Like Tears in Rain

[Zanreo]

"I was also just sleeping... not really much more to tell"

[PointMaid]

DAY 2 CHALLENGE

YOU WILL HAVE 48 HOURS FROM NOW

You may continue the investigation during the challenge

BOB-B: MORI-RT's agents are crafty. And no, I don't know who they are either.

MORI-RT: HAH!

BOB-B: In an effort to prevent catastrophic collapse of the entire timeline, which I clearly care about more than MORI-RT and the group behind it,

MORI-RT: Seriously? That would be just as disastrous for us as for you.

BOB-B: And yet… never mind. We have come to an agreement. We will allow you to make one change in your timelines.

MORI-RT: POSITIVE change! Positive change to improve the lives of the people around you! That's the whole point!

BOB-B: ...But it can't be so large that it destabilizes the timeline. And you don't want to accidentally wink yourselves out of existence. One assumes.

MORI-RT: [*MORI-RT is side-eyeing BOB-B*]

BOB-B: The best implemented plan will win you protection from MORI-RT's henchpeople.

MORI-RT: ...Agents! Yeesh. Henchpeople? Please.

TO COMPLETE THE CHALLENGE, PLEASE DESCRIBE:

1. What small thing do you change in your world?

2. How would it improve life in your world?

3. Importantly, how do you keep the timeline stable so that important events still occur… you don't wipe yourself out of the timeline… that sort of thing.

[Kennifer]

"Okay. It's just describing,  I'm not going to potentially..."

Focus, Amy.

She is, of course, remembering once again what it felt like to stop existing, to wonder if people were going to remember her... knowing that if she was erased from the timeline nobody would... her family, her boss, her friends...

Okay. Focus. She was going to focus. This was just describing, this wasn't going to hurt anything yet, and a night of immunity would definitely be to her benefit.

"Okay, just a small thing. I don't want to affect too many people, so I'm going for something with my own family. I'd have us adopt two rabbits when my sister and I were kids instead of just the one."

She pauses, as for the second thing...

"This would cause a closer bond between me and my sister, even more than we have now. Obviously this would do good things for our family. Also if we got a male rabbit to go with the female one we have... well, we could start breeding them, maybe make a little money on the side. And there'd be bunnies to adopt, which would make more families happy. Not too many bunnies though, I wouldn't want some kind of weird bunny apocalypse. But just enough so that other people are happy and my family makes some friends and new connections."

A pause.

"Since I was already born when this would happen, same with my sister Lizzy, this shouldn't erase either of us. I'd ensure the timeline stays stable by not breeding enough rabbits to cause any sort of harm, not making so much money that it'd go to our heads, that sort of thing. It's... really a pretty small change but at this point I'm already scared enough that I cannot take any chances with anything riskier."

[Mr. Lee Hammer]

1. What small thing do you change in your world?

2. How would it improve life in your world?

3. Importantly, how do you keep the timeline stable so that important events still occur… you don't wipe yourself out of the timeline… that sort of thing.

Olivia sits down and starts to think. Her life has been something of a mess socially. Being treated like an outcast for most of her life had left her quite broken. But with the possibility of death staring right at her, it makes her think: what if she was more bold in the past? What if she grew up around more nicer people? Would she still be nervous around others? Would she be more confident? All these thoughts rushing around in her head, she decides what she wants to do.

I was never the confrontational type. I've let people push me around so many times, but I never got the nerve to fight back. Or even just brushed them off and tried to seek out the right people. I was just pushed away into some hole where everyone looks past me like I wasn't even there. And now there is the possibility that I'll be erased from existence, but no one would even notice my lack of presence. I guess the first thing would be that I'd have more self-confidence in myself. I'm not the type who will fight back. But maybe if I didn't let the ones who were mean to me wear me down. That I just ignored what they said, not let their words swell inside me. And instead focus on some of my more stronger points, I think I would have had an easier time trying to connect with others.

She tilts her head down in thought before looking back up.

