“You are human.”<br/><br/>A sweeter greeting could not await at the end of what was easily, and utterly, one of the most traumatising experiences she’s ever had.  In this lifetime, there were grounds for a few; it was easy to become desensitized by the constant gloom.  In that moment, however, her resolve was all but undone.  From the moment she awoke, her hands tingled with the command to bunch into fists, and a similar one racked through her knees.  If the person before her was not an old woman, swift retribution would be paid through the bridge of her knuckles.  Instead, Dani set her lips into a flat line, and narrowed her eyes at the hag’s knowing, almost mystical, smile.  This was her doing, surely.  The only redeeming factor, aside from shelter and a better shot at freedom, was an end to the torture.<br/><br/>As expected, the hag moved to welcome them in a grand and articulate manner, gathering the five between her and Dani with sweeping gestures and tender words.  Quite unexpectedly, Dani felt a warmth, akin to what a child might feel when wrapped in their parent’s arms, slowly ease the tension from her shoulders.  This Bay Ling had a very calming presence, it was becoming difficult to maintain a dour disposition towards her.<br/><br/>When the next voice sought out their attention, it hammered the hardness back into her spine and posture.  Commanding, authoritative, confident.  Dani had no prior involvements with the military, yet she stood with her chin parallel to the floor, and arms and legs pointed directly down, forming a streamlined silhouette.  In the dusky haze, she squinted to speed up the visual adjustment, and as his visage became clearer, she felt a breath hitch on the sudden awe that followed.  The good Captain was an archetype of outdated, militaristic ideals, probably as old as the antiques lining the surrounding shelves.  He was also very easy on the eye.  This is what ‘Honour’ looked like, Dani decided.  There was a gaping deficit of this where she came from.<br/><br/>As soon as he excused himself, the young woman set the alarm on her watch for 30 minutes prior to the assigned time.  It happened so quickly, some may have noticed the blatant prudence of her act, or that it only took her a couple seconds to do it.  Pastor Will was the extreme opposite of the man who preceded him.  She almost didn’t notice him, yet as soon as she did, he held her interest.  His message wasn’t passed on the points of blunt articulations, but through the sweeping lilt of his voice, which complimented the kind words flowing through his smile perfectly.  When he spoke, the air thickened, and every noise became a soothing melody.  Unlike the other phantoms, this residual feeling - of peacefulness - from the nightmare before was a welcome one.  It felt natural to trust and follow him.<br/><br/>The space allotted to them, even when divided between the six, surpassed her standards tenfold.  With eyes wide and wandering, she took to the bunk directly opposite the entrance, dropped her duffel and gave her new dwelling a long and absorbent gaze.  Its scent was alike a sweet perfume to a nose so used to acidic odours; the type that coated her throat and lungs, so that she tasted it every time she coughed.  That old book musk was fading from memory, as well, putting away the new ones now welded to it.  Grinning without meaning to, she delighted in these simple pleasures; bounced lightly on the firm mattress; ran calloused hands over the soft linen; swung a leg over and sank her head into a meadow synthetic cotton.<br/><br/>A cheery voice cut through the muted rabble and into Dani’s daydream of sitting atop a half-ruined construct at sunset.  She tilted her head forward to investigate, finding a tall, dark-haired woman standing at the centre of the room.  Communication was inevitable in a communal space.  She took in Tabby's figure - rope-like muscles on a lean figure - and let her head fall back once she got over the silvery shade of the woman's eyes.  After a few seconds of roll-call, she raised a hand.<br/><br/>“Dani,” she replied, plain and simple, as per the request.