for that matter. The smell of both the pizza and the ramen offered up scintillating aromas of food towards both Matt and Mantis. It offered a welcome distraction from their conversation, which they were bound to get back into right after they were done consuming their meals. "Well, this here is some of the best food that this place can actually offer. I don't think you should actually put the ramen itself on your pizza and eat them together, but I'm also not in a position to judge someone for trying something different and new."

[mantcdea]

Loki was the liesmith. If he didn't love her, he could say he did. He could lie and say yes, I do love you Mantis. His inability to say he loved her was the answer, and it filled the empath with quiet hope. Onyx eyes softened and a slow, knowing smile tugged at her lips. When he touched her antennae with slender fingers, Mantis remained unblinking, unflinching. She was studying the shifts of his face, every subtle micro-expression, as he massaged her antennae like he owned them. Like he owned her. But Mantis couldn't be owned, and she was not afraid of being alone — Loki was. Softly, Mantis lifted a hand to cup his jaw and pressed a chaste, sweet, lingering kiss to his cheek, so that the god of mischief hopefully felt her true affection for him.

"When you are done lying to yourself, find me and we'll talk," she said, the words falling softly from her lips. Her hand, warm and comforting, stayed on his cheek a moment longer before falling to her side. She wanted to stay, wanted to reassure him. But he needed to be honest with himself. Mantis offered a loving yet bittersweet smile. "I will wait for you, Loki... but not forever." And with that she stepped out of the room, leaving him alone with his thoughts in the greenhouse module. The empath returned to her brother, and when she spoke there was a playful glint in her eyes. With a giggle, Mantis said, "Peter, I don't know what Loki has said to you — but clearly, he cannot stand me. He thinks I'm very insolent and very weird. I believe you were lied to." She shrugged.

[bcrninghearts]

While the two of them were away discussing private matters for whatever reason, it gave Peter Quill time to think to himself. To think, Mantis had actually been out in the world and the rest of the galaxy, gallivanting around with Loki doing who knows what. Not that it was a problem or anything like that, and Thor would obviously vouch for his brother that the new leaves his brother turned over made him a good guy. But Mantis was his sister, and even as a grown ass adult, he wanted to make sure that Mantis wasn't doing anything that could potentially land her in a situation where she could get hurt. Even empaths were more than capable of getting their own feelings and emotions hurt. So Peter needed to make sure that he could set aside his own feelings and just make sure Mantis was okay with everything. When she reappeared, the tests set in motion.

"If he can't stand you, then why are the two of you spending so much time together? Don't get me wrong, I totally understand having to spend time alongside people you can't stand when it comes down to it. But let's take all things into consideration. You were with us on New Asgard, and were with Loki. Right now, Loki's out here telling me one thing and you're telling me the complete opposite, but why would Loki even bother lying about you of all people Mantis?" Peter crossed his arms, heavily contemplating everything that had just transpired in the last few minutes. "Sure you're weird, but you're my weird sister, and if Loki genuinely has an interest in you, I deserve to know. So let me ask you this Mantis...do you like him? Do you have a genuine interest in Loki?"

[soapallo]

never let them know ur next move

wordless ver:

[solidsmax]

THE UNBREAKABLE X-MEN | MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls

[avakkins-alter]

Magik | Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls

[mantcdea]

The sigh of relief that left the empath's lips could've been heard across the galaxy. It gladdened her to know that she was believed, despite how crazy her story was — Matt seemed to truly think she was telling the truth. Indeed, she'd made her escape with fellow captives Sai and Jeff. She wouldn't stop being grateful for the other Mantis' sacrifice, but the empath wished she could've helped her. She wondered how long she had been there, how many fights had been forced upon her. The empath didn't dwell on it, for she would surely lose her appetite if she did.

Focusing on the food, Mantis' head tilted to the side. "Well — the one with pizza, like you said? You know the place better than I do. I will be honest, I've never been here before," she admitted with a sheepish smile, her eyes darting around to admire the restaurant. "I trust that whatever you order, it will be tasty! And I'll treat you to dessert afterwards. Hopefully it will cheer you up." Mantis seemed to be more relaxed now that she knew Matt believed her. Fingernails drummed against the tabletop, her chin resting on her palm. "I want to know more about you. Are you always this... serious?"

