Hello again, repeated disclaimer incoming
Arknights is property of Yostar, I do not own any of it.
Any correlation or reference to real people and events is purely coincidental, unless it is historical and/or current events, in which case do not take it as hard fact even if it is.
The rest of the ride was, interesting, to put it mildly. Swire kept pulling out books and looking through them briefly, very focused on something. She even took long stares at Evan when she thought he wasn't looking. Revealing the whole, other world thing, she was surprisingly calm about it. She only asked a scant few questions about the books she picked out of the box and placed them down gently.
Evan resigned himself to drinking some of the gin that Swire had opened. After making a simple Gin and Tonic, he stared at the sight ahead while looking at some of the books. "Odd how well she's taking this, but I guess it makes sense since she was one of the few who saw me come out of that light." Evan thought to himself with a sip.
After a brief glance outside, Swire placed all the books back in the box and shut it. Evan looked out to see a skyscraper many, many stories high. The limo parked outside the reception and Evan moved towards his box, only to have Swire pick it up, giving him a strange look once she had it in her hands. Both of them walked out of the car in silence and upon walking to the doors, they simply slid open.
Once inside, Evan stared at the lobby. The floor was made of polished marble and there was a rather artistic fountain that seemed to be one of those abstract sculptures made of metal rods and sheets except out of a shiny polished metal. Swire walked over to the next door, and Evan noticed the person at the desk gave a somewhat intrigued look to the two. Once they were at the door, Swire pulled out an ID card from her purse and swiped it. A clicking sound later and the door unlocked, leading to a hallway with roughly five elevators.
With a press of the call button, the third one opened and they stepped inside. The tiger lady then pressed one of the highest buttons and a long elevator ride ensued. Naturally, since they were alone in the elevator, an awkward atmosphere could be felt until Swire spoke up.
"So, what's your world like?"
Evan took a moment to think. He certainly had his opinions about his world, but he doubted Swire cared much. Really, he had no idea what Swire was like. Sure, he's seen many different sides of her in a short time, but he couldn't really say he knew her. So when she asked that broad question, he drew a blank and responded with another question.
"What do you want to know?"
Swire looked up a little bit in thought then responded, "You mentioned something about a country named England, particularly that it had a Victorian Era. What's that country like?"
The elevator dinged.
"I've never been to England, and the Victorian Era of that country ended over a hundred years ago. But they definitely had some strange ideas on things like social behavior."
Swire chuffed a little in amusement.
Both walked out of the elevator and made their way down the hall where a single door sat. A camera light blinked by it, and Swire took out a set of keys from her purse, and one key went to the door where a click was heard.
With a turn of the knob, a truly wonderful sight. A large main room with various decorations stood before him with the outer wall being all glass. A polished wooden floor stood out, and a single downward step led to an open living area where a set of furniture sat in front of what Evan could only assume to be a television. Somewhere between a stair set and the living area was a glass panel sliding water down the room, creating a pleasant sound. To the right, there was a kitchen area with a door that led into a pantry of sorts, and there was even a little bar-like counter area between the kitchen and the main area. Plants also dotted the household, and there were enough of them that the air quality really felt different.
"Normally I don't have people over, much less overnight," Swire casually remarked as she stepped further in, and placed the box down between the down step to the living area and the main portion. She turned around and gave an exaggerated pose to the rest of the apartment complex and said with great enthusiasm, "But tonight I'll make an exception. You are an important investigation, and not to mention my new assistant, so tonight you have the privilege of staying in my apartment."
While he had to admit, the lady knew how to say things in the moment, Evan still couldn't brush the unease of her excessive pride. However, despite clearly being a rich lady with unhealthy pride, even he had to admit she was rather surprisingly good. She had given him a place to stay and was offering him a job essentially. No matter how he looked at the eccentric person before him, it was clear that she cared in some regard.
"Much appreciated Miss Swire," Evan said with a nod before walking in further. Almost as soon as he reached his box, he felt something knot in his stomach. Soon after that a large growling was heard from it, and hunger began to take hold. He looked to the tiger lady, and it was clear from her expression that she had heard his stomach. She then walked off wordlessly towards the kitchen area while pulling her phone out and hastily dialed a number.
After reaching the bar counter, she opened a binder type book and flipped through it some, placing her finger on certain items, as though she was making an order as she quietly spoke to whoever was on the phone. Evan sighed and bent down to his box of books and picked up a large academic text. Of course, he could pick up one of the novels, but he had planned to take a look at this before his flight.
