A grand old adventure in a brand new tradition.

[alonelythought]

The light is so bright that at first Tesla thinks he is having one of his episodes, that the crackling flare of color is in his mind only, but he sees his hand against the light, not through it, as he throws it out in a reflexive bid to break his fall. Muscle memory kicks in then, weeks of practicing with the automaton and testing the limits of the

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[war_rani]

The Rani is not out often. In fact, she's been so locked-down in the basement of the Main Gauche that most of its residents may not know that she exists. But every once in a while she needs to go out, either to collect specimens or dispose of them, or because the biodiversity of the apartment complex tends toward the sort of creatures (i.e. sentient and therefore annoying) she really can't stand

[war_rani]

{{OOC: Cicero in this universe is much closer than it would otherwise be? Yeah, I dunno. But we can't have them stuck in the cab forever. Maybe this cab is just HYPERPOWERED.}}

The cabbie mutters something impolite and goes even faster, taking them shooting toward the Main Gauche. The Rani gives him a bit of a glare, but... not much, comparatively. She kinda glares at everyone and everything.

She's not even going to touch the "mere mortal" thing. Explaining regeneration to any non-Time Lord, even the advanced species, is generally a headache in the making.

"My species is called the Time Lords," she says. "We evolved long before you. From what I can tell we're not co-native to this universe, as humans are." She looks through the windshield as the cabbie pulls into the Main Gauche parking lot, and mutters "Just as stuck, though," as she opens the door.

[alonelythought]

[ The cab has Rift powahz! ]

It must get lonely sometimes, being so displaced." His face is still turned to the glass when he says it, but he looks at her when he adds, "If your people feel loneliness, that is. You are blessed if you do not."

He exits the taxi as carefully as he entered it, then gazes up at what he guesses is their destination. He takes in the blank, windowless walls, the suspicious absence of entrances/exits, and says flatly, "This is an asylum." He wondered, on occasion, if someone would try to commit him to one; he just hadn't imagined it would be a stranger.

[war_rani]

The Rani looks at him for a moment, hands the cabbie a card (don't ask where she got it), and steps out without addressing the issue of loneliness. What she misses isn't her people, it's her research.

"It's a defensive facility," she says. "From what I understand, the political situation is not entirely friendly. "I would not have my laboratory in a place whose access was so strictly controlled."

Specimen 193 hops out after Tesla, looking up at him with very calm eyes. And, really, does he think that they just let the inmates of asylums wander about the streets? Or that a warden would go on about aliens and the like? Or rely on transit for hire? ...it's not clear that the dog has considered all of that, but its eyes suggest it.

The Rani starts toward the fence gate. "Nor do I particularly enjoy the company of insanes," she says, as though she enjoys the company of anyone.

[alonelythought]

He regards the building for a few more uneasy moments. From his vantage point, at least, it looks completely windowless--not a feature he appreciates. "Against whom did the architect hope to defend?"

He looks the dog in the eyes and raises a shoulder. "It was a fair assumption. My enemies are hardly above entrapment. Shall we?" And with that, he follows the dog's owner toward the gate.

[war_rani]

"Angels and political enemies," she says, taking a moment to wonder why he's talking to her dog, a creature she's sure is, even with genetic alteration, the owner of a less-complex mind than his own. She leads him into the courtyard, which is fortunately a sight more friendly. With windows and balconies and a fountain and everything!

None of which the Rani notices or cares about. She opens the door to the south building and steps inside, heading for the stairs.

"There are lodgings on this floor and above," she says. "The rooms I find useful are below ground."

[alonelythought]

Angels. Of course. Why not? Though if they were sworn against the inhabitants of this complex, then that might mean... His footsteps falter as he has a flash of needle-teeth in too-wide mouths snapping a hairsbreadth from his fingers, of leathery wings wafting that terrible rotten meat stench into his face, of the shrill cries that seemed to pierce the core of his brain and brought warm trickles of blood from his ears. Flashes of crackling light, the scent of burnt flesh and sulfur... Then it's over, and Niko can see what is really in front of him again. The Rani is saying something about the underground.

"Mm, yes, of course." His index fingers curl against invisible trigger guards. He'll see about rebuilding his coil guns first.

Tesla turns back to the dog. "If you are not all that you appear to be," he says in what he hopes is too low a tone for the Rani to overhear, "now would be the time to inform me of your true nature."

[war_rani]

The dog looks up at him and shakes is head. Its mouth lolls open into a smile, and it nudges its nose toward Tesla's hand.

Just a dog. A freakishly intelligent, genetically-modified dog, but a dog nonetheless.

Who falls into a flanking position as the Rani leads them through a very nice hallway and into a flight of stairs.

[alonelythought]

"Good doggy." Niko has always been more comfortable around animals than with people. He looks around as they walk deeper into the complex; it isn't the Waldorf-Astoria, but it isn't shabby, and he's lived in far worse.

He clears his throat. "I'm afraid that I will have to live on credit for some time, as I have at present no means of income."

[war_rani]

The Rani shakes her head. "Food and lodging is provided. If you need research materials, there are several people who might potentially function as patrons." She considers briefly ans she leads him into the basement, pausing at the first set of empty, cement-floored rooms

[alonelythought]

Both eyebrows make for his hairline this time. What a terribly generous society. Then again, perhaps this Chicago is more supportive of scientific progress