Aleksandr had decided he wanted to do a bit of sight seeing to get to know the city that was now his new home a little better. He had already explored a good deal of Central Park while seeking out a nice place to sunbathe, and most of the stores that lined the city streets had proven to be off limits to him. It didn't particularly bother him that so many shop keepers became anxious with a giant reptilian individual slinking along their stacks of merchandise. He did have a habit of accidentally brushing against things a little too roughly and dropping or breaking whatever fell off the racks and shelves anyhow. In any case, he'd rather be outside instead of in some stuffy shop.

The zoo had finally landed itself on the top of his list. Sure it could be crowded, but in a place where people had come to see exotic animals, he might not stick out as much as usual. He might even be seen as an attraction himself. Others might see this as demeaning, but to Aleksandr it was somewhat flattering. The animals kept in the zoo were admired by the majority of the crowds that came to see them. In turn he, too, would be viewed with admiration of some kind. With a mutation like his, he deserved to be seen.

On a less vain note, he just liked animals and he at least knew that the zoo housed a generously sized reptile house which he was very interested in visiting. Ever since the manifestation of his mutation he had been devouring whatever knowledge he could find on reptiles, snakes in particular. Seeing them in person was always more interesting than reading lines of text about them. Perhaps he could even find a way to wriggle his way into a few of the open enclosures. It was probably foolish to try and do so, but it would prove to be amusing in any case.

Unfortunately, the Reptile House was further toward the back of the zoo's property, leaving him with the necessity of weaving his way through the other enclosures and the crowds of visitors in order to reach it. He remained calm, though, rather than becoming intimidated by the task. In this case it would just leave him out in the open longer and give him a chance to bask in both the sun and the attention from those he passed by.

There was a method to his route of travel, however. Over the past few years he'd begun to notice certain patterns in animals he interacted with. As he moved through the crowd he kept one eye on the signs that helped to direct people from exhibit to exhibit. He smiled pridefully to those that would pause and stare and occasionally gave a wink and a flicker of the tongue to any particularly fetching young female as he slid past.

The animals only shared enough of his attention so he could be sure he was traveling through the paths that ran between enclosures for predators. Prey animals tended to become skittish as he slithered past and he didn't want to upset and entire section of the zoo should the animals decide that he was the one threat existing within the milling human crowd. He could relax a little bit more once he was among his fellow reptiles.

What drove a man with a touch of danger into a zoo? Was he deranged to go where so many people were at once? No. In fact, he had a very good reason to be here, among all the people, faceless dolls, that shuffled their feet just to get to the next exhibit, see the next animal in a bubble of space that was surely as alien as the displays in themselves were. Great care had been taken to make the cages, for they were still cages after all, appear to have a lightened about them, that belied their being. No freedom here. At all. Even the visitors were caged by signs in multitude and different gonoing pathways that had names like "reptiles delight" or "Meet your greatest fears" deliciously stupid. He permitted himself to smile at them. And then start what he had come here to do.

What was why he had come? A very personal training session. For both parts of his power. Well just one actually, but he called this training anyways. Moving along with the crowd, predicting their movements, every single ones and the movements of the whole body of people, it required a great deal of attention and concentration, experience and expertise. And some deal of time manipulation. He could do all of that. Not everything on the list well, but it should certainly be enough for this training.

His eyes darted about as he stood amongst the dolls in slow motion. Let the games begin. Dodging training of the other kind. They touch, you loose, they suspect, you loose. Get to the other side of the zoo without anyone ever suspecting you were different. Use your powers without being noticed. It was so much a second nature to him, but the gate that had already been flooded with people had announced its challenge. This was different then anything he had done lately. Much more daring. Challenge. A fight with himself.

Attack from the right, a father had to evade a grandmothers wheelchair and jumped into his path. Nothing new and unpredictable there. Nothing interesting in it. He would have to find bigger targets, or rather, a denser crowd to train in. Rushing along with the stream of bodies, he came to an enclosure where some animal baby was being tended to. And this one drew a lot of attention. Smiling children were rushing about in erratic patterns. Their even more erratic parents following with a mix of predictable steps and sudden leaps if their object of attention got too far away from him. Some of them had green clothes on. They looked like frogs. A little.

