Who: Annie Wheaton and Psycho Mantis What: Annie pays Mantis a visit. When: A few days following Peter's rescue. Where: Mantis' room Rating: TBD Status: In Progress
Although she couldn't read, write, or speak very well, Annie knew when those she cared about were in trouble. And on those days when she was lucid, she did what she could to help them.
With Peter, it had been a simple matter of finding him and bringing him safely back to the hotel. She'd managed that without too much issue and, now that he was rescued, she set her sights on someone else who was in obvious trouble.
Mantis.
The problem with Mantis - although Annie really couldn't comprehend it very well even on her best days - was that he was always in trouble. She couldn't stop the flow of voices into his mind, couldn't make him stop feeling the pain that came with sensing the emotions of everyone else. His gift was a curse as much as hers was, if not moreso.
However, just because she couldn't help him entirely didn't mean she wasn't going to at least try. She knew that she offered silence around him - something he didn't find many other places (if any at all) - and she knew that maybe that silence would be enough to let him rest, if only for a little while. Needing no further prompting than that, she headed for his room.
Most everyone knew, unless you were invited into Mantis' room, you didn't go there. Most everyone knew he was just as likely to toss you out a window as he was to allow you inside. Most everyone knew that, if you did need to go to his room for whatever reason, you had best knock and wait for him to grant you permission to enter.
Annie, however, was not most everyone. Mantis was in pain. That was all of the invitation she needed. So as soon as she'd reached his door, she simply opened the door and calmly stepped inside.