Mindlessly, Mantis' hands wrung in front of her waist, a flicker of uncertainty crossing her face. The empath did not enjoy wreaking havoc, but at the end of the day she was a Guardian of the Galaxy, wasn't she? They were rebels at their core. Renegades.

Lips pulled into a smile, and Mantis nodded – her usual enthusiasm soon taking over as her hands fell to her sides.

"Okay. Okay! I mean, Knowhere is ours now. If I destroy something, no one can tell me anything. I would prefer to find a secluded place, though," she suggested. "I have no desire to accidentally hurt someone. Kraglin was a menace before he learned how to fly the Yaka arrow."

“Yeah don’t remind me,” he snorted in amusement at her final comment. “Swear I still got fur missin’ on my ass from when that thing was zippin’ about. You’re no Kraglin though: got a brain between your ears. You’ll pick this up no problem. We’ll start with getting the programming down and then see what you make of settin’ them off. C’mon.”

Trotting ahead of her, it took only a few minutes for Rocket to find one of his stashes, made so as to avoid commentary on his stockpiling. Digging through his collection, he began tossing various elements into what resembled an old duffel bag. There was in fact a high chance it was one of Peter’s.

Rogue's eyebrows raised at the question and she shrugged, looking from Kurt to the window. "Ah see you were real careful with the good endin' qualifier," she mused. It was playful, but she knew it was there because really how was this all going to end? Would it ever end? Would it simply be an endless cycle of same shit, different day? Or was this going to end in some catastrophic event few if any walked away from?

If she said she hadn't thought about it, she would be lying. She thought about it probably more than she had any business doing, but saying it outloud was something different. That felt almost like the commitment that she was basically allergic to. Unless you counted here, where she had received a second chance.

"Ah dunno...maybe do motorcycle repair. Ah picked up a thing or two after Ah smashed the shit out of Logan's bike years ago. And if you're workin' with your hands you don't have t'deal with people, not too much anyways." She sighed, twirling a curl of white around her finger. "Maybe kids. But that sounds...crazy, even if we don't have t'be X-Men anymore there's so many other problems with bein' a mutant, right?"

Kurt’s tail flicked lazily in the manner of a contented cat as he listened, a cheeky glimmer in golden eyes though there was a sincerity in it. It was nice to hear her speak of her interests, and he could well see her suited for such a life as she described. For now he decided not to pursue her comments on children, though unspoken empathy settled in his chest. “Mmh, I suppose customer service was never a destiny for you,” he joked. “Motorcycles, though? That sounds perfect. I could see you having one of those shops that stays open late and scares all the uptight locals.”

While Ki’ir was not surprised the man had blundered into the trap, there was a sliver of judgement expressed by a gentle lift of her brow that he knew the god he intended to rob. Her lips remained curved upwards, but the smile was empty of compassion. What radiated from her was superiority that only a drow could so effortlessly possess.

         The sword fell to her side, the damaged blade still glinting with the bubble’s magic. Ki’ir chose not to reveal how she knew of the temple.

         “The temple was lost, not forgotten,” Ki’ir corrected, walking around the trap with care. Was the energy tied to the spell coming from the four statues? They did not radiate or pulse with any sort of current, nor did they glow. If they weren’t the source, then they were simply for show. The magic was coming from elsewhere.

         She eyed the vault door. In the center of it was a war hammer, and on either side of it scales. They were imbalanced. Farther from the door were two platforms, roughly large enough for someone to stand on.

         “In the other chamber, there were the remains of the undead, burnt by fire.” Ki’ir turned to face him again. “Was that you?”

         If it was, there was a chance he had the item she sought. She peered around the room and spotted a leather bag. Without hesitation she marched for it and began to rummage through its contents. Some scrolls, a book or journal of some kind, Ki’ir paid little mind to it. Morsels of food, nothing truly of note.

         Truly, the stranger’s belongings were dull. He didn’t have the item she sought, and what he did possess was of little consequence. She dropped the bag back onto the stone floor.

