When she didn't answer right away, Atticus looked over at her, noticing how her blond curls seemed to frame the profile of her face like satin curtains, and saw that she seemed to be lost in thought, her blue eyes almost misted over. Perhaps she had been here before and this place was bringing back memories? Or maybe she didn't know where she was at all and had gotten lost. He realized that he had assumed she was here for the same reason he was, and so had spoken without thinking or considering the situation. Next time he would have to be more cautious, though he suspected he had little to fear from this girl. Eventually she seemed to snap out of her hazy-eyed trance, and she turned towards him with a start.

Atticus stood there sheepishly as she flailed for the right words, regret on his features, for he had not intended to startle her. [i]Dammit, Atticus, don't blow this. You're gonna scare her away.[/i] Now that she had her full attention on him and he could see her face properly, he noticed that she was very pretty, and he found himself hoping there would be more like her. She was totally not what he envisioned when he pictured what other mutants must be like, if in fact she was here for the same reason he was. He mentally shook himself, and the regret was replaced by an expression of faint amusement as he watched her flounder, and a grin broke out on his face as he raised an eyebrow at her sarcastic question.

"Excuse? I was invited to come here. You mean to tell me you weren't? That hardly seems likely." His eyes were fully on her, scrutinizing her and watching for a telling reaction or change in her body language to suggest she was hiding something. It was then that he noticed the hand in her pocket, clutching something tightly. A weapon, perhaps? He cursed himself for not noticing it sooner as his muscles tightened instinctively, and he almost lowered into a fighting stance, but stopped himself and straightened. If she meant him harm, he'd have been completely taken by surprise. But he hadn't been, and that counted for something. Reading people was something he'd been good at for many years now. However, he was usually careful to keep what he noticed to himself, since it tended to put others ill at ease. Which was something he was even more certain of happening if he had escalated the situation by preparing for a fight. He told himself he needed to stop being so twitchy and paranoid and learn to trust people as he awaited her reply, fully expecting her to flounder again as he realized the accusatory tone he had taken with his question, or perhaps become defensive. He braced himself for the latter.