I guess secondly, it would have made me a lot happier. Like that bond I've had with Amy. It felt really nice connecting with someone like that. Maybe I would have done so a lot earlier. Had more friends, go out and do things together. Just enjoy myself more and form connections. And maybe.... just maybe.... find someone to have a family with....

And looking a bit more cautious on her third thing...

I'm definitely not the one who wants to start fights. I'm not the kind of woman who wants to sink down to the bully's level. More often than not, that would make things a lot worse. And those same people might even get their revenge and look for me and give me a very brutal beatdown or perhaps something even worse. Something I don't even want to imagine.... I'd definitely channel my frustrations in a healthy way. Make sure I don't end up like those who want to bring me down. I'm better than that. And I wouldn't let myself be like them. Just embrace the ones who are willing to love me for who I am.

[Cassie]

1. What small thing do you change in your world?

Sericle starts thinking about some of the small bits she'd like to change in her world. For a good while, her mind hangs on the possibility of helping Flandre in another way for a while, before shaking it off and settling for something else.

"...I wanna be skilled in the art of Danmaku."

2. How would it improve life in your world?

"I'm...I'm jealous. Like, so many people I've seen can wield danmaku, and I'm one of those that's actually crap at it. Like, it's a big part of the reason to why I wield ropes and chains, because I needed some manner of making up for it. I wanna be in the same level as the others, being able to fire magical bullets in pretty patterns and unleash spell cards...gods that sounded less impressive than what I meant, huh?" Sericle ends, slightly embarassed.

3. Importantly, how do you keep the timeline stable so that important events still occur… you don't wipe yourself out of the timeline… that sort of thing.

...well this is making it hard for her.

"I...I'll make sure to use my danmaku skills sparingly, only in the defense, like protecting myself, the mansion, or Gensokyo, and nothing else."

---

After she's done with the challenge, she decides to ask another bit.

"Um, have we checked the portal room yet? And what lies beyond the portals?"

[Zanreo]

1. What small thing do you change in your world?

"I'd, uh..." Missingno pauses for a bit before they continue. "I'd want Glitch Pokemon, and glitches in general, to be officially recognized... and accepted... that's not too big of a change, is it?"

2. How would it improve life in your world?

"It would certainly improve things for any glitches... I've been hiding away so much, misunderstood, and I'm certainly not the only one..."

3. Importantly, how do you keep the timeline stable so that important events still occur… you don't wipe yourself out of the timeline… that sort of thing.

"I mean... they already exist, so it's not like... this would change much in terms of that.. in fact it could make things better overall? Being able to use their powers for good, ways to prevent certain abilities from getting out of hand and such...

[Risdio51]

1. What small thing do you change in your world?

"I am not sure how small of a change this is, but I would remove all the Angels and Evangelion Units. Myself included, if need be."

2. How would it improve life in your world?

"Without the angels, the Evas and the like, the Lilin will finally know peace. At least, peace from a war against outsiders of their own species. What they do amongst themselves is entirely up to their jurisdiction. I cannot control that fate."

3. Importantly, how do you keep the timeline stable so that important events still occur… you don't wipe yourself out of the timeline… that sort of thing.


"I keep Shinji happy, somehow, some way. As long as Shinji is happy, all is right with the world.

[Cassie]

After she's done with the challenge, she decides to ask another bit.

"Um, have we checked the portal room yet? And what lies beyond the portals?"

(OOC: reposting this portion so that hopefully investigation can continue in the meantime for those who have submitted their challenge)

[Mr. Lee Hammer]

> Examine the portal room for clues

[PointMaid]

> Examine the portal room for clues

Nothing unusual in the portal room that you can see. Well, other than portals to other dimensions. Obviously.

[EeveeGirlChey]

1. What small thing do you change in your world?

"Well, my Goop team and I would start spreading the word about telekinesis, reiki, deep manifestation, and crystal magic and offering workshops to a certain amount of people. It would become the killer thing. The one that people will buy tickets for, attend, learn, and realize just how they can change their worlds and make things better for everyone."