[bcrninghearts]

Matt wanted to smile a bit, but the puzzling confusion Mantis was provided rendered him a bit confused. She didn't actually think you put the ramen on the pizza, did she? She wasn't from Earth, so it would've been easy for any alien to make that misunderstanding, but from the limited experiences that he'd ended up having with aliens in the past, they usually enjoyed engaging in the most bizarre food combinations, so maybe this little lunch together wouldn't be any different. "I think I know just what to order us. Just remember that the ramen that comes along with it is completely optional when it comes to putting it on your pizza. That combination usually messes up a lot of human stomachs, but I've got a hunch that your own biological system might be able to handle it," he offered up the briefest of chuckles, before placing an order for beef ramen and a Garden Supreme pizza, set to be delivered to their table within a few moments.

"To answer your question, there was a time when I wasn't always this serious. I had a lot of serious moments, but there were also moments of happiness and comfort to counteract and balance out the bad. But in the dimension where I hail from, I lost practically everything that mattered to me. My home, my loved ones, my best friends, all because gods, demons, and monsters thought that waging war in the midst of a timeline entanglement would be the best time to just destroy everything. All for what? Becoming gods? Destroying everything and trying to make my timeline a territory in a never ending war?" Matt's fists clenched with anger at the thought of completely losing everything. "I thought that if I made the journey down to Hell and took out the demon of power that gave this evil ninja clan--the Hand--that I could change my fortunes for the better, and maybe end the war for good. I destroyed every single member of the Hand, and eventually I fought the Beast. I've never killed anybody in my life up to that point, but when I saw the Beast, I let my righteous anger get to me, and I strangled him out with my billy clubs until I killed him. But I ultimately didn't kill him; he just became a part of me...somewhat at least. So I apologize if you see me brooding or angry a lot of the time. It's just so natural of a feeling to me at this point."

[mantcdea]

He was doing it again, of course he was doing it again. Kissing her before his words could register, pressing her against the wall so she could not escape. His touch was like a command. Greedy, demanding. He did not need to say anything about lying; Loki was known as the lie-smith for a reason. The god of lies. Still, Mantis could feel his longing, his desire, and her kiss-swollen lips chased his as if to quiet his worries. When Loki taunted her, betraying what he needed to hear from her, the empath practically felt the insecurity he tried to mask beneath layers and layers of dominance. Mantis brought her hands up to cup his face, her thumb running across his cheek.

"So much," she breathed, and her words were like falling petals. Her hands found his chest and she pushed softly, putting the smallest distance between them. "But you're not telling me the truth." Mantis frowned. "The music box that your mother gave you, the forced civility with my brother... These aren't things you do for someone you merely desire. Why don't you tell my brother everything? That we had a misunderstanding, I licked your face and somehow that captivated you?" She smiled, amusement dancing in her eyes. "You are a compulsive liar — you could easily lie and tell me you love me. But you didn't. You won't. Is it because you're afraid it might not be a lie?"

[bcrninghearts]

Because of course she wanted to flip things back on him, make him talk about feelings and how he felt about a variety of things rather than put the spotlight on herself. Sure, Mantis was naturally a selfless individual and that garnered her a lot of praise from people close to her, and the people on Knowhere in general, but that could only make Loki roll his eyes even further. How dare he allow himself to fall for someone who was such a benevolent, kind soul and could see directly through his lies with her empathic powers? Hell, she could probably see the confliction of emotions being twisted around within his heart right now, but ever the liesmith, he could flip it directly back on her. "I'm not afraid of anything in regards to you Mantis, my dear. Do you really think that I, Loki could actually--" he paused for a moment, "kind gestures. Acts of nourishment and generosity to allow you to prevent yourself from being completely scared of my brother's rumbling thunder," he shook his head.

"Yes, the lick to my face did get a rise in my desire at the moment, and perhaps it may still be raging through my frosted bloodlines, but you can't possibly stand there directly in front of my face and actually insinuate that I, Loki Laufeyson, actually--" he paused yet again, his ire slowly beginning to rise before declining as other feelings slowly began rising to the surface. His hand slowly reached out towards her antennae, touching it ever so slightly and lightly massaging it just to gauge her immediate reaction towards it. "I don't hate you Mantis. In fact, I find your presence very tolerable in spite of your relentless optimism and constant pursuits of happiness and unique endeavors. And in spite of my usual mischievous mannerisms, I do find myself wanting to kiss you. Again, again, and practically again. I want to punish you for your insolence and shove my tongue down your throat even further, but--" he paused; he was not going to admit to it. Not at all.