But back to the problem of people in his way. This crowd was a little more then what he had bargained for indeed. They were just too many to get through. Curse that -he found the note on the cage- Ozelot for having children. How could a reproducing animal make him fail lie that?. These were standing tightly stuffed one against the other, elbows meeting. Now it was either turn around and go or loose the game indeed. When he was about to turn though, there washed a sudden wave of sighs through the crowd. Or what he percieved to be sighs. Hey might have been hisses or even screams in the real world. Not his. Puppets remain calm. But even in his present state he was not quite sure from whence it came. Only the reaction was quite imminent. People rushed away, after their youths. And some directly at Martin. Oh no. They were his last thoughts, before he stepped back. Removing his feet from the ground, he found himself standing on something sleek and distinctly un-groundlike. The dolls were turning now. Spinning. dancing. In an unseen net. He felt that he had lost. Dang.

Things had been progressing smoothly enough thus far. One good thing about Aleksandr's appearances was that crowds tended to part for him once the individuals within it realized he was there. At times it was a shame to ruin some potential fun, but mostly it was a convenience that he greatly appreciated. It was so much easier to glide down a sidewalk without the threat of people treading all over his long tail. And the effect of parting a crowd did wonders for his ego.

Things had been progressing smoothly enough thus far until he hit a sudden snag in his route of travel, that is. Apparently sticking to the predator exhibits had been a mistake. One such enclosure had drawn a very large gathering of people, effectively clogging the pathway and making it near impossible for passerbys to get through the mass of bodies. This crowd hardly paid him any mind, their collective attention focused almost entirely on whatever it was that was housed within the enclosure.

It was rather vexing. He didn't really want to change course and venture through parts of the zoo that held more skittish animals. And the path he was on would be the quickest one to his destination. A ridiculous sensation of envy crept up within him at the though that some ordinary animal was gaining more attention that his own exotic self. Certainly he was more interesting than some big cat, and Ocelot from what he was able to gather. They could see the overgrown kitten any day of the week. Surely he was more of a rarity. His inflated ego was slowly bruising.

However, in benefit of his easily injured pride, those individuals with rowdy children could not allow too much attention to drift toward the exhibit for fear that their kids would slip out of sight. The few parents that allowed their child to wander a short distance from them were the first to notice the reptilian individual that had come to a halt a short distance from the rest of the crowd. It didn't take long for a murmur to begin rippling through the onlookers. Parents didn't like their kids playing around large, freely roaming reptiles.

A humored grin quickly spread across his features at the looks some of the guardians were casting in his direction, followed by his tongue sliding from between his lips to reach it's full length and flicker a few times before disappearing into his mouth again. Apparently there were a few people in the crowd who were afraid of snakes, as was made evident by their sudden recoiling.

With the growing amounts of attention he was quickly receiving, Aleksandr fell back into motion, casually slithering his way closer to the tightly packed crowd in hopes that they would move out of his way now that they knew he was there. He hadn't quite anticipated the mild thrills of panic that followed his easy approach.

Kids were scooped up and parents scrambled to get them out of the way of the snake-man. Attempts to clear room lead to minor pushing and shoving as the already packed group of people attempted to compress themselves even more. People didn't function well when the felt even mildly threatened and that their backs were to some kind of wall. He simply looked at them quizzically as he tried to pass by, occasionally giving a smile as well, though it didn't seem to do any good in easing the growing tension.

Then suddenly and without warning a shooting pain shot up a short length of his generous spine. His advance halted as suddenly as the pain had emerged, his more human half swinging around so he could locate the source of his discomfort. A grimace decorated his features, showing off some of his dangerously pointing fangs and a hiss worked its way out of his throat. The sudden movement and shift in his features effectively startled a number of people in the crowd who also jump-started into movements of their own as they worked to get away from the suddenly hostile-seeming reptilian.

It took a moment for him to locate what it was that was hurting him, or rather who it was. With the sudden rush of bodies, the offending individual sort of melted into the background. Wanting to avoid the rushing humans around him, he quickly curled his body in on itself to minimize his size as much as possible, bringing his bulk toward the pinned portion of his tail. Someone had pinned his poor scaled flesh beneath his booted feet. "Excuse me sir, but that's me you're standing on," he protested, lifting that section of his tail from the ground a little in hopes of making the stranger's footing a little unsteady. It was tempting to try and knock him completely off balance in hopes he'd fall to the ground, but in such a hectic crowd, perhaps the young man really hadn't noticed. Aleksandr could be somewhat courteous for the time being.

