4472/An Elder Groot

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An Elder Groot
Date of Scene: 23 December 2020
Location: Rockefeller Center
Synopsis: Hank opens up to Mantis and she tries to give him advice on how to get better. Oh, Mantis also learned how to skate!
Cast of Characters: Mantis, Hank Pym




Mantis has posed:
Thanks to the helpful Titans, Mantis have attained a wonderful costume to going out and about without drawing too much attention. It's a lovely little Santa's Elf getup, predominantly red and green, with a very helpful hat that serves to hide her antennas. There are also less questions about her eyes, as people assume it's part of her Christmas costume.

Travelling the city, Mantis has discovered something remarkable. A giant tree that may well be an Elder Groot! Or so she thinks, she really wishes Groot was around to talk to it. Because unlike Groot, this tree is far less animated. But it is pretty and colorful!

Approaching the tree as much as allowed, Mantis reaches the railing, and looks awed at the tree itself. "Oooooh, none may approach the Elder Groot..."

Hank Pym has posed:
Hank Pym has been less obsessed with lab work in recent weeks and trying to get out of his comfort zone. Thus the prickly Avenger has gone forth, among the masses and is trying to be friendly. Results have been mixed to say the least. This s probably due to people being harried what with gift buying... crap!

He needs a gift for Nadia. Bad enough the ex will probably get her a gold plated, mink lined sports car that flies! To the commercial district!

A gold played mink lined car is out of the question. What would she do with two of them? Anyway, he suffers from the condition fundsrlow. Something nice and personal. He seeks this, but the tree draws his eyes and he takes a short break from his panic attack shopping. Without realizing he is standing near a very elf like elf he admires the tree and the decorations, then turns to watch the ice skaters. Only then taking a closer look at Mantis. Genius, hunh?

Mantis has posed:
When the tree doesn't respond, or make exceptions for Friends of Groot, a dejected Mantis takes a better look at her surrounding, when she spots humans gliding on ice! They seem to be having fun too!

"Wow! This is amazing! Like flying on ice!" She lets out a thrilled cry, like it's the first she's ever seen anyone ice skating at all.

Hank Pym has posed:
Hank Pym does a double take at the exclamation. Yes those eyes are for real. Yes she is an alien. Yes she is one of the Guardians. Not recognizing him is understandable. there are a half a dozen guardians and over seven billion humans! Hank takes his hat off, both in an old fashioned reflex and to give her a better look to recognize him.

"Mantis? It's me, Nadia's dad, Hank Pym. What are you doing in New York?" He did want to talk to some of the Guardians at least, but circumstances and bipolar disorder kept messing that up.

Yes he identifies himself as 'Nadia's Dad.' If he's ever missing put his photo and 'Nadia's Dad' on a milk carton.

Mantis has posed:
"What!? Who!?" Mantis looks around, pretending to be confused, clearly nervous at someone knowing who she is. That means her disguise isn't good enough, but then on second look, she does notice how Hank seems familiar. "Oh...you are the man who gives treats to Titans! I have seen you!!"

Hank Pym has posed:
Hank Pym smiles. "I'm Nadia's father, Hank," he repeats with a bob of his head. "What a great costume. If I hadn't met you before I would never give you a second look. And it's festive as well. Well done. So what are you doing? Sightseeing, people watching, ice skating?" He slows down with the questions. If she uses a translator, he might overload it. He outs the hat back on because it's cold.

Mantis has posed:
"Well met, Father of The Nadia," Mantis greets Hank Pym in accordance with his given title. "Christmas sounds like quite the holiday! Colors, cheering, snow and trees! Groot would like it, I'm sure!"

Mantis does quiet down as he asks several quick questions in succession, leaving her a bit confused for a moment, before she notes, "I came to see the Eleder Groot, and then I found the people flying on the ice!"

Hank Pym has posed:
Hank Pym looks a little confused at the talk of Elder Groots. He hasn't met Groot the younger yet or whatever. "Oh yes they aren't flying. they wear blades of metal on their feet to glide on the ice. The physics is very interesting... I won't get into it now. Do you... want to skate on the ice? can a little. I mean I haven't in a long time. Nadia's mother liked to. I can rent some skates."