         “I’d thought a man’s bag to be full of daggers, magical trinkets, potions, and whatever else your kind need to feel superior,” Ki’ir eyed him as she spoke. “You lack anything of the sort.”        

For the moment he held his tongue on potential involvement in the other chamber, though her interest in his pack proved a swift enough distraction. “Oh, I don’t think-” No? Of course, too much to expect politeness amongst adventurers. Grimacing he watched instead as the stranger sorted through the meagre contents of his pack. Save one journal there was little of personal value to the wizard and he was grateful in that moment that he had elected to travel so light and keep anything of value within his robes. Enough encounters with bandits had seen to the importance of such matters.

One hardly thinks to bring much with them when their destination is a one-way trip. The retort sat on the tip of his tongue but today seemed a day for the miraculous: yet again he held his silence. For now the explanation seemed pointless and if anything the air of simplicity was earning him some small amount of approval. He was admittedly keen to seize on anything which would foster enough good will to gain this woman’s aid for without it death here seemed a near certainty.

“I do indeed,” he replied slowly. “I’ve little need for excess these days.” Navigating the perimeter of the bubble, he moved to stand a little closer to the drow. “Still, that doesn’t mean I’d be incapable of finding some means with which to thank you should you help me. Much as I hate to ask, I suppose I must: what would your terms be for helping me out of this little…predicament I seem to have gotten myself into?”

He was quick to close his mouth and shift his expression to one of frustration.

“I’m not saying he deserves to live,” the Witcher replied, releasing his hold on Astarion to fold his arms, “but don’t you think those people who lost friends or loved ones deserve to decide what to do with him?” Golden eyes snapped to the man in question: theft might have meant little to the vampire, but to Geralt it was another matter. “What happened to everything you stole? Spent it, or is some of it still kept somewhere?”

"Well, if someone wasn't being stingy on the Enhanced Leap spells, we wouldn't have this problem, would we?"

He didn't elaborate on which one of them should be providing this enchantment and left it up to Gale's imagination. At long last, with one last push from one of his boots, Astarion hopped up into the branches and got himself secure. From there, he extended his hand down.

"Now, would you like to join me for a better sniping angle, or would you rather take your chances on that broken roof?"

It was short-lived. He stared up at the offered hand for a moment, no small amount of uncertainty reflecting in dark eyes. He’d known this was coming, it was the entire point, but though he’d come to trust Astarion (insofar as Astarion could ever be) it was still going to nag at his pride. Prior to this misadventure he had lived for over a year in his tower where the greatest exertion had been stairs. Keeping pace on their travels through the countryside had been one matter, but scaling trees and buildings, leaping from ledge to ledge…it lacked dignity.

He grimaced at the spawn’s ultimatum, glancing to the rooftop in question. There was nothing else for it. With a sigh he grasped Astarion’s hand and with no small amount of effort began pulling himself up. "Just- hold tight."

Skurge froze, his hand poised over his head. Had he heard that right? His eyes searched the seal for some kind of trick—this wasn't the first time Loki would pull this kind of shit—but could find none. Maybe he'd accidentally swallowed too much salt water, or the smoke from the fire was giving him carbon dioxide poisoning.

"The seal speaks..." Said more as a statement than a question. As if he hadn't seen stranger things.

"Well, that certainly takes the guesswork out of things, doesn't it?" He inched closer, his hands roaming the creature's side until she flinched.

It baffled her when it never came.

The large dark eyes of the seal stared back for a long moment, almost comically wide on the already broad face. For a human (for that was what she presumed him to be) he was taking this marvellously well. That was either a good sign or one that he had encountered selkie before.

Most probably not. Kurt wasn't the sort of guy to deliberately throw that kind of trip. But he was disappointed - she'd disappointed him, and he wasn't in any state to recognise why or to keep it to himself.

And Thera was more than a bit irritated that it was starting to work.