He closed his eyes for -a second, eternity?- to assess the current situation adequatly without having too much distraction. Standing in darkness now, he concentrated on his other senses, to see if they could reveal a way out of his miserable predicamnt. First came the sense of touch.He was standing on something that was not the usual gravel or asphalt of the roads. If felt distinctly different. Interestingly different in fact, so tha he even considerately moved his boot a little to accomodate himself better on the newfound resting place. It was only then that the sound of an angered animal reached his ears. Hearing was second it seemed. Snakelike. Angry. Immedeately the hairs on his arms shot into an upright position as the sound dhivered, slithered through him. Over his skin. Crawled under his skin to take something different out. Animalic instincts. Metallic tastes filled his mouth. Third. And he wasnt the only one. People started running all around him, sound blasting in his ears now, as he concluded sharply that it might be a good thing to open his eyes once more. Fourth came vision.

A pandemonium had erupted all areound him, people running, scraming, bumping into each other, taking no care whatsoever as where they went to or hom they hrmed. It was a display of a wild animalistic side, that humans too great care to avoid. In his cage the ozelot was hissing. People were running. It was mindless. So stupid. So human maybe. He wanted to run with them so badly. Even if his eyes had not located the source of their discomfort yet. He wanted to run. He could not run. He was standing there, looking bewilderedly at the masses of flesh around him that were shoving and touching. And he was sweating quite profoundly. Keepin your personal animal in check was work after all. People moving. So warm the skin. So colorful the clothing. He was still standing as a snake man entered his field of view.

And the snake spoke.

It had fangs.

And a tail.

Quite prettily large fangs indeed.

He was standing on the tail.

Not. Good.

His world started wobbling as his foothold suddenly turned into a piece of living flesh. Moving flesh. But the people were still running. Hadnt the snake just spoken? To him? Large fangs indeed. Thinking, staying, he moved from the uncomfortable position of moving ground to unmoving body, as he stopped to catch a mental breath. Stopped himself. No hes not gonna eat you. Hes not gonna bite you. Hes not gonna hurt you. The snake had come to the garden to play, had it not?

But he was quite sure that he would be an indigestible bit of flesh. Not that he was proud of that fact. But this snake had just found something on its tail that was quite a mouthful. "Im profoundly sorry, but you will have to bear with me for yet another second." And his accent was there again as he spoke the words that would be befitting any tea party. He had seen all kinds of strange things. This would be another one. But when would the surprises ever end?

It was only after the last people had left the immediate vicinity, that he stepped doen from the body and nodded to the snake-man. Still in mind the teeth that had been shown to him beofre he stated. "You got nice....fangs." His hand went up to cover his mouth even as the words escaped him. How stupid! Dont talk to rattlesnakes. They bite.

Aleksandr continued to observe the unknown individual uncomfortably, if not somewhat curiously, as people skirted around and away from them. This was by far the largest commotion he'd stirred in a while, and yet he spared very little attention in order to observe the mass exit. It would have been a difficult task to do so anyhow, when a section of his tail had a pair of feet digging into it. Really, couldn't humans distribute their weight a little more evenly? It hurt to have the young man's weight shifting rapidly from one foot to the next and leaning this way or that as he sought to keep his balance.

The apology wasn't entirely unexpected, but it was appreciated none the less. What was a bit of a surprise was the fact that the unknown individual requested another moment's patience and remained on his scaled perch. Most people would have scrambled to get away from the snake-man as soon as they'd realized their error. How unusual, and also interesting.

It was a mild struggle to remain still for as long as it took until the young man removed himself. He couldn't help but shift once or twice in a normal reaction to escape discomfort, but only ended up regretting it. Every time his flesh moved, the stranger was forced to renegotiate his balance, shifting weight to different portions of his feet, making the weight even more uncomfortable.

The grimace that remained on his features as well as the hiss slowly escaping from his throat only seemed to help in dispersing the crowd more quickly, something he was soon grateful for as the young man finally stepped down onto the pavement. Almost immediately Aleksandr shifted his tail away from the stranger, giving him some more room to move around in while the ache in the snake mutant's flesh had a moment to dull down.

The look of discomfort faded and the hissing died away as he readjusted his body, shifting to face the young man a little more comfortably. Only briefly his gaze swept across their surroundings, noting how utterly deserted it had become in such a short time. Had that been what the humanoid had been waiting for? His words drew Aleksandr's attention back to him.

Nice fangs, was it? An amused grin broke out across his features accompanied by a low chuckle as the stranger's hand abruptly slapped over his mouth."Nice slip of the tongue," he replied, his own forked tongue momentarily flickering out in good humor. "Do not worry, my friend. It is not often that I bite. You are quite safe. But even with this worry, you did not run with the rest of the humans. Might I ask why?" It wasn't that he minded that the stranger hadn't fled. He was simply curious.

