The Rani strode up the front walk, glancing over her surroundings with a mixture of mild interest and faint disdain. The place appeared to be crawling with blue police boxes
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"Thank you, Dr Harper," the Rani said as she lowered herself into the chair. She crossed one long leg over the other, and leaned back a bit, hooking one elbow over the back of the chair and meeting Owen's gaze squarely. "Or may I address you as Owen?" She eyed him again speculatively. "I do hope sometime you'll indulge me in an explanation of how it is you come to have both."
She laughed softly, giving a faint shrug with the shoulder that wasn't tilted back. "My people are rather fond of titles and honorifics. The Doctor, the Master, the Rani... there's also been the Watcher, the Other, the Magician, the Valeyard, the Inquistor, the War Chief, and, so help me, the Meddling Monk. Among others. My lot's a bit self-important, at times. And our names are bloody near unpronunceable, even among us, let alone your lot trying to wrap their tongues 'round them. Now..."
She smirked, warming to her lecture. "Unlike the Doctor and the Master, I happen to come by my title honestly. It's another term for 'Queen'. I was married to the Raja of Miasmia Goria, and I ruled there for a good many years. I earned the title, it's not just some affectation. I suppose it sort of stuck, even long after my rule had ended."
It stuck, all right. She'd seen to that.
"There are multiple incarnations of the Doctor and the Master hopping about," she went on, and the very put-upon sigh that accompanied that statement made it clear precisely how she felt about that. "That's more or less a medical emergency waiting to happen. So I appreciate your interest in learning more, rather than ignoring us or assuming we're just like you and having at us and mucking things up. It's self-preservation, you realise."
Another smirk flickered across her lips.
"In the very unlikely event that it's me that requires the emergency medical attention, I'd quite like it if you knew what you were doing. So. Where shall we begin?"
"Good question. I suppose it depends on how willing you are to be physically examined." There was a fleeting mischievous glint in Owen's eye, but he was adept at keeping it fairly subtle.
"If it makes you more comfortable, though, we could first start with you just telling me what you believe some of the basic differences between our species are and we can go from there. I'm afraid that I don't have much sophisticated equipment just yet, no state of the art scanners and the like." Owen managed to look a bit sheepish and held up a stethoscope and box of tongue depressors. "Just this sort of thing. And rubber gloves, can't do without those. But I am working on it." He settled back against the table again and folded his arms. It wasn't a defensive posture, just a habit he'd picked up.
"As for why I have two licenses, I was with Torchwood. We were sort of very ad hoc in how we dealt with things. So sometimes I needed to be an armed field agent or driver as well as medic. And yes, you may call me Owen, but what do I get to call you in return?"
"Ah, but you leave out the most sophisticated piece of equipment there is," the Rani noted. Her lips twitched again in a barely-restrained smirk; she let a very playfully pregnant pause pass before she leaned forward slightly, darting the tip of her tongue out to wet her lips.
"...A scientist is only as good as his mind."
What, did you think she meant to suggest something else?
"The fact that you sought out this information at all is encouraging. I may be willing to allow an examination. After all... the best research is empirical. Hands-on, if you will."
She let the smirk spread across her lips, buying herself a moment to consider what he'd said about Torchwood, her expression giving nothing away. She decided not to mention her friendship with Ianto, not just yet. Not until she'd had a chance to speak with Ianto and warn him, as a courtesy. They had rather been carrying on with their adventures behind his colleagues' backs; there was no knowing how one of them might take that information.
She gave another little shrug, a bit of warmth creeping into her smile. (Which, for her, wasn't saying much.) "'Rani' has become as much name as title. That will suffice. So, let us begin. The single biggest anatomical difference between mine and yours is that we have a bicardial circulatory system. That's certainly something very vital to keep in mind when providing emergency medical care."
"I tend to prefer empirical research myself. I find the 'hands on' approach much more fulfilling on the whole." Owen responded, amused by the Rani's playful manner. She really was quite something. But he knew that she was also an unknown quantity, and often the most dangerous predators were the ones most attractive to the eye. Perhaps seduction was her kick.
Didn't hurt to play along though, did it?
Clearly she was used to ordering people about and getting her own way. But Owen wasn't offended by her casually imperious tone. In fact, he found it a bit of a turn on. Not that he was in the market or anything.
At the mention of a bicardial circulatory system, Owen donned his stethoscope and stepped closer. "May I?"
"You may. One moment--let me make this easier on us both."
The Rani uncurled from her slouch, and rose from the chair, crossing over to the examination table and hopping up on it. She sat up straight, legs dangling over the side, and she swept her hair back to get it out of the way.
"One heart is where you'd expect to find it on a human," she explained. "The other you will find on the other side, mirror-image to the first. Rather like the lungs--speaking of which, that's another important difference. We have a respiratory bypass system we may rely on in times of extreme need. It allows us to recycle oxygen in our bodies, keep ourselves going for a bit until it becomes available again."
She eyed Owen as he stepped closer. "You will probably also notice that I'll feel cool to the touch. That's normal for us. Our core body temperature is about fifteen, sixteen degrees by your Celsius scale. Whenever I touch one of you, you always feel as if you're burning up."
Owen listened to the Rani intently, cataloguing away the information as he proceeded to study her chest. He blew on the bell of the stethoscope before applying it to her skin in the hopes of warming it a bit.
Despite his earlier flirtation, his examination was delicate and as unintrusive of her person as possible.