Mantis has posed:
"OooooOOOOooooo," Mantis sounds duly impressed, "they use technology to fly on ice, it's not a natural human ability. I understand." She nods sagely at Hank. "You think they will let me try their technology?" Mantis sounds fascinated, taking a few steps towards Hank, "...thank you!"

Hank Pym has posed:
Hank Pym resists the urge to pat Mantis on the head. She's that cute. He's had practice resisting such urges with Nadia, who knows this wrist lock that really smarts.

"...Sure. It's pretty simple, just pieces of metal. When they have weight on them the blades cause the ice under them to melt and hyrdo-planing result... I'll get you some skates and help you with them. Sit on that bench please,. I will be right back." And off he goes. He's teaching an alien to ice skate. He should get out of the lab more!

Mantis has posed:
"But...if the ice melts, wouln't we all fall...?" Mantis asks cautiously, not seeming too sure anymore about trying the endeavor. "I can sit perfectly!" Mantis...brags? As she sits down, waiting patiently for Hank to return, straightening her legs, presenting her pointy tipped elfin shoes. She observes quietly as Hank helps her into the ice skates, quipping, "these metal ice flight shoes feel very tight. Are they supposed to feel very tight?"

Hank Pym has posed:
Hank Pym tightens the laces. "Yes. If they come loose, you can fall or twist your ankle or otherwise hurt yourself. Now the hard part is coming. You get up and take tiny little steps to me on the ice and probably fall on your... self until you get the idea of how to glide on the ice. I'll hold out my hands for you to grab and you try, carefully to come to me."

Mantis has posed:
Mantis looks intently as Hank tightens the laces on her skates, "these shoes are very unusual," she remarks, studyings the blades in fascination. Once they're tightly on, Mantis stands up, and curiously enough doesn't seem to be having any balance issues. When she steps on to the ice, she still remains standing, however she doesn't seem to be moving anywhere. She just stands there, points forward, and calls out, "skates...go?"

Hank Pym has posed:
Hank Pym hmms and skates around the lovely Mantis. "Mmmm okay make like this?" He step/skates a few times. He has a funny feeling she is hustling him even if unintentional. Then he breaks into a practiced, if slightly rusty series of skates before turning back to her.

"Would.. you like to hold hands or do you have perfect balance or a gyroscope hidden somewhere?" He smiles a little.

Mantis has posed:
To her credit, Mantis has yet to fall on her ass, or her face, but she's not really moving as she turns her head to track Hank's skating around her. "Yours work better!" She notes. "I am not a spaceship!" Mantis says in a tone of voice that suggests she was offended by being asked if she has a gyroscope. "But I am pretty good with balance, all it takes is trying not to fall..." she does however reach to grab a hold of Hank, and now she's moving because he's moving, bringing her to laugh, "I did it! Hahaha, I'm skating too!"

Hank Pym has posed:
Hank Pym grabs onto Mantis as well and laughs. "I did not mean you were a spaceship. I meant a teeensy weensy gyro to send balance instructions or something. My friend's armor suit has one. But you are a natural at this. Okay we are going to stop now. Point your toes together. On three. 1-2-3!" Hank does as advertised pointing hs toes together and still holding onto the offworlder.

Mantis has posed:
"So why are you asking about my mechanical parts? I am not a machine! I am not a vessel!" She still sounds offended as that topic is kept in the fore. Mantis does as told, but at the same time squints and closes her eyes, fearful something scary might happen.

Hank Pym has posed:
Hank Pym looks taken aback. "Nonono. Nether is my friend. It is wearable technology. Let's practice turns okay and then we can get some hot chocolate!" Yes there is a stand over there! There is also a hot dog stand but he will not be the one to introduce a friendly offworlder to hot dogs. Maybe that Maxima woman but Mantis is far too nice.

"I mean it was a very unfunny joke. You are very obviously not a machine. I mean my great granddaughter is a machine, there's nothing wrong with machines or cyborgs or androids. I do rather well with them. Please open your eyes."

Mantis has posed:
"You wear technology...?" Mantis sounds at once confused and curious, "so I can wera a suit to make me a spaceship...?" For some reason, she seems locked on that spaceship thing. "Oh! We're learning!" Mantis beams, as she pays close attention to Hank's instruction.