While he was already planning for ways out of the vicinity of the snake, including, but not excluding the jump into the nearest predatory anoimals den, when he found the snake to speak again. Quite polite actually. And he had seen his discomfort at his visualization of his own body being gulped down that throat. Something that had yet come to be realized. Adn if it was him who had any say in it, then the answer would be no. Those teeth, they were interesting things indeed. And he had a forked tounge. And manners. A thing that he held in high regard, especially when coming from a snake, so he was inclined to not jump into a blind date with his nearest furry companion-to-be and settled on keeping the snake company.

His body, which had been quite tense, visibly realxed, as the snakes words were spoken. He refelxively looked around to see whether anyone had escaped his watch before, only to find that that had not been the case. Very good. Now he could not only sppeak freely -or rather as free as he liked to speak to strangers with tails, any strangers really for that matter- even if they had allowed him to stand on them. And not taken a bite out of him. Really good manners indeed.

"Thank you for allowing me to intrude of your appendage. Please excuse my first words. They were soken in surprise." Something was happening here that was quite ridiculous. But he couldnt laugh about it. He was just talking to a giant snake in a zoo. And he was as polite as he could be. Just another mask. Calm. Dignified. Almost British one could say, if it were not for the hint of something foreign in his voice. A small price to pay for safety from the mob indeed. Fangs? He rather cordially made his statements and then continued with the actual conversation. " And thank you a third time for not... biting." Was the thin line of a mouth really curving a little? Was the man smiling? Had he just made a joke? "Your instincts are quite sharp. I happen to work at a school for people with special abilities." The thin line widened into an actual smile this time. " I daresay that there is few forms of mutation that surprise me." Many. Some. All. Liar? Speaking he started to walk a few steps from where he was standing. Just a little offer. Walk with me? Slither?

Aleksandr continued to watch in curiosity as the man shifted, regarded him with apparent caution, seemed to be fixated with his mouth, and finally visibly relaxed. The snake man wasn't entirely unused to such reactions. Most people grew more than a little tense in his presence, particularly the females. Snakes didn't exactly have a very good reputation, especially when it came to biting. He assumed this was why the young man seemed to be staring so intensely at his mouth. Just wait until his primary fangs were extended. That was bound to surprise the stranger even more. If there was need to do so, that is. The serpentine individual didn't make a habit of scaring everyone off in such a fashion.

"You are not the first to have said such things. Not many are comfortable around snakes," he replied, attempting to shift into a less threatening position in an attempt to put the young man a little more at ease. Slowly he crossed his arms and lowered his upper body so that it was just about in line with the other male's height, rather than looking down on him. People tended to relax around creatures that were their size, or even a little smaller.

The next words out of the man's mouth intrigued him. What did he mean by a school for 'people with special abilities'? He had attended school at one point, before he'd begun turning into the creature he now was. Was school much different in New York? It sounded like special people had school all their own. Were they much different from schools that normal people attended?

And then the word 'mutation'. A few dots connected in the snake man's head. Were there many mutants here as well? He'd certainly known about the numbers recorded in the Registration Act, but had such numbers remained in New York afterward? He'd have though things like mutant schools would have been closed down or abandoned. Apparently the Registration hadn't scared many into hiding for very long.

As the other man began to step away, Aleksandr slowly began to follow without really thinking about the action. His attention had sufficiently been drawn away from the animals and the crowds he'd come to observe. "I assume you are a mutant, too?" he questioned, moving to fall in step with the young man, so to speak. "Please, tell me more about this school."

Slow steps led them, carefully monitored steps, down the dusty path, deeper into the bowels of the zoo whence the stampede of humans had already preceded them. It might not have been the smartest of ideas, but it would take them on the normal routes, which were now quite deserted, no person showing their face. Their human faces so much like his own. Except maybe that in the steely glitter of his eyes there might be found something that was unlike anything to be expected in a person of his age, a person of their nature. It was not to be measured, but in the depths of these eyes, there was an abnormal cold looking at the snake man, beyond every warm feeling, beyond even the hardiest of emotions there was something dangerous an animal would recognize. It was sleeping now that they were comfortably alone, he comfortably distant to the snake. The relaxation even increased, his step acquiring something that was almost like a stride. Dignified masks were fun.