"Alright. Alright!" Fingertips rubbed between her eyes, the other hand on her hip. No, no, no, she was not the bad guy for resenting having his drunken arse wake her in the middle of the night! But the longer this went on the more her temper cooled and her hackles began to ease down. "I don't mean that. It'll serve you right and I'm not nurse-maiding you, but ... ugh!"

It was indeed evident that his mind was only interested in managing the present, and with limited success at that. For the most part he was not a man given to such excess of alcohol save the odd party or similar night out where it might be expected. To come and seek Thera in particular spoke of an innate need for connection even if he was not possessed of the mind to make use of it in his current state. When sobriety would come to call in the following hours he would be able to better articulate the why for his drinking but for now she was stuck with the mess.

He was running on a combination of the alcohol’s effects and the giddiness her presence often brought out in him, though expressed far more appropriately. Though the mention of water was of little appeal, Kurt relented as Thera made her attempt to steer him to the kitchen. “Ffffine,” he replied, letting her guide him as he took his own weaving path out of the bedroom. Barely did he manage to curb his tongue on making a comment regarding her bedroom which he would later regret.

Getting to Know You Sentences

(Sentences for muses to get to know each other better. Adjust phrasing where needed)

"What's your favourite book?"

"This is how you like to have fun?"

"Did you have a happy childhood?"

"How's your cooking?"

"How long have you been here?"

"What do you want more than anything?"

"Do you have a family?"

"Is there anything that doesn't bore you?"

"Is there anything you ever wanted to do but you didn't do because everybody would watch you and question you?"

"What social media are you on?"

"Do you think you're a good man?"

"Is your job always like this?"

"How old are you?"

"Do you live alone?"

"Why are you so afraid to succeed?"

"Which one is your favourite?"

"Have you ever wanted any children?"

"Why do you want to be boring?"

"Was you father big in your life?"

"What were you like as a child?"

"How come you don't care where you're going?"

"How do you like to spend your free time?"

"You have an interesting accent. Where are you from exactly?"

"Can you sing?"

"Do you always talk to yourself?"

"Is that your real name?"

"Do you want a tattoo?"

don't say a word .

don't leave me here .

meet me at our spot tonight .

follow me and stay close .

don't beg , it's pathetic .

can you ( tie / zip ) this for me ?

stop lying to me . tell me what you did .

put that down , you don't know what it ( is / does ) .

get out of my sight .

stop pretending you know what's going on .

find a first-aid kit . quickly !

don't get yourself killed .

leave them to me , just go .

just admit that you love me .

just admit that you hate me .

come here , let me look at you .

( name ) , don't make me do this .

drop your ( weapon ) .

stay here and wait for my signal .

don't just sit there , move .

take this and run , don't let anyone have it .

pretend you're my ( partner / girlfriend / boyfriend ) .

don't look , you'll give us away .

don't say another word .

stop pretending like you care .

go make sure the coast is clear .

take this with you . it's a good luck charm .

don't tell anyone about this .

if anybody asks about today , lie .

stop looking at me like that .

tell me you love me .

just kiss me , already .

keep your eyes on the road .

stop crying and calm down .

come with me . there's so much we could do .

wear the ( dress / tie / item ) i gave you tonight .

show me how you like to be touched .

hold my hand .

kiss me , make it look real .

look at me . how many fingers am i holding up ?

will you marry me ?

just slow down for a minute . what's going on ?

take a deep breath , you need to calm down .

get out of here , ( name ) !

draw your weapon .

go rest . i'm not asking .

take a step back .

give me a straight answer .

be polite to our guests .

look me in the eye and say that again .

put your feelings aside for a moment .

keep close to me .

here , let me see that .

look up at the sky .

get out of here , i don't want to see you right now .

stand up , this isn't over yet .

close your eyes and count to ten .

smile for the camera !

keep your head down .