Mantis smiles at the apology, "exactly, I am not, and I know, some of them are very nice." Opening her eyes, she looks all around, "are we flying now...?"

Hank Pym has posed:
Hank Pym ponders a minute. "It's more like falling and managing to miss the ice. See? No altitude. We're going to turn now... you are doing very well. Uhm... sure you can wear something to make you a spaceship. A spacesuit and thruster boots!" Then he continues skating quietly, focussing on missing the ice. Yes he pretty much ripped off the explanation from Restaurant at the End of the Universe. But it was good analogy for slating. He finds her glee very infectious, lifting even his spirits. She is very like his Nadia. At the thought of his daughter he decides to call her or pay a visit. She's probably working too hard, possibly with diimishing returns.

Mantis has posed:
"That sounds difficult..." Mantis tries her best to follow that logic, looking intently at Hank, as if that would help her understand better. She giggles at the way she might become a spaceship, "Quill can do that! He has thrusters!" She slowly starts to pick on Hank's movement, and while being mostly Hank-skiing for her speed, she finally starts to move her legs as well. While it's clear she's a beginner, and isn't sure what she's doing, she still maintains spectacular balance somehow.

Hank Pym has posed:
Hank Pym lets go of Mantis. "All right, follow me -just the way you're doing it. Little steps and glide longer as you get practice. You have exceptional balance, may I say. Were you born with it or do you train for such things? I mean you are learning much faster than a human would. Do you practice acrobatics or dance or martial arts?"

It's a simple question. His underlying feelings are not simple. There's a deep abiding guilt to Hank Pym. It weighs on him. Even his enjoyment now barely dents it. Equal to his guilt is his resolve. The shards of feelings broken by whatever failures or sins he dwells on are many but he holds them together and slowly is working them out, almost like he's been shattered and is welding these pieces together. Then there is a sudden affection for her tinged with some surprise. He seems like a man who loves deeply but not often.

Mantis has posed:
Mantis nods at Hank's instruction, "I can do it!" She informs him, breeming with confidence. "I do...? Thank you!" She looks a bit confused when he tries to get at the source of it, and shakes her head, "I don't think I do any of those things...and, I wouldn't know if I was born with it. This one is just Mantis."

There's a slight glow nearly visible underneath her Christmas hat, before Mantis suddenly asks, "...why are you so full of guilty? What did you do!?"

Hank Pym has posed:
Hank Pym wonders if it is that obvious but then notes the glow. Aliens.

He'd never shy away if people would call him on it, but no one ever did. He motions her towards the snack stand and orders them hot chocolates before he starts.

"I tried to hurt the best friends I ever had. I broke up my marriage in part by being abusive to the woman I loved. I let another woman I loved talk me into bringing her to a dangerous place and she died. I discovered I am a father, and I am a bad father. I have no idea what my daughter needs and I let others influence her and she does whatever she wants and... I'm afraid she won't come to me when I can help her. Is that enough?" He takes a sip of chocolate.

"More questions? Ask away. Sometimes it is easier to tell a stranger than someone close to you."

Mantis has posed:
Mantis nods as she realizes Hank wants to move aside before answering, and skates along his side towards the snack stand. "That is not what friends do..." Mantis says it in a sing-song manner of a kindergarten teacher, looking shocked at what Hank just admitted to. "Why would you do that to your friend...?" She blinks a few times as he explains, "why were you abusive to someone you love? Abuse is not love. Abuse is hate!" Mantis looks confused, and a bit concerned about Hank, looking at him deeply. "I would not put someone I love at risk, you should apologize to her!" She sighs and murmurs, "...this is something you can fix, if you apologize, own your mistakes...talk to your daughter, admit what you did, say you want to care for her and be a real father. Maybe she'll understand and help you be a better you?"