Only that his steps stopped for a second, faltered, only to be renewed, reborn with a greater vigor then before, palingenesis at its best. The actor-gardener, chronomancer, many names he was called, he decided not to give an answer to the first question. Was it not obvious that he was different? Was it not obvious that he was so normal it was abnormal? The spell of suburbian homes he could lay about himself in a way that was a tranquilizer stronger then anything a doctor might proscribe. It was one for the eyes, the soul not for the body. And it was effective in a way, though by far not perfect. It was too perfect sometimes indeed.

Therefore his voice, accompanied by mild gestures of the hands started to recount what his employer gave out in official data about the school, that which was known to most people anyways. And maybe a little more. "It is called Xavier's Sister School for Gifted Youngsters... They call it a gift, because it sounds better I think." Because that is what some people believe it is. Is it untrue? "It is a School here in New York dedicated to teaching rather special..." another one of the words... he disliked. "people of almost all age groups. Anyone can find a place to stay there and education if they wish. All free of charge and of certified quality." Sounds so good, doesn't it? "The School is also the headquarters of a Mutant Group that is known as the X-Men. They are dedicated to Human-Mutant understanding." Here his voice became quite blank, his eyes closed for a second. No way to tell his feelings about mutant suffrage. Or human suffrage. It all depended on the viewpoint, did it not?

His slow steps were leading them to the reptile houses entrance, where there were cool shadows and brightly illuminated windows. And maybe something moving in the shadows?

Aleksandr continued to glide along next to his newest acquaintance, remaining silent in speech and very nearly silent in movement, with the exception of the unique sound of scales sliding over loose sprinklings of dirt across the cement walking path. He did note the slightly more confident air that entered the young man's stride, but didn't comment on such trivial things. It simply meant the young man was growing a little more comfortable in the reptilian individual's presence, even if he did keep a short distance away. At least he wasn't so concerned with being bitten anymore.

As they progressed, he couldn't help but take note of the directional signs set out for the zoo visitors, trying to make sure he wouldn't get all turned around while following after the biped. Much to his surprise they were heading in the direction of the reptile house, which had been his initial destination when he'd first arrived. It was a pleasant surprise, but he wouldn't allow himself to believe that was where they were bound to end up. There were still other exhibits to visit once the reptile house was passed. The young man could very well have been looking for a path that would lead them to the Zoo's exit.

As the stranger's voice permeated the air once more, the snake man's attention was once again drawn to the bipedal individual. The signs were almost completely forgotten as he tried to absorb all the information that was offered. He didn't want to end up forgetting something that he might need to recall at a later date.

So this school was more than just a school, was it? Living quarters for all ages available, and all of it for free. It almost sounded too good to be true. Perhaps it was the X-Men that were the catch? The young man sounded as if he had a distaste for certain things, certain words that elicited a slight shift in tone of voice. Perhaps the School wasn't all it was cracked up to be? Human-Mutant understanding certainly sounded like a noble enough cause. He supposed he wouldn't truly know unless he exposed himself to such individuals.

"I assume that you are resident for School for the Gifted?" he inquired, turning away from the young man briefly to take stock of where they'd ended up while he'd been distracted by previous answer. He was delighted to see the entrance of the reptile house falling into their path, but he wouldn't let it distract him from the conversation at hand."What is it like there? You have given me overall description, and is very helpful. But what is the building like? And the people there, are they a friendly people? Is a good place to live?"

The Entrance to the dark was something that lay before them almost ominously, the shadows gripping outward. He stepped in with some curiosity, not regarding the small crystal mirrors looking into different universes, containing pictures of rainforest and steppe, and always some cold-blooded animal or two that sometimes lay hidden, visible only to him or the otherwise concentrated onlooker, invisible sometimes in plain sight, for their bodies were covered in scales and fur, in hair and bone, but interested in the reaction of his reptilian companion. How would he react to see his genetic kin imprisoned and laid out for all to see that had the eyes to catch them... Would he be angry or hateful, interested or afraid? It was a game of judging he played here, of pretense and of half-truths. It was a dangerous game, but not once did he have to lie to his new companion. It was just that their truths might differ. They would differ in a way. And before he would give his away, he wanted to know as much as he could about the snake.

His blue gaze lay once more upon the reptile in the dim light, trying to pry from the shadows the reactions of his body to the uncommon environment, the slightly warm and musky air was damp with the water of the many cages around them, as ever so lightly his voice began to mix with the sounds of his slithering and the tapping of his footsteps. "not only am I a resident of the Mansion that houses the School, but also the groundskeeper and gardener." Taking care of flora was... satisfying. They waxed and waned according to the phases of the moon, the rays of the sun ever so slightly tingling in their smell, the smell of the earth of humus and humin, of knowledge that came with being invisible in flowerbeds. It was mostly the latter that kept him at his job.