( name ) , let me past .

listen carefully to what i'm about to say .

don't just stare , come in .

stop laughing , this isn't funny .

take this and hide it .

don't make a sound .

put your hands up .

quit causing problems everywhere you go .

just admit that you don't know what you're doing .

stop right there , i mean it .

don't say that name aloud .

just trust me , okay ?

stop acting so childish .

call the police . now .

tell me you love me , even if it's not real .

take a good hard look .

stop the car , ( name ) .

don't make eye contact .

stay out of trouble .

just do it already , we've waited long enough .

hold me tight , and never let me go .

finish what you started .

tell me what you know .

just stay away from me .

turn around . slowly .

don't be scared .

put it down before somebody gets hurt .

stop pretending , i'm tired of the pretending .

grab me my ( item ) , will you ?

don't make assumptions .

put this over it to stop the bleeding .

get to safety !

wipe that look off your face .

secure the area .

keep an eye on them .

look at yourself in the mirror .

run . run and don't stop .

WARNINGS: alcohol

no,  i'm  not  hitting  on  you.  unless  it's  working.

you're  not  doing  karaoke  again.

why  are  there  fries  in  your  purse?

what's  the  strongest  drink  on  the  menu?

no,  i  don't  remember  your  name.

you  come  here  often?

what's  your  star  sign?

if  you  tell  anyone  what  i'm  about  to  say,  i'll  key  your  car.

it's  last  call.  get  a  drink  or  go  home.

they  just  tipped  with  monopoly  money.

i  think  i'm  in  love...

i'm  saving  this  story  for  your  future  wedding  toast.

i'm  your  wingperson  tonight,  give  me  the  target.

you're  not  from  around  here,  are  you?

i'm  your  best  friend,  not  your  conscience.

say  that  again  and  i  will  make  a  scene.

you're  my  bestie  now,  i  don't  care  that  we  met  30  seconds  ago.

i'd  buy  you  a  drink  but  i'd  rather  make  you  breakfast.

this  one's  on  my  tab.

is  that  a  fake  id?

i  swear  i  only  had  two  drinks...

this  is  a  judgement  free  zone.

they  said  they were working  late... 

let's  play  pool.  if  i  win,  you  owe  me  a  real  conversation.

if  i  tip  you  $20,  will  you  say  i  was  never  here?

that  was  supposed  to  impress  them...

it's  not  a  fake,  it's  retro!

don't  test  me,  i'm  not  drunk  enough  to  forgive  you.

can  you  lie  and  say  i'm  not  allowed  tequila  anymore?

give  me  your  phone.

if  you  want  a  mojito,  you  can  muddle  the  mint.

i  don't  think  that's  your  real  name.

make  me  something  dangerous  and  don't  ask  questions.

you're  cut  off.

you  cannot  cry  on  a  stranger's  shoulder!

can  you  get  me  something  non-alcoholic?  i'm  designated  driver.

no,  i  don't  want  to  join  the  conga  line.

if  i  ask  for  a  double,  will  you  pretend  i'm  not  spiraling?

you  always  ruin  nights  like  this!

okay  but  technically,  i'm  turning  [18/21]  this  year.

i'm  not  your  therapist.  that'll  be  $14.

no,  you  don't  need  to  text  them,  that's  why  i  took  your  phone.

tell  him  i'm  your  sister  or  something.

you  ever  seen  somebody  ruin  their  own  life  in  5  minutes?  watch  this.

you  can  throw  up  now  or  in  my  car.

if  i  were  a  drink,  i'd  be  the  one  you  remember  tomorrow.

we  said  no  shots,  why  are  there  shots?!

promise  you  won't  hate  me  tomorrow?

let's  go  somewhere  quieter.

we  always  do  this.  drink,  flirt,  run...

i  don't  want  tonight  to  end.

can  we  get  pizza  after  this?

do  you  want  to  dance?  i  won't  step  on  your  feet.

don't  climb  on  the  table!

i  am  not  your  lawyer.

why  are  you  laughing  and  texting?!