Hank Pym has posed:
Hank Pym shrugs. "I performed badly on a mission for the Avengers. They were going to discharge me. So... I built a robot to attack them. I knew its weakness you see. I could shrink... I do that... and reach its cut off switch. I told my wife this and she shut the robot down and told the others my plan... I wasn't going to let it hurt them. When she was refusing to go through with it, I verbally abused her."

ank looks into his drink. "As for my daughter it is very complicated. She looks on my ex-wife as a mother. I hate that. I hate that I'm insecure enough to think she likes her best, confides in her more and... she took her familial name. She already said she out to see the world and get use to sharing her I... see... I'm not making excuses but I had an undiagnosed emotional problem that impeded my judgement. It's called Bipolar Disorder... do you understand that term? I swing between manic states and severe depression. I'm working on this now. It's hard but I have to... Nadia has the same condition and I want to help her. Anyway... this condition doesn't excuse what I did. There's my guilt. As for apologizing... I'll consider it."

Mantis has posed:
"Oooo," Mantis seems to take it to heart, a slight glow nearly visible underneath her elf hat, "it is always sad when we perform badly in anything, I am sorry you had to suffer such a fate." But when he continues, Mantis loses her sympathy and looks quite judgemental, "why would you seek to hurt your friends!? That is what bad people do...you don't seem like a bad man, I don't understand."

Mantis screeches when she hears Hank verbally abused his wife, looking a bit distraught, "oh no! No, no, no! You do not abuse your wife, not verbal, not physical, not at all...husband and wife is harmony..." she actually starts shedding tears. She presses her hand right against Hank's heart and the glow under her hat intensifies, "love," she speaks it as a word, and yet, a strong sense of love would emanate from her touch, and unless Hank resists he will start to feel that love washing over him. Not for any one specific person, but to all things, a momentary thing while Mantis maintains her touch, "you should feel love for your wife, for your daughter, not hate...hate is wrong."

Hank Pym has posed:
Hank Pym looks away. "I don't hate my daughter, far from it. I love her and put her before all others, myself included. I don't hate Janet, but she is no longer my wife and she seems happy apart. I did this because I had an undiagnosed sickness. My brain doesn't work properly. I have horrific mood swings. I'm not... I did those things but I was not in my proper mind. I have bipolar disorder. I have it under control now. It made me do bad things. I am trying to make amends. I'm trying to be a good father and a good person, a better person. That's really all I can do. But I still feel badly for what I'd done."

Mantis has posed:
"Good, good, that is good," Mantis brightens at hearing Hank speaks those words, "that is right." She does frown upon hearing Hank is no longer with his wife, "that is sad, when unity is broken...very sad."

"The mind is strong, and so are emotions. It is important to listen to your heart, so you can soothe your mind." The glow underneath her hat fades, and she withdraws her hand. "I thank you for sharing this hurt with me, it is a brave thing to do."

Hank Pym has posed:
Hank Pym still looks away, "I feel like I impose on people if I do, but I feel like it makes me better. Not merely feel better but makes me a better person. But I know in the end... I am in this alone. The Avengers would all jump in the way of an attack to save me but they don't understand this and honestly, I'm not such a great people person apart from the disorder. I'm sorry I upset you; you do bounce back quickly. Thank you. Thank you so much. Do you do hugs? Some aliens don't."

Mantis has posed:
"There is no imposing on people, we all share a limited space, we make do," Mantis explains to the best of her understanding. "We are all alone, but we don't have to be, opening up is a lesson in itself!" Mantis offers a weak smile, before adding, "I was alone, then I found a Master, but after...I found friends. Friends are better to have than a Master." She smiles when told she bounces back fast, "I feel, feeling brings you up and down, but if you feel what everyone feel, it's easier to understand." She extends her hand to embrace Hank, "I do hugs, they are good!"

Hank Pym has posed:
Hank Pym hugs Mantis in return gratefully, and not too tight since she looks so delicate. He makes sure neither will slip. "You do great hugs. Your crew is very lucky to have you aboard. There's all manner of heroes and you are one. Sometimes the bravest thing a person can do is offer help. If you find yourself on Earth again. Know you can count me a friend." He releases her and pats her on the shoulder. "You also make a darlin' elf."

Mantis has posed:
Mantis lowers her gaze and looks a bit sheepish to hear such compliments, as she whispers softly, "...very kind of you to say, Hank, I hope it is true." She nods at Hank once again and offers a wider smile, "next time we're on Earth, I'll look out for you, be well, friend Hank."

She bows witha flourish at the mention she makes a darling elf, "I will keep this costume for the memory then! Thank you!"