He stopped at one of the many botany pictures that hung on the wall behind a sheet of glass. The sign besides it announced, that behind the crystal wall, in its own little universe there lived an anaconda. He turned away from the snake to the other snake and watched its lazy movements on the branch of a small tree. "The people are very friendly and helpful...." minus me that is and minus for anyone that doesn't fit their view of the world "there are many smaller kids around that make a lot of noise. It often smells like a bakery, because the cook is just doing her job very well and the education is supposedly famous. You just have to put up with a little bit of moral preaching here and there. Its a price thats easily paid I think."

With that he fell silent and turned around. From afar there were footsteps to be heard.

Apparently Aleksandr's assumption of the path they were on was a safe one to make. He was pleased to find that the young man didn't veer off course as they approached the reptile exhibit, but instead appeared to be quite content in entering the building that housed the creatures. He was interested in seeing what this zoo had to offer in this particular exhibit.

The atmosphere within the Reptile House was wonderful, albeit a little dark. Warm, moist, quiet. All it was missing was some sunlight. The concrete beneath his scales was a little cooler than he would have liked, but it wasn't unbearable. The artificial habitats that lay behind glass were enough of a distraction that he could almost fully ignore the coolness beneath him.

Quietly he listened as the biped spoke to answer his questions again, absently tapping a claw lightly against the glass of the closest enclosure containing a snake of particularly exotic coloration. He wasn't exactly expecting any kind of reaction from the creature behind the glass. It had to be used to people pressing their noses against it and banging on the transparent wall, that it likely wouldn't care anymore.

It was kind of sad to think of it. He always had possessed mixed feelings about reptile exhibits, and most likely other exhibits by extent. He personally didn't mind people staring at him and whispering about him all day long whenever he passed. He wouldn't particularly care to be put behind glass, though. The reptiles they kept most certainly deserved to be admired, but he wasn't so sure that it should be done while they were enclosed. It was a difficult deliberation to make.

So the School wasn't just a school, but instead an entire Mansion. That was a lot of property for the self-proclaimed gardener and grounds keeper to care for. However, it sounded like a marvelous task to undertake. Outside in the sun all day long. He wasn't particularly good at growing flowers or gardens, but basking out in the sunlight was something he did excellently.

Children and noise he could deal with, to an extent. The little ones tended to be very curious creatures. Most of them, anyhow, particularly the ones that didn't possess parents that warned them away from scaled creatures. If they weren't frightened of him, they were tolerably interested. Some of them got a little too rough, if they were bold enough to get close, but he was always careful to be cautious around them. Little humans were very fragile.

"It sounds like nice place to live. I can handle some moral preaching. In my country, there were many rallies and debates about mutants and humans. There was much moral turmoil. I think a school, or Mansion, would be very tame to compare with," he replied as he moved slowly from one pane of glass to the next, examining the creatures behind them.

The footsteps didn't quite register as significant in the reptilian individual's mind until he realized that his bipedal acquaintance was standing still. Taking the equivalent of a step back from the terrarium he was currently examining, he turned to locate the source of the sound. He should have expected a visit from one of the zoo's employees. He just hadn't quite thought that it would be one of the higher-ups. Usually they'd send someone from the maintenance crew, or even the police. Companies didn't exactly like it when someone whipped their customers into a stampede.

The look on the man's face was rather amusing. Apparently it wasn't every day that a giant snake creature wandered through his establishment. Aleksandr simply stood, casually crossed his arms and flicked his tongue out in the man's direction. He shouldn't pose and kind of large threat. As far as he knew, zoo personnel didn't carry around guns or anything to that effect. "The police have been notified of the disturbance you caused," the man called, seemingly unwilling to enter the exhibit any further than he already had. "I have to ask you both to leave immediately."

Instead of gracing his rather youthful companion - after all there had been more then discussions about mutant rights in his life - he turned to the approaching steps silently. Their echo sounded hollow in the tubular reptile houses showroom. Expectantly his eyes flashed in the darkness, two steel blue jewels, cold somehow, dissecting, clawing at the shadowy surroundings. Silent were his movements, an echo themselves of predators approaching, of ripping muscles, flesh apart as he turned, just to find his care unwarranted. The man wearing a shirt of the zoo making, bearing its logo on the chest, was barely a threat to both of them. If he could even have handled one of them alone. A person whose muscles had atrophied due to continuous disuse. A person with the strength of paragraphs and paperwork, the strength of a new age. A desk-knight at best, suit with impeccable folds looking almost new, bearing the emblem of the company in whose territory they had entered when they bought the ticket for this establishment. Good sir knight was not amused by this odd pair of individuals.