"Fascinating. So I presume your blood is similar in properties to our own, with oxygenating hemoglobin? I'd like to draw a sample if you're up for that. Might also pay to think about having some back up supplies in case of severe blood loss, presuming you can bleed to death like the rest of us. Do you have different blood types?" He kept his voice light in tone despite the subject matter.
"How long can you survive if one heart is stopped or irrevocably damaged? Are there any severe allergies or susceptibility to toxins or medications I should know about? Sorry, I'm barraging you with questions and not waiting for an answer." His half-smile was just a bit sheepish. "Usually I'm dissecting aliens and studying them under a scanner or microscope. I don't usually get to ask them what's what. In fact, on the whole, my experience has been with dealing with hostiles, not...allies."
She laughed softly, giving a faint shrug with the shoulder that wasn't tilted back. "My people are rather fond of titles and honorifics. The Doctor, the Master, the Rani... there's also been the Watcher, the Other, the Magician, the Valeyard, the Inquistor, the War Chief, and, so help me, the Meddling Monk. Among others. My lot's a bit self-important, at times. And our names are bloody near unpronunceable, even among us, let alone your lot trying to wrap their tongues 'round them. Now..."
She smirked, warming to her lecture. "Unlike the Doctor and the Master, I happen to come by my title honestly. It's another term for 'Queen'. I was married to the Raja of Miasmia Goria, and I ruled there for a good many years. I earned the title, it's not just some affectation. I suppose it sort of stuck, even long after my rule had ended."
It stuck, all right. She'd seen to that.
"There are multiple incarnations of the Doctor and the Master hopping about," she went on, and the very put-upon sigh that accompanied that statement made it clear precisely how she felt about that. "That's more or less a medical emergency waiting to happen. So I appreciate your interest in learning more, rather than ignoring us or assuming we're just like you and having at us and mucking things up. It's self-preservation, you realise."
Another smirk flickered across her lips.
"In the very unlikely event that it's me that requires the emergency medical attention, I'd quite like it if you knew what you were doing. So. Where shall we begin?"
Reply
"If it makes you more comfortable, though, we could first start with you just telling me what you believe some of the basic differences between our species are and we can go from there. I'm afraid that I don't have much sophisticated equipment just yet, no state of the art scanners and the like." Owen managed to look a bit sheepish and held up a stethoscope and box of tongue depressors. "Just this sort of thing. And rubber gloves, can't do without those. But I am working on it." He settled back against the table again and folded his arms. It wasn't a defensive posture, just a habit he'd picked up.
"As for why I have two licenses, I was with Torchwood. We were sort of very ad hoc in how we dealt with things. So sometimes I needed to be an armed field agent or driver as well as medic. And yes, you may call me Owen, but what do I get to call you in return?"
Reply
"...A scientist is only as good as his mind."
What, did you think she meant to suggest something else?
"The fact that you sought out this information at all is encouraging. I may be willing to allow an examination. After all... the best research is empirical. Hands-on, if you will."
She let the smirk spread across her lips, buying herself a moment to consider what he'd said about Torchwood, her expression giving nothing away. She decided not to mention her friendship with Ianto, not just yet. Not until she'd had a chance to speak with Ianto and warn him, as a courtesy. They had rather been carrying on with their adventures behind his colleagues' backs; there was no knowing how one of them might take that information.
She gave another little shrug, a bit of warmth creeping into her smile. (Which, for her, wasn't saying much.) "'Rani' has become as much name as title. That will suffice. So, let us begin. The single biggest anatomical difference between mine and yours is that we have a bicardial circulatory system. That's certainly something very vital to keep in mind when providing emergency medical care."
Reply
Didn't hurt to play along though, did it?
Clearly she was used to ordering people about and getting her own way. But Owen wasn't offended by her casually imperious tone. In fact, he found it a bit of a turn on. Not that he was in the market or anything.
At the mention of a bicardial circulatory system, Owen donned his stethoscope and stepped closer. "May I?"
Reply
The Rani uncurled from her slouch, and rose from the chair, crossing over to the examination table and hopping up on it. She sat up straight, legs dangling over the side, and she swept her hair back to get it out of the way.
"One heart is where you'd expect to find it on a human," she explained. "The other you will find on the other side, mirror-image to the first. Rather like the lungs--speaking of which, that's another important difference. We have a respiratory bypass system we may rely on in times of extreme need. It allows us to recycle oxygen in our bodies, keep ourselves going for a bit until it becomes available again."
She eyed Owen as he stepped closer. "You will probably also notice that I'll feel cool to the touch. That's normal for us. Our core body temperature is about fifteen, sixteen degrees by your Celsius scale. Whenever I touch one of you, you always feel as if you're burning up."
Reply
Despite his earlier flirtation, his examination was delicate and as unintrusive of her person as possible.
"Fascinating. So I presume your blood is similar in properties to our own, with oxygenating hemoglobin? I'd like to draw a sample if you're up for that. Might also pay to think about having some back up supplies in case of severe blood loss, presuming you can bleed to death like the rest of us. Do you have different blood types?" He kept his voice light in tone despite the subject matter.
"How long can you survive if one heart is stopped or irrevocably damaged? Are there any severe allergies or susceptibility to toxins or medications I should know about? Sorry, I'm barraging you with questions and not waiting for an answer." His half-smile was just a bit sheepish. "Usually I'm dissecting aliens and studying them under a scanner or microscope. I don't usually get to ask them what's what. In fact, on the whole, my experience has been with dealing with hostiles, not...allies."
Reply
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