Dani Miller

Yep, this was exactly what she needed right now. Just the basic, carnal desire of two people pressed together. It had been...well, it was enough to say that it had been a while. She smiled against his lips, tilting her head to give him full access to her throat. Her arms had snaked around his shoulders, one hand tangling in his dark hair while the other clutched the back of his neck.

"You know, before I ended up at the prison, I would have agreed with you, that relationships, in the romantic sense, are pointless…but that married couple we have…they give me hope. Maybe, we can all learn to live with the shittiness and have fortified and safe communities." he shrugged. "But maybe I’m foolish to think so. But what option do we have? We fight to survive, or we waste away." 

Just before Ian let go of her hand, Dani found herself hoping he would make that first move. Under normal circumstances, before the Turn, Dani would have let the tension sit and definitely would not have considered hooking up with somebody at the first meeting. But things had changed; societal rules were different, and the world demanded more...initiative. Besides, even though he had a point about Ryan, Dani was also reminded that her brother had been begging her to back off a little bit. And as they separated, Dani realized how much she did not want to let him walk away.

"I know people have always been shitty…but maybe your brother and I have it right? Maybe if more people are willing to help each other, we can survive. Being alone sucks. Call me a hopeless romantic, but what I wouldn’t give to have someone curled up in my arms at night. Hell, I even wish I had a dog." He grinned. "Who knows, maybe something can come out of this whole mess. As fucked up as the whole Walmart thing was…there was still a community there. There were rules, there was family and friend bonds, there were neighbors. Same with where I am. We’ve got kids, a loving married couple, an older woman who is one of the best damn field surgeons I swear ever lived…Chaos may have killed the dinosaurs, but I’ll be damned if it kills us." 

Someone curled up in my arms at night...she and Nick had never been a very physically affectionate couple, and Dani prided herself in being a very independent person who didn't need anyone else (except Ryan, but he was her brother. Completely different.) Still, the first couple of months after she and Nick had split had been full of cold, lonely nights, so she could understand what Ian was saying. And the Walmart still had the community; her and Blair, the tireless protectors, Melody the farmer/cook, Ryan the doctor...she may not like to let people too close to her, but Dani had to admit it was nice not to be completely alone. She was too used to having her fellow SEALs next to her to be alright with solitude. "Relationships are a little pointless right now, though I get the community thing. I'm still not sure about the whole 'the world will get better if this ever ends' thing, but to each their own. If that's what helps you get through life, who am I to fuck it up?"

“‘Nuckin Futs.” He said, shaking his head. “I never actually saw the guy, and I wasn’t really anywhere near the insanity either. I stayed in the Walmart, and served as a teacher for the kids. Once I found out what was going on, along with three or four others, we got as much as we could fit in as many suit cases as we could carry, stole bikes, and got the fuck out of there.”  He shrugged. “My being from there is part of why the group I’m with doesn’t trust me completely…though I’ve told them time and again I had nothing to do with that, and never would have. Not to mention, I have never given them any reasons to distrust me since I’ve been there.” He sighed, pulling his line back in.

Dani wanted to tell him that since the Governor had died, things had changed with the Walmart group, because they had. For a while. But she knew how ruthless some of the guys could be - how ruthless she could be, if Ryan wasn't there to balance her out - and wasn't sure how much the situation really had changed. Just the leadership had. At least they weren't as hellbent on the Prison group anymore, though. She found her head shaking as Ian spoke about the pointlessness of killing each other. "Dude, people have been killin' other people without rhyme or reason since long before Biters became a thing. It's just what people do. They don't need a point to it, or logic; there are those who just enjoy it. The human race is chock full of shitty people, and this Turn just made their nature a little more socially acceptable. That's all it is."

Kat managed a small smile at the words, it was nice speaking to someone who got the whole sibling thing. Most people she had spoken to that actually had siblings still alive didn’t quite get it. Being the older sibling with only a younger sibling still alive in this world, it was hard. But it was even harder trying to keep your sibling living a somewhat ‘normal’ life. “Kat, My sister is Samantha, prefers Sam - you’ve probably seen her chatting around and trying to convince people to take her on runs, she’s a bit of a firecracker.” she gave a fond smile, knowing if anything she sounded - soft. It was something people had seen only around her sister. To most she seemed, rough. 