He was furious to be exact, only tight rules and regulations keeping him from exploding in the customers faces. A bit of saliva left his mouth as he spoke with somewhat raised volume though. He made no effort to reduce his volume. It was quite clear that he did want to do more...so much more. But was afraid, his eyes telling the story of his surrender to normality a long time ago. Good for him. The thought was relieved. Martin was relieved.

Even as he spoke, loudly, voice raised, the young man made his way up to him, his steps creating but only vibrations in the ground and soft, muffled sounds, almost inaudible, eyes transfixed on something beyond him, looking through the administrator as he walked. The knight was not quite sure what to make of him, the ghostlike apparition that traversed - beside the snake of course – his dominion. He looked normal after all, ordinary in a way that did not stand out. Maybe it was just that. Or the calm that was around him. The youths voice spoke, slightly tinged with an accent from beyond. A ghost speaking. Human tongues. “It is not our concern if stupid people react like animals and flee on sighting a mutant.” The voice could have been angry, disappointed, cold. It could have. But it was not. It barred any emotion from entering into its rhythm. “In fact I'm quite sure that there is no basis for any action on your part besides your own customers bigotry.” The offensive words were uttered with the same calm as the ones before, eyes watching calmly the would-be hero. “not that I think you're any better.” He said with a daring look at the fresh folds of the mans attire. “If you don't want people who are different around here, you should just try putting up one of those signs around the entrance.”

It was...a rant. Somehow Martin managed to deliver it in an utterly polite tone, voice neither raised nor too low to be inaudible. It was a discussion over tea. Martin had just done something quite unusual. A rant. Really. Those children in his rosebeds would have to watch out in the next few days.

Aleksandr allowed his gaze to slide between the zoo's employee and his current companion as the latter fell into motion, appearing to have a plan to approach the former. He stayed put for the time being, believing that his own advance would only further aggravate the employee. He's already sent a whole mob of people into a frenzy. Approaching someone that seemed unwilling to put himself any closer to the snake man than he already was would likely be a bad idea. And while zoo personnel may not have held gun, they could still easily conceal something like pepper spray, or perhaps a tazer of some sort, neither of which he wanted to experience first-hand.

The threat of police involvement was also a concern. Though he doubted they could fit even the majority of him into the back of a police cruiser. He wasn't so sure they didn't have a van large enough to tote him back to the station. And, appearing more animal than man, they may very well deem it necessary to use a sedative of some sort. He would much rather remain conscious, and out of their hands entirely. He imagined a jail cell would be terribly cramped.

The snake mutant kept an eye more on the smartly dressed employee as his newest acquaintance began to speak. He couldn't help but smirk a little as the young man's small speech progressed. He certainly had a point or two. There was nothing posted saying that mutants couldn't enter the zoo, and it was a well known fact that not every mutant looked human. They weren't exactly a new phenomenon in the world, so why would it elicit the reaction that it did? There wasn't much cause for it.

Very slowly and carefully, he fell into motion, gracefully sliding into a position to the side and slightly behind he acquaintance. He would stand behind this young man for now. The sudden dispersal of the crowd had been his fault, after all. He was not intending to intimidate, merely to remind the employee that he had more than one individual to deal with, if he decided he wanted to become a little bolder.

It didn't seem as if it's be much of an issue. While the man didn't step back, he did appear to shrink a little. Curiously the snake mutant's tongue flickered out, eliciting a displeased expression. Too much cologne, sir. "Is not my fault that people are easily frightened. People come to zoo to see animals. I am more animal in looks. So why would they act like they did? They are the ones to blame," Aleksandr commented, just now feeling a small prick to his pride at the thought that people might find him less attractive and worthy of their admiration that common animals. Surely he was more than that.

His gaze turned from the man in the doorway to the habitat beyond the doorway. Was that the faint sound of sirens he could hear? Or was it his anticipation of such vehicles kick starting his imagination? The employee seemed to straighten back up a little, as if the thought of reinforcement strengthened his spine, so perhaps he wasn't imagining things. "Signs are of no importance right now. You have cost us money with this little incident, and it could be weeks before we get a decent crowd back. I'm only going to say it one more time. You are both to leave immediately."

