IC Inbox [Victory Road]

[angewiesen]

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[angewiesen]

That...

[Wow, he actually had to stop and think about this. Such machinations had kind of left his brainspace for awhile now, and he had to recollect them.]

You don't have any leads, do you?

[Because if he did, Jean was confident Armin would already be pursuing them.]

[schachmeister]

[With a deep sigh, Armin perches on the edge of Jean's bed, rubbing his hands over his face.]

Not really. I know I couldn't have been you, or Angel or Shiro. But that is it. For the rest of my friends, I wish I could say it wasn't them, but clearly, I'm a bit of a joke when it comes to this sort of thing.

[angewiesen]

You're not a joke. [Jean says that with a very serious and straight face. The sarcasm only leaks in at the end:] 'Cause if you're a joke, then I'm a joke, all of the 104th are jokes... Just a whole load of big, fat jokes.

...Anyway, how were you able to narrow us three down? Was it all down to timing?

[schachmeister]

I tried to only take objective facts into account, though I worry my subjective interpretation seeped in anyway.

You-- well, to be honest, I find it really hard to picture you as being part of Team Rocket. I don't think they could offer you anything you'd be interested in. But even beyond that, you arrived at the end of October, and my Lapras were stolen at the beginning of the next May. This... person apparently knew about the plans to steal my Lapras for months. I don't think you would've had the time to be a Team Rocket member for months, especially when you didn't start travelling until spring.

[But really, it is just mostly that it is hard to picture Jean as being part of Team Rocket. He had come to this world feeling like an ill-fitted soldier. Why would he steal pokemon? What would that offer him?]

Shiro is... he's just really not that good of an actor. I know I am bad when it comes to lying, but Shiro is no different. I just really don't think he could've been capable of faking that level of anger I saw him display after I told him my Lapras were stolen. Plus again, with what I know of him, it is hard to believe he'd ever be part of Team Rocket. He's too on the straight and narrow for that.

[Mostly subjective, yes, but Jean has met Shiro. He knows how poorly Shiro does when it comes to lying.]

And as for Angel. I never really suspected her, but I still tried to find facts to exclude her and I know she was travelling with Miss Maya and Krieg. Miss Maya and Krieg were always very protective of her because of her father being in this world, so I don't think she could've been a member of Team Rocket without them knowing. Of course, you could argue all three of them could've been members of Team Rocket and cover for each other that way, but I don't think that would've been possible with Krieg. Krieg doesn't-- didn't... do subtle. If he'd commit a crime, he'd crow about it. Think of him what you will, but Krieg is always honest, at least.

[Probably a little more honest than is comfortable for everybody else involved.]

[angewiesen]

[Armin was right about one thing: Team Rocket didn't have anything he wanted. Jean was honestly baffled that anyone would bother with a life of crime here, when resources were so abundant and living a comfy live was totally achievable with even the most basic of occupations. Like, seriously, just get a regular job and you'll have everything you need and even more.]

[But a lot of what Armin just explained sounded really subjective to Jean. If he weren't who he was, he might've been able to accept those answers without question, but... Reiner and Bertholt, even Annie, to an extent, had literally risked their lives (as far as he was aware at the time, obviously he knew now that they couldn't die so easily) and you would think that that would put them out of suspicion...]

[He thought about Eren too, but he still couldn't divulge that particular morsel of betrayal. He knew how badly it would destroy Armin.]

...I don't think it's any of them either. But I could say that of all of your friends. I'm probably the shadiest person you hang around.

Maybe you should start with making a list of everyone you're that close with. Close enough that they could think something like that letter up.

[schachmeister]

You're not really that shady. You just look untrustworthy.

[A compliment? Of sorts. Armin is being honest though. Jean usually has a rather sour expression, which might make people doubt his intentions, but Armin feels he knows him well enough to say that however much he might fuss, deep down inside, Jean wants only the best for people. And that he'd be will to give his life to make that happen. That is what makes them Survey Corps, after all.]

I've been trying. [He rubs his face, before giving Jean a wry look.] I think I know too many people. This sort of thing would've been easier back when I was unpopular enough to only have two friends.

[angewiesen]

Gee, thanks. Just untrustworthy, huh?

[Jean's just giving him a hard time. He's very much aware of how he looks. If anything, he's glad that he does. It acts like a filter. Only people who genuinely know or like him end up in his circle, because anyone else is too scared to even approach him.]

[After that, it doesn't take long to realize he's a big softy underneath that cactus exterior.]

Look at you. Mr. Popular. [Jean's not surprised about it. This world was almost suspiciously tailor-made for someone like Armin to thrive in.] If thinking about it that way is too hard, make a list of every otherworlder here, then cross off the people you don't talk to enough to think you're their friend.

[schachmeister]

I can make a start that way, but that still leaves me the problem of figuring out who it is. I was able to eliminate the three of you, but going beyond this will be difficult. The people I know live all over. They would've had plenty of opportunities to prepare this sort of thing.

[And now he also feels godawful for thinking of his friends in that sort of light, for distrusting them.]