Carrying it over to what Evan presumed to be a dining table, he took a seat and opened it. Scrolling over contents which were mostly about various forms of energy production. Yes, it was a text on methods humans harnessed energy, at least in his old world. Who knows, maybe he could do something with this knowledge here, but he was really just curious about something. Once he found it though, the sound of a chair sliding was heard, and Evan looked to see Swire sitting down nearby, looking at his book with some curiosity.
"What are you reading there?"
"A text on energy production."
Swire's face shifted a little before she responded, "Oh, so are you an Originium Researcher of sorts?"
Evan looked up and asked something that made Swire's eyes nearly bulge out of her sockets, "What's originium?"
"Y-You're joking...right?" she asked, clearly bewildered at Evan's answer. When Evan shook his head she looked back at the book. "How do you produce power then?"
Evan then looked at her and said, "There are many methods. You see…"
"What the hell? What is he talking about? Conservation of energy? Oil can be used that way?! Whoa, whoa, magnets do that? What is the photovoltaic effect?" Swire thought throughout the one sided conversation. She began feeling dizzy after a while. "Just how many different methods of producing energy does his world have? This is way over my head…"
"Then there's one of my favorite, n-"
Evan was suddenly cut off by the door suddenly opening. With it, there was a cart with a large array of food that looked like it belonged in a five star restaurant, and a single bottle of wine could be seen along with a pair of wine glasses. Almost as soon as the person appeared, Swire took the opportunity to get out of Evan's lecture.
"Thank you, Sebastion."
"Just doing my duty Miss," the butler replied with a bow.
"Sebastion...how original," Evan thought as he looked at the butler. Oddly enough, the butler had some head feathers on his head which kind of reminded Evan of an Ox Pecker. "That's ironic. An Ox Pecker butler."
The table was set, and wine was poured. Sebastion gave his leave and Evan could say with certainty that his first meal in this new world was fantastic indeed.
He walked down the aisle of a plane, his backpack slung over his shoulder. It was a peculiar backpack, as it had a solar panel on it. A really bad solar panel. It only worked in direct sunlight, and it only charged things at half the speed of a regular outlet. Yet, it was one of the last gifts he had been given to from his mother.
Window seats were always nice, and he was glad he was lucky enough to get one. The familiar feeling soon took hold during take off, an increase in G-forces which made his body feel slightly heavier as the plane took off.
Evan opened one of his novels for the flight, and after a shockingly short while, some turbulence appeared. Evan looked up to see the plane suddenly empty, and he began feeling lighter and lighter until he was practically floating. Warning signs and oxygen masks came down, and he looked out the window to see a swirling mass of black clouds glowing a deep, sinister red and barren landscape closing in onto the plane.
"Oh god no!" Evan screamed as he sat up. Feeling cushions and covers being subconsciously drawn to him. A small ticking of a nearby clock answered him in the darkness, and he looked around. He was in a surprisingly large bedroom, filled with some fancy decorations.
"What was that dream? Why...was it so vivid? I rarely get lucid dreams. Why can I remember each and every detail?"
Evan shuddered at the feeling of his impending death in the dream world. It wasn't the first time he experienced that feeling of the world threatening to just cease. A few calm breaths and he felt better.
Suddenly, footsteps could be heard outside and the door flung open and lights came on. "What's going on in here?!" A female voice shouted as Evan shielded his eyes from the incoming light flooding his room. It didn't take long for his pupils to shrink and adjust to the light, and when he did open them he saw Swire standing in the doorway in some very fancy looking silk pajamas with what could only be described as a bladed chain yoyo of death. She looked at him, then gave a brief sigh before giving him an annoyed stare.
"What was that about? Why did you scream at five thirty in the morning?"
Evan got up, yesterday's clothes still on and stared at the ground. "A bad dream…" he said, getting up and walking out.
"Where are you going?" the grumpy tiger lady asked as she followed him downstairs, leaving her weapon by the door. She watched as he walked down the stairs, with a seemingly hollow gait and walked to the kitchen area.
"Coffee."
He then started looking around, all confused.
"What a helpless imbecile," Swire thought to herself as she walked down. She really didn't want to get up now, but she would be a bad host if she didn't help him out. Once she walked over, she pulled out some small cups of espresso and pulled some milk out of the fridge. She then walked over to a small machine and pulled out its water container. She filled it up and inserted the little container of espresso, turning it on. She then poured the milk into a sort of mixer and it began stirring it up.
She looked to her awakened guest and saw he was sitting at the counter, looking down in some kind of thoughtful state.