The snake was at his back, his neck exposed. He could feel it slither in a way, see the frightened reflection, the heavy gulp of air, that the knight had to swallow, to allow him to stand before them, frightened as he was, not a small feat. He might afterward suffer from his hyperventilation, bur right now, there were different matters. Things of importance. His lips moved, exhaling the preciously recruited molecular warriors again, throwing them at him in an attempt to....start a fight?`There was a snake backing him up. Hopefully. Martin had to blink once or twice at the man, his confusion about the words he spoke utterly obvious, before it changed, shifted away from the looks of a maybe confused youth, socially confused, socially acceptable, toward the darker end of the spectrum of acceptable, drifting away from being social, from being nice. He had a snake at his back, whose intentions he could but guess and before him a desk knight talking about signs. About reading.

Cold steel blue. His color. Motionless, emotionless, he stood there, before the administrator, breathless, whose thoughts probably were counting down the minutes to the arrival of the police, counting on them as he was counting down. His voice finally held the cold touch of winter, the emotional detachment comparable to swatting something unpleasant. Look mom I killed the fly. Finally. "You talk and talk about signs. You had better read the ones I sent you." So cold, cutting edges, snowflakes falling, opening the wounds Only time could heal, all time would need. The eyes of the man, white tinged slightly yellow by the turning of the hands of clocks, the grabbing, touching movement. Goodnight good knight. Dream of me. Fear me not. Read the signs. His back was still exposed to the fangs of the snake. It was a minor issue. A tactical advantage here. He moved forward. Stepped to the self-proclaimed judge. Who stepped back at his advance. Advancing he really was, quick steps, movement forward, cutting off his route of escape, catching him between the two of them. One looked dangerous. The other was. Which way might he choose? Martin made it a little easier for the frightened man, having circled around him, now at his back, he turning steadily, as to keep the two of them in his view simultaneously, simul trying to understand his situation. It was not a good one. Blue eyes blinked not. Forget me not. A memory. Reminder. Remainder of what he was.

His hands were quick as a snake catching prey, rushing, extending, catching prey. The shiny armor was falling way. Sweat and fear smelled bitter to him, as he fixed the office-er in position, both facing Alexandr one scared, the other not. The knight was shaking. For what reason? Martin still had his gloves on, feeling the tension of muscles through the leather. If he just was not so scared, he might hit him. "Other people would send different signs you know?" His voice was a whisper.

And winter vanished.

"I don't think hes worth our time." He announced to the snake, as he turned around to leave the place, where mutants had none. Held no standing whatsoever. "A trip to the park maybe?" He started walking. Briskly. And left a man with shaking knees. A shaken mind?

Aleksandr had fallen back into complete stillness, watching the two individuals with a sort of amused casualness, a small grin tugging at the corners of his mouth. The human in the doorway wasn't any threat. He was all talk, with no action of his own to back it up. He'd wait for the police to do the work. If he had meant to act, he'd have done it by now. The failing attempt at threatening professionalism was kind of funny. If the young man that had accompanied the snake individual was still unnerved by his fangs, even after the assurance that he would not bite, the zoo employee was most likely twice as nervous, and it was beginning to show through his effort to remain calm.

He remained perfectly still as his companion fell back into motion, closing the distance that remained separating the employee from the mutant pair. The scaled mutant remained calm an seemingly unconcerned, even as his newest acquaintance seemed to be sizing him up along with the desk knight. Was he still so uncertain of the reptilian individual's motives? Not that it particularly mattered for the time being. He knew he didn't exactly have the most welcoming of appearances. But there were more important matters to attend to at the moment.

"I always enjoy strolling in park," he replied, surprised that his companion turned to leave so quickly, particularly after laying hands on the employee. He'd been expecting something a little more climactic. Mutants tended to be a bit more volatile than that. Not that he particularly minded. He didn't really care to be involved in any violence for the time being.

Casually he began moving again, sliding back through the corridor and past the desk knight, unable to resist allowing the side of his scaled tail to brush against the man as he passed, the widest part of his body reaching the approximate height of the man's knees. He even gave the man a teasing pat on the head. He could have sworn the employee was on the verge of fainting.

"How do you plan on getting around police force? They might already be at front gate," he questioned, quickly moving to fall into pace with the bipedal male. "It might also be troublesome to get to the park. I do not blend well with people on the street."