[center]Alison nodded as Atticus introduced himself and kept her steps in sync with his own as they descended the staircase to the bunker. Her blonde curls bounced sweetly below her collar bone with each step, and she kept her fingertips just inside the pockets of her warm coat. She noticed a new enthusiasm in Atticus' posture and expression that sparked even more excitement of her own. The two quickly reached the cement floor of the bunker with syncopated footsteps that echoed in the empty space. Ali's fair skin prickled with goose bumps in the cold atmosphere, and she pulled the blue wool tighter around her body in an effort to stop shivering. She gently shouldered Atticus to the left of the staircase as the small, timid boy from upstairs joined the party. 

Ali could see his face better, even with only the faint light from the bulb hanging from the rafters. He was a little dirty, but his eyes were wide with curiosity and a sort of gentleness. [i]He wouldn't harm a fly.[/i] She watched as Logan sheathed his long metallic claws and shifted the authoritative expression on his rugged face. Her head titled slightly to the side with intrigue as she observed what could be a "softer" side to this he-devil. She listened as Kimberly spoke, but kept her eyes focused on Logan's face. The change was unmistakable. Care. Compassion. Understanding. How interesting of a man this, Wolverine, was proving to be. Although Ali was quite eager to learn and marvel the talents of her new acquaintances, she was having an equally entertaining time reading them with her gaze. 

Logan politely addressed the girl, Kimberly, and stepped away from Yukiko to approach the boy standing on Ali's right side. She noticed his body tense with Wolverine's touch and her lips lowered into a sort of frown. Ali, still feeling guilty for her statement earlier, was truly beginning to realize the comforts of her life. Whether having an overprotective and overbearing father was better than establishing your independence in the world was debatable from her standpoint. Snark? Ali thought it a peculiar name for the boy, but she'd heard quite a handful of peculiar names in the past minutes. As Logan stepped back, giving Snark room for demonstration, she noticed his eyes sneak back to Yukiko. Ali looked as well. She was such a quiet girl, regardless of the language barrier, but was surrounded by a sort of serenity. Ali regarded the fondness in Logan's eyes and turned her eyes away, not wanting to interrupt the moment. 

Snark's stuttering was messy and confusing, but Alison gathered that he truly didn't know what his "powers" were. He mentioned he'd been approached by Charles Xavier weeks earlier though, which puzzled Ali. Her light eyebrows furrowed and she pressed her lips together in silent meditation. [i]How can Charles know this boy's power when he himself doesn't even know how he ended up in New York?[/i] She shifted her eyes to Wolverine with Snark's last words, but they quickly met back with the stumbling boy beside her. Ali cautiously stepped towards him and extended her palm. 

"No one is going to shank you or kick you out, Snark. I'm Alison, and although I'm sure it isn't very apparent from my actions earlier, I'm quite protective of those close to me. Literally and figuratively."

She smiled wide and shut her eyes briefly, lowering her palm slowly in case it was not received or welcome.[/center]