"Do you want to talk about it?"
Evan looked up in surprise, Swire gave a small sigh and rubbed her head which was rather wild and clearly suffering from bedhead. It looked nothing like he had seen it yesterday. The humming of the espresso machine stopped, and she poured his stuff into a mug before starting one for herself.
"If you don't want to talk about it, that's fine. But will this become a nightly occurrence?"
"I don't know," Evan responded. "I don't usually have lucid dreams, but that one felt almost...real. I didn't feel in control, and I felt fully conscious. When I woke up, I had a feeling like I was about to die."
"Hmmm," Swire hummed as she mixed up her makeshift latte. After she took a sip, she looked at him gingerly pulling the cup to his mouth. "So long as it doesn't become a regular problem, it's fine. If it does happen again, just try not to scream. I thought you were in some kind of danger."
"Alright," Evan casually responded before finishing his cup and standing up to place it by the sink. "Thank you."
Swire gave a 'humph' before sipping her own latte. Evan then walked away to the living room area and grabbed a paperback book before sitting down.
"So that's why you look so awful," Ch'en commented to Swire as they sat in her office.
"Can it," Swire responded swiftly. Ch'en sighed and placed her coffee down, pulling out some papers from her desk and handing them to Swire. "What is this?" She asked while picking them up.
"The test results from the tests we did on him."
"Why would I want to look at the result of his piss cup?"
"Look at the Originium tests," Ch'en replied, pulling the coffee back up to her mouth.
"Yeah, it's…" Swire began until she read the number. "What in the name of-" She looked at Ch'en. "This can't be right."
"Yet, it's the results," Ch'en responded with a cool voice. "And given what you've told me, perhaps not surprising if we believe what you've said."
"What do you want to do about it?" Swire asked, surprisingly calm. Ch'en then shoved a newspaper over, showing a specific article.
Mysterious Anomaly in Lungmen's Streets
Yesterday, witnesses reported a flash of white light from which a mysterious white car appeared and crashed into another in Lungmen's Commerical District. Suspect was taken in by the L.G.D., no information about the situation was given.
Swire stopped reading and looked at Ch'en with an odd expression. "Why are you showing me this?"
"We need to do something about him. I've sent a report of what was found last night to Chief Wei. It's already been agreed on to send another sample to some experts, but until we get those results back, probably tomorrow, Evan Carvey is to be under strict supervision while I discuss with Wei what to do with him."
"You're not going to detain him, are you?" Swire asked with a low voice.
"No, I'll file another report based on what you've just told me, but don't expect to have him around for long. I don't know how this is going to go. As it stands, he's a man with no background, citizenship of any kind anywhere, and we don't know what his intentions are."
Swire stood up and leaned over the table. "Don't act like I don't understand the situation," she growled in a low voice. "But it seems clear to me that, just like always, you're the one who doesn't want to cooperate."
Ch'en's brow furrowed. The two stared at each other for a good long while. The room's air practically stagnated as some kind of ferocious energy born of an ancient rivalry threatened to explode, all it would take was even the smallest spark, and they would be at each other's throats.
The door opened, and a tall figure with long green hair barged into the room. "Ch'en, Chief Wei has-"
The oni woman stopped when she saw Swire's butt in the air and tail higher, her hands on Ch'en's desk and a fierce look on both their faces. "I can't believe you two…"
Swire sat down silently and Ch'en's focus turned to Hoshiguma.
"What does Chief Wei want?"
"Read it for yourself," Hoshiguma said, handing the file to Ch'en. Swire huffed in annoyance, as though the decision to have Ch'en read it excluded her from the situation. When she saw the stamp on the file though, her anger shifted to curiosity.
"Alright, send some undercover detectives to look into it. After that, we'll make our move."
Ch'en handed the file back to Hoshiguma who left the room, looking back cautiously at the two. The door shut, and the air returned to an unsteady stagnant stare off. It didn't last long though, and Ch'en shot the first question.
"So, what would you propose?"
"Have him tell us what the evidence is, he didn't seem to have anything to hide when I asked," Swire responded with one eye open. "It's not going to do you any good sitting in here all day, brooding over this mysterious stranger."
The Superintendent gave a hefty sigh and sat back in her chair looking up at the ceiling. As much as she hated to admit it, Swire did get results. Everyone at the department also knew why. Swire was a team player. She'll work with whoever she needs to for the job to get done. Besides, it was also objectively right. What was sitting in her office all day, worrying going to do when the suspect was cooperative?