Dani smiled back at Kat, a sympathetic gesture which spoke of the shared trials that came with looking after one's younger sibling. "Well, if she ever gets too incorrigible, send her my way. I'm always headin' out, and I'll look after her." Dani finished cleaning the machete and set it aside, moving to clean and sharpen her throwing knives. "Ryan was at the UC- er, University of Cincinatti - hospital before the turn. I don't really know the steps or whatever for med school, I just know he was good and doin' well. But then everything hit the fan, the world turned into a shit storm, and well..." She let the sentence trail off, as she was more interested in what Kat had said next. "You were military? What branch? I was Navy, stationed at King's Bay until the Turn..."

Between the pain in her leg, having to change the gauze every so often and general bouts of insomnia the past few nights had been hell on Blair, and this past on had been no different. So, instead of laying on a mattress that the homeless would deem uncomfortable and feigning sleep she’d offered to take the night watch for most of it. She couldn’t move around as well as she would like so why not put herself to the work that she would be able to do? She dreaded it though, being stuck in this place while the wound in her leg healed. Hearing foot steps behind her she turns enough to see he person. A smile pulls at her lips when she sees the older Miller coming. Dani was one of the only people here that she could stand, they’d yet to have an argument and for Blair that was almost a miracle. She had a way of rubbing people the wrong way. Not that she cared she was only here because it was the safest place to be for her and her brother. That was something else she figured made her like Dani so much. They were both protecting the only family that they had left. She didn’t know about the other woman, but when it came down to it, she’d choose Spencer of anyone else, even herself.

Dani was lazily stretching out her muscles, preparing her body for the run, as she turned with a smile to the blonde. Blair was something of a kindred spirit, the elder siblings fiercely protecting their younger counterparts, and Dani respected her for that. The brunette got a whiff of the tea as Blair turned around, and Dani suddenly couldn't wait for her run to be over so she could indulge in what passed for breakfast nowadays. She had passed up dinner last night, deciding Ryan needed to eat more than he had been recently. She could go a meal or two without eating, but not without complaint from her stomach. She had just gotten used to ignoring the petulant organ.

"A SEAL? That’s kinda hot." He said before he could stop himself. He took a moment to start to apologize, but didn’t. If she was offended, so be it. He looked down as he began to think how to explain. "My parents, brothers, and sister were at a family reunion in Atlanta when it hit. I checked the hotels they were going to be at, the venues…everything. I took up using a knife because I wanted to get close enough to them to see their faces…I know out of all the Walkers, the odds are slim I’d find someone I knew, but if I took out my baby sister…at least I’d know what happened to her…and I’d rather have one of them put down by someone who loved them. Even at all the places they could’ve and should’ve been…I never saw them. Alive, Walker, or dead." he sighed.

She couldn't help huffing in laughter at Ian's response to her career choice; Dani knew what the idea of men in the military did to most civilian women, so why shouldn't it be true for the opposite sex? But as he continued speaking, recanting his story about his family, the smile slowly dropped. She felt bad for Ian, and she knew a little what that was like - to this day, she and Ryan couldn't be sure what happened to their parents once their paths had split - but that had become the norm for the world. It's why this new world was such shit.

"The theme parks are nice when the tourists aren’t around. I worked at Disney and universal over the summers when in college. The pay sucked, the costumes were terrible, the tourists blew…but I respect people who work there so much more and it’s really changed how I act at theme parks." Ian laughed "Yeah, well, it’s a bit of a hell hole, so you’re not missing a thing. From how everything floods with any amount of rain to the huge homeless population… it sucks. I mean, the different subcultures are cool, and FSU is amazing, but…" he shrugged.

Dani's face split into a reluctant grin as Ian laughed; a sound which was all too contagious. It was surprisingly soothing to watch Ian fish...Dani wasn't used to relaxing when she wasn't in the camp, and the realization that she was letting her guard down caused her to sit up, crossing her arms and legs, then lean her elbows on her knees. If needed, her throwing knives were inches from one hand, her handgun from the other. Of course, her silencer was in her pocket, but that was why she had the blades.