2. How would it improve life in your world?

"People would finally wake up and realize I'm not some Hollywood nutball hawking snake oil and that I'm trying to help humanity from falling into a vicious cycle of imbalance and conflict in their lives and give them the tools they need to become more stronger and powerful than they ever felt and make life happier for everyone. Also, I'd be able to fund another Netflix show and put away some money in my kids' college fund."

3. Importantly, how do you keep the timeline stable so that important events still occur… you don't wipe yourself out of the timeline… that sort of thing.

"I'd have to do it mostly in secret. Give the workshop a name that won't spoil anything, downplay the lessons some, hold it in a secluded tropical island... Just think, a group of warriors trained by me to finally bring peace, joy, light, and balance on Earth. The Time Lords would probably still be pissed with me though. It would be fantastic. I'm not like other aliens when it comes to doing something drastic with the Earth. They want to dominate it, I want to save it."

Gwyneth would then go off for a few minutes to meditate and contemplate her words.

>Any other rooms that haven't been searched yet?

[Cassie]

>first check Charis' portal for anything

[PointMaid]

>Any other rooms that haven't been searched yet?

A: Yes. Please reference the maps on the first page for the full list of rooms in the mansion.

>first check Charis' portal for anything

There's no indication that Charis' portal was tampered with or even used

[Cassie]

> check the holodeck

[PointMaid]

> check the holodeck

You check the holodeck.

You find that MORI-RT seems to have been running a Sherlock Holmes simulation... and going over old episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation... Calling itself 'Data'... are they blushing now?

But no, you see nothing suspicious.

[Cassie]

"...apologies for what I assume I'm doing is privacy invasion."

> check the bathroom. Does it look like it was recently used, looks like it has new traces of fluid of any kind? Do the drains look like they look somewhat colored as a result of recently drained antifreeze (antifreeze has color, right)?

[PointMaid]

> check the bathroom. Does it look like it was recently used, looks like it has new traces of fluid of any kind? Do the drains look like they look somewhat colored as a result of recently drained antifreeze (antifreeze has color, right)?

You don't see any indications that the bathroom was used by the killer, stained drains or otherwise

[Cassie]

Sericle takes a moment to recover a bit from the exhaustion.

"Gah, dammit...still no closer to finding anything pointing to anyone despite checking a few more rooms..."

[Kennifer]

>Is anything out of sorts in the kitchen?

[PointMaid]

>Is anything out of sorts in the kitchen?

Nothing you notice, no

[Cassie]

"By all accounts, any human-looking guy around here could've killed her. Shit...Could there be other ways this can be narrowed down?" Sericle thinks.

[Kennifer]

"Yeah, what we have doesn't narrow it down much at all. And if none of us seem to have seen or heard anything weird..."

Amy sighs again, trying to think of what has yet to be checked.

[Despair's Archon of Memes]

1. What small thing do you change in your world?
My duty as a maid has many tasks... Cleaning the mansion... Attending to Remillia's demands and maintaining the Scarlet Devil Mansion... THat is my small contribution to this world.

2. How would it improve life in your world?
... Gensokyo's chaos, as well as my services to Remillia... among others... It's a quiet life I live... but one I must attend to out of duty and servitude... The services I provide... are the least I could do for both my mistress Remillia and Gensokyo... My work may not be recognized... But even so... I will work silently to improve the lives of those I serve...

3. Importantly, how do you keep the timeline stable so that important events still occur… you don't wipe yourself out of the timeline… that sort of thing.
As an Incident Resolver... Maintaining the stability of Gensokyo is most important... If these Incidents are left unresolved... Chaos will ensue.

[PointMaid]

Well done.

...Most of you.

We've made our choices. Congratulations...

Amy and Olivia!

Bunnies and self-improvement. Very cute. Very nice. And there are benefits to thinking small. Not likely to throw the timeline out of whack.

[Risdio51]

"Congratulations, Amy. Use this safety wisely."