"Fine, just get out of here. I'll call him in once my other duties are finished," Ch'en agreed. The chair moved, and the door slammed shut. Finally, some peace and quiet. She then slipped the report under her current stack to remind herself. "Looks like I could be leaving late again…"
"Hey Mr. Assistant, I could use some coffee over here," one of the LGD officers called to Evan in a rather demeaning voice. Just great, as soon as Swire leaves, he's getting hazed by the officers. Well, it probably didn't help that Swire treated him more like an errand boy than anything he could think of for the word assistant.
"Fine…" Evan said in a defeated tone as he walked towards the desk the communal coffee machine sat. He poured a cup and set it down on the officer's desk.
"Heh, thanks," the officer replied before taking a drink. Evan was well on his way back when a sound of disgust was heard behind him. "Hey, this is black coffee!"
"You didn't specify," Evan retorted flatly with a tone that screamed 'I don't have time for this bull'. Some of the other officers snickered like a collection of school kids. "If I remember, your exact words were: 'I could use some coffee over here' not 'Could I get some coffee with cream and sugar'."
The officer grunted and sipped down his black coffee, his animal face scrunching in disgust somehow. That was another thing Evan noticed, some people had basically no human characteristics apart from being bipedal and having opposable thumbs. Most appeared to have a few animal characteristics, but there were quite a few with few human characteristics as well. "What kind of evolutionary...you know what, never mind. Why do I even bother asking?"
"Alright, back to work all of you," Swire's voice boomed. Everyone immediately had a shift in posture and work speed. That's when the tigress herself walked into the lobby and eyed everyone. She looked over to Evan and began marching over. Evan was a little concerned by her gait, but that was dissipated when she just strolled right by him and sat down.
"Take these files to inspection. Down the hall, go up the stairs two floors, and then the left door before the armored one at the end," Swire said while giving a bundle of papers to Evan. He of course, took them and followed her directions. After a short stroll, Evan opened the door with the strange characters above it.
"Inspection…" he muttered to himself while observing the sign. Oddly, it had roughly the same number of 'characters' as English on a small tile below what appeared to be Chinese characters. Both were of equal size, even though the one that barely looked like he could understand was under what appeared to be Chinese characters.
"Yes, this is inspection," a smooth voice sounded behind him suddenly. Evan turned around and looked up to see a single eye poking out of an incredibly long set of green hair, with the eye only being freed by a single horn.
"Ah...Hoshiguma, right?" Evan asked while handing the papers to Hoshiguma.
"Correct," she said while taking the papers and glossing over them. "Thanks to you, Ch'en was pretty quick to compensate for lost time last night."
"Oh," Evan sounded then scratched the back of his head. "Sorry…"
A light chuckle was heard from Hoshiguma. Evan looked up in confusion. Once she stopped she replied, "Oh, it's fine. It was quite easy to get her to sleep once she was drunk. It's not often I get to carry her home, and even less often when she falls asleep halfway there."
The image of the cold and serious Ch'en Evan remembered fell apart in an instant as the image of this incredibly tall oni lady carrying Ch'en filled his mind. It was quite an entertaining thought as he wondered how Ch'en might act while drunk. Before he knew it, a small snicker escaped him. Once he looked up, Hoshiguma looked at him with a small smile before thanking him and entering the door.
The rest of the day, Evan found himself continuing to run various but simple errands for Swire. Not that it really mattered, but it was rather tedious. It was a bunch of small fetch quests, and he had even been handed a glob of LMD to go get lunch from a specific store. He was rather surprised to find she had left enough for two meals and ordered some for himself. When Evan returned, the tigress was still hard at work, and he kind of felt inspired by it. For all her wealth and hubris, she was a hard worker and a generous person. It was enough to get him inspired to work through the afternoon.
Author's Notes:
So, two things. Evan's time in Lungmen is going to be brief, so apologies if this seems a little rushed. I did go through Swire's Archive, and honestly she, to me at least, seems straightforward, positive, and cooperative. Obviously, this isn't going to be the last we see of her, but I did want a nice foothold established with Swire and Ch'en before Evan leaves Lungmen for Rhodes Island.
Honestly, the only trouble I'm having is with how to write The Doctor in the near future. I know what I want to do with other characters, but Mr. Insert-Name-Here is challenging. FYI, Chernobog has not fallen, and The Doctor has not lost their memory...yet. But, I do have some fun ideas. Maybe I'll roll a dice to see which one I get.
Well, next chapter we'll Enter the Dragon.
...
No, not like that you pervs, or am I the perv here? Who knows. Whatever, bye bye.