[angewiesen]

Mmm... [Jean laces his fingers together and hangs his head.] It happens once, and then you start suspecting everybody. But that's a pretty exhausting way to live, isn't it?

[schachmeister]

It is.

[Really, Armin would've prefered to continue living while being able to fully trust his friends -- or, at least, trust them to the extent of whatever level of closeness he had built up with them; he was still somewhat prone to keeping his insecurities close to his chest.]

But now that I know this, I also cannot go on and ignore it.

[angewiesen]

I'm sorry that burden's finally followed you here. [He meant that very sincerely, as someone who was trying to spare him that fate.] But at least you've got something like a lead. Once you find them, you'll probably be able to find out if they're working alone or not. That'll help put you at ease.

[schachmeister]

I know there has to be at least one additional person. I got a second card that seemed to come from someone feeling guilty about hitting me during that whole ordeal. Though I don't know if that person also is someone I trust.

[Based on the phrasing, Armin is of the belief that both those cards came from different individuals. They just sounded too different to come from one person.]

[angewiesen]

Someone that hit you? Were they wearing a mask or something, so you couldn't see who it was? Were they wearing unisex uniforms? Or-- Wait, were you blindfolded at the time?

[The information could be of help, even if he only got a glimpse. For example, he could narrow down that it wasn't a female if they were all wearing men's uniforms, or if he saw someone that was either super tall or short they might be easier to identify.]

[schachmeister]

Unfortunately, I was asleep when they broke in. By the time I was waking up, one had already hit me. They tied me up after and locked me in the bathroom, so I didn't have much of a chance to see anything. I could hear voices, and I know multiple people were involved in the attack, but unfortunately, I can't offer you much more.

[And he feels horrendous about that. Maybe if he had just woken up a bit sooner, or been a bit steadier after getting punched, or had been able to bust down the door, he would've been able to do something. Or, at the very least, offer some actual useable information.]

[angewiesen]

Shit. I should've guessed. You would've used that kind of intelligence already.

[Jean, of course, only meant this to solidify his high opinion of Armin, and that he was always one step ahead, even when paced against someone as wary as Jean was.]

Okay. Then... We need to think about that exact window of time. Since that day, people have left, and more people have arrived. Anyone who doesn't fit that alibi could be your man. That'd probably narrow things down a lot more than you'd think.

[Since people leave all the time, and sometimes large fluxes of otherworlders come at once. They could cut their possibilities down by something close to half.]

Is there a record of when people come and go? Or do we just have to search for everyone's first recorded use of the net?

[schachmeister]

I... don't think so. I could ask Angel. She understands technology so much better than I do. If there is a way to tell, she'll probably know it.

[Angel is a master of technology who has saved Armin many times from terrifying technological disasters (aka. anytime technology doesn't work exactly like he knows it should)]

But if there isn't, going by first post is probably as close as we can get. If we copy down the list of people currently on the contact list, we could probably already eliminate a bunch of them without needing to start digging. Anyone that arrived here within the last few months couldn't have been it.

[angewiesen]

That'd be a good idea. I don't know how to do something like that either; I just assumed it might be possible.

[Jean may understand the Gear a little bit better, because it was something that really interested him, but he was still a medieval boy at heart. Angel was definitely their best bet.]

It's probably the best start we have.

[schachmeister]

I'm going to talk to Shiro about this too. And Angel obviously. Maybe they will have any other good ideas. If not, we'll start working through things like this.

[Armin looks up at Jean.]

I imagine this is obvious, but please don't talk to anyone about this. Well, Shiro and Angel'd be fine, but nobody else. Even if it is someone completely uninvolved, to more people know, the more likely it is to reach the ears of the culprit.

wow fuck me for forgetting about this

[angewiesen]

I know. I won't tell anyone.

[Jean knew how important it was, for obvious reasons. He didn't feel the need to implicate anyone else either. He claps a supportive hand on Armin's shoulder.]

Between the four of us, we'll figure this out.

[schachmeister]

[Armin's eyes slide shut for a moment as he leans into the hand on his shoulder.]

Thank you. At least my Lapras should be safe. I changed things since... since that happened.

[angewiesen]

I know. I don't think lightning is going to strike twice here. Your Lapras aren't wimps either. They'll be okay.

[schachmeister]

The older ones aren't, but there is so many young ones, it would be hard for them to protect them all on their own.

But, that is why I've put the rest of my pokemon on that job. [Armin hasn't told anyone this yet, but Jean can be trusted to know.] You know how they all swim freely around the island? In part that is so they can all have their own zone to guard. I've trained them all to send out an alert if something suspicious happens in their part of the water.

[angewiesen]

I didn't know. [And if Jean didn't notice the set-up, it was very likely nobody did.] So they haven't told you about anything funny going on?

[schachmeister]

No, nothing.

Of course, according to that message, trying to capture my Lapras was a plan that had been in the works for months. So I won't rest easy just yet.

[His gym hasn't been open that long, after all.]

[angewiesen]

If they try anything at your Gym, call me over so I can hold them still while you beat the shit out of them.