There were few places in the city that could compare to Central Park. Aleksandr had been living in New York for several years since moving to the States and he was still madly in love with the greenery and even the other park-goers, though to a lesser extent. There was just something about being out in nature among the green spaces that made him feel better. It was good for the heart and the soul. The opportunity to people watch was just a bonus, really.

Since the Rift had opened up he'd found that there were fewer people visiting the park and those that did seemed to be mostly trying to keep to themselves. He could understand that for the most part. Finding out there was a whole other dimension or something sitting right on top of their own was enough to send anyone's head spinning. It certainly hadn't stopped him from enjoying himself, though. On the contrary, it gave him an excellent excuse to get out more often before the cold really began to set in and the absence of the normal Park crowds meant more space for him to stretch out in.

And stretch he did. He'd found a nice, sunny patch of grass near a smaller pond and had wasted little time in unfolding to his full length and sprawling across the warm grass. He rested his chin on his folded arms and heaved a contented sigh. The ducks and geese gave him a wide berth, as did some passerbys, but that was just fine with him. It was a shame they wouldn't come to appreciate him up close, but he was just a gorgeous from a distance and it didn't stop him from entertaining himself by watching them scurry past. Not everyone could appreciate beauty like his, but he wasn't one to deprive them of the opportunity to try anyway.

After about fifteen minutes of trying to do his Calculus homework, Ricky came to the realization that he needed to do something else, anything else, at least for a little while. A walk around the city would be nice, or even a run. Yeah, definitely a run. That always helped him clear his head.

Without giving it a second thought, he stood up from his desk, slipped on his favorite pair of running shoes and shuffled out of his dorm-room. He kept his head down, trying not to focus on anything else but the front door as he walked through the hallway, down the stairs, and out the door. The last thing he wanted was a conversation. Not that he didn’t like his hallmates... Now was just not the time.

A smile rose to Ricky’s face as soon as he stepped outside. Instantly, whatever shred of guilt he felt about putting off his student responsibilities disappeared as he took in the sun’s warmth and a deep breath of fresh air. “Ah..” It’s way too nice of a day to be doing homework, anyway, he thought to himself before breaking into a light jog.

Block after block, the varsity soccer player ran faster and faster, breathing in through his nose and out through his mouth, but he couldn’t stop thinking about that little gold pill that temporarily gave him mutant powers last weekend. Sure, the effects lasted way longer than those of any other recreational drug he knew of, but it still wasn’t enough. He wanted the effects to last forever. He wanted to be a...

MUTANT!

Ricky stumbled to a halt, his eyes widening in a mixture of surprise and fear upon seeing what looked like a snake-man hybrid lying on its back in the middle of Central Park.

What the hell is it doing? Ricky wondered, narrowing his eyes suspiciously at the dangerous mutant as he walked along the outskirts of the pond area to get a closer look. He could feel his heart racing as he drew closer, and not just because he had sprinted for more than a mile non-stop.

Is it... sunbathing? Are you fucking kidding me?

Furrowing his brow, Ricky glanced around the park and spotted, unsurprisingly, a few frightened faces in the distance. Not many, but it was all the evidence Ricky needed to take action. Refusing to let mutants walk all over him and the entire human race, he balled his hands into angry fists and strutted up to the damn thing with as much bravery as he could muster. His chin up and his chest puffed out, he shouted, “Get outta here, mutie! We don't want you here! Shoo!"

With barely a cloud in the sky the sunlight felt amazing. It had lost the intensity of the summer heat, but it hadn't quite slipped fully into the cold light that lasted throughout the winter. The heat lamps and space heaters back at his apartment just couldn't compare. There was no truly satisfying artificial replacement for the real thing. It was going to be a difficult few months until the warmth returned again in the spring. He might just have to laze around until sunset to make the most of the day.

Aleksandr was just starting to doze off under the warmth when he felt the distinct vibrations of feet stomping closer quickly followed by someone demanding that he leave. He first opened one eye lazily, locating the shoes of the angry individual before rolling onto his back and stretching, lavishing in the feeling of a warmer patch of grass that the movement had found. "I was not seeing a humans only sign on the gate," he replied languidly, opening his other eye to gaze calmly up at the unhappy face of his new acquaintance. Being accosted out in public was nothing new for Aleksandr and he'd long since gotten used to the hostility of some strangers. Mostly it was entertaining and just a little bit sad.

"Is not very polite to be shouting at people," he continued, slowly beginning to curl his tail up under himself and sitting up so he could recline against the coils. "You will be bothering the other people in the park." At the very least the kid would start turning heads and drawing attention. The snake man was used to attracting attention, but when someone started to get aggressive that was when things tended to get a little dicey. Most people tended to put their heads back down and ignore confrontations, but there were always a few nosy people that tried to escalate the situation in one way or another. As long as at least one of them remained calm then hopefully they'd be left alone.