[center][h3][color=#CC99CC][i]Nikolas Augustine[/i][/color][/h3][/center]
Touring the school with the first years gave Nikolas a much-needed break, and he braced himself as they returned to the auditorium. Since he had been isolated for most of his life - his parents believing that since they could afford tutors for any subject, they should hire them all - the telepath was still building a tolerance to being around others. It was easy enough to [i]look[/i] like he was well-adjusted, his self-assurance helping greatly, but when it came to his empathy, it was a hurdle he'd yet to overcome. That was why he had pushed for a third year at the Academy; the more he was exposed to, the better he could manage it. Aside from gaining a reputation as a snake charmer, he was also known as a charmer in general; Nikolas found himself flirting with most of his peers that were over eighteen.

No longer as overwhelmed as he'd been during the opening ceremony, the blonde scanned the auditorium with both his eyes and his mind, looking for someone to speak with. He'd get a feel for the first years later, see how many of them were afraid of snakes or particularly gullible, but for right now a nice conversation seemed like a good decision. He picked up on several interesting emotional spikes, but one held his interest, and after weaving through his peers a bit, he found the source. Mason, a fellow blonde, but significantly shorter than his six foot frame. Nikolas had met him before, while Medusa had been out of his shirt, and he knew Mason couldn't stand her. Smirking confidently to himself, he unbuttoned his sleeves and rolled them up to show that his snake wasn't there. At least, not anymore. She'd settled at his back on his waistline, curled up for a nice morning nap.

[color=#CC99CC]"Mason! Causing a scene?"[/color] Nikolas teased the young man as he approached. [color=#CC99CC]"It's only the first day! You're supposed to lull everyone into a false sense of security before you do that."[/color]