Ian eyed her up quickly as she leaned back. Nice rack. “You’re lucky. I wish I knew where my siblings were…they were in Atlanta, but…I haven’t found them or anyone who has. I just have to hope they survived and are safe, but between how many have died, and just the sheer number of people in the area to begin with, and not knowing where they could have headed…I can’t look for them. I’ll wear myself down.”

Any humor that may have been on Dani's face left her as Ian spoke. She couldn't imagine what she would have done if she hadn't found Ryan after the Turn. "I'm sorry. I probably would have torn Kentucky completely apart if Ryan hadn't been home when I went back." She couldn't help but watch as he cast his line out, her eyes drifting over him. He definitely was attractive, she had to admit. Even though Dani didn't put much importance on dating, or feel like it was worth the time or effort now that everything had fallen apart, she was still female.

Kat spared a small glance back at the other woman, watching as she quickly reassembled the handgun. While she knew how to do that herself, she rarely used the gun she had herself. Everyone had their preferred weapons, hers just happened to be her crossbow. She watched for a moment before pulling out an old knife, reaching back she pulled out a few arrows, inspecting the heads she slowly begins to sharpen the tips, a small smirk appearing as she hears the returned words, “Everyone has a secret or two, if I spill where I get my chocolate stash, there might not be anymore for me right?” 

Dani huffed in laughter as she listened to the blonde. "I guess that's true." She continued listening, suddenly recognizing the sound of a protective sibling, something she knew well about. "Sounds like me and my brother. He always comes first, no matter what. He doe'n't deserve this shit world, he's better than this; I try to make his life as normal as I possibly can." She gave a small smile to the blonde. "Name's Dani, Ryan's the one runnin' around gatherin' strays up and tendin' to people. He was in medical school when the Turn happened. You're kinda new, right?" She didn't know why she was telling the woman all of this, but she didn't see any harm in it. They were in the middle of the camp, and the blonde was bound to see Ryan at some point if she hadn't already. Besides, Dani had always been really proud of what her brother had been achieving before the Turn.

"Thanks." He smiled again. "Well, let’s see if I can’t get a bite." He pulled a spool out of his pocket and unwound a length of fishing line and tied a hook on. "You wouldn’t by any chance have some bait, would you? No?" He twirled the line like a lasso and let it go, soaring over the water. "That’s a pretty distinct accent. Where are you from, if you don’t mind my asking." He looked at her again. She had a cute butt.

Dani shook her head as Ian asked for bait. Why in the hell would she have fishing bait just on her person? The brunette screwed on the top of the water jug and set it aside to grab the second one. She began filling that container before answering Ian's question. "My brother and I came down from Kentucky. We found a group of people, we've got a camp not too far away." There was no way she was going to get more specific than that with a stranger.

"Woah, woah, hey, no need for that." Ian said to the beautiful woman in front of him. His hands were raised to show he meant no harm. "Just out for a walk is all." He slowly made his way to the water, a few feet away from her, still facing her and sat down. He hated feeling so cooped up in the prison, and like he wasn’t contributing, so if there was nothing to do, he’d take a walk. Often, Ian would do his best to help, just to get pushed to the side when someone from the original group came over. 

Dani's eyes followed the guy as he walked to the edge of the water, her arm slowly relaxing down to her side as he sat. His threat had diminished, but she remained silent as he spoke. She was trying to decide if he was worth her time, worth being away from Ryan the extra few minutes, and her choice was made when he flashed that smile. Dani was not one to go weak in the knees at some guy's small effort, but even she had to admit Ian's smirk was pretty enticing.

Kat was on her normal rounds she had taken to doing, while she didn’t have any orders or real need to do it, she had picked it up as a long ago habit, as the sun lowered in the sky and the moon rose. It was always a time where things became quiet, and Kat became on edge. For as long as she could remember it was a sign of things being…uncertain, and since the turn, it simply became worse. 

Dani finished cleaning the last piece of her handgun, and quickly reassembled it in a matter or seconds. Old habits die hard. She put the weapon back in her holster, and turned around to grab her collection of knives which had been piled behind her. She had two switchblades, a handful of throwing knives, and a machete she had taken from a fallen Breather a couple months back. She pulled the blades in front of her, selecting the machete first, and began cleaning the metal. She cocked an eyebrow as the other woman spoke, giving her half a glance before focusing once more on her task. "Oh? How'd you manage to find chocolate that wasn't completely ruined?"