slowpokey ([personal profile] slowpokey) wrote in [community profile] sweethomey2026-04-16 02:42 pm

WEEK ONE

Welcome to your new home!
"...Sweet Home: Strangers Strike Back. Airing this Sunday on Lulu."


That's how the video ends. That's how the entire presentation ends, the one that you've been given with a breakdown of what you're doing here, how to earn your wishes, and most importantly, how to use your phone. They promise you that you will go home in four weeks, and hopefully, you won't go home empty-handed, and that your hard work will pay off. Either way, your actions will undoubtedly make for a satisfying finale, and wonderful ratings week after week!

The price in exchange is, well, your privacy. Cameras will not be monitoring you 24/7 (they can't air super inappropriate content, after all!!!), but enough to capture what could potentially be your best and worst moments on the show. Maybe if you plead hard enough, the producers will be merciful and edit out some of your shame, but for the most part, it's best to be ready for anything.

Which includes your introductory day! How exciting. You arrive at the house on a bright and beautiful Sunday morning, and your arrival happens by waking up in a twin-sized bed. Those phones that you were told about are either right next to you or in your pocket; it buzzes with a very interesting song that's certainly telling you to wake up. It will not stop playing until you are awake.

With the alarm, though, is a notification on the screen: "TOUCH TO OPEN!" Tapping the screen as instructed will give you a set of instructions - though, if you don't open it yourself, it will do it for you after a minute. Those instructions are:
HELLO! WELCOME TO SWEET HOME DAY ONE! :)
PLEASE PROCEED TO THE KITCHEN! FUN REFRESHMENTS AND ACTIVITIES ARE WAITING FOR YOU ALL! YOUR WEEKLY CHALLENGE WILL COME TOMORROW. FOR TODAY, HAVE FUN AND GET TO KNOW EACH OTHER! <3333
The kitchen is filled with various snacks. Chips, cookies, cake, blood for vampires – you name it. It's there. It's entirely possible they went a little overboard…but there's something interesting about the snacks. Everything is in a locked transparent case, enticing you to unlock it by how tasty it all looks. How do you unlock it? It's simple, according to the little notes left on the cases. "TO OPEN, INTRODUCE YOURSELF TO SOMEONE IN FRONT OF ME!" The cases are indestructible and will not open until you do this simple task.

Board games are present with some classics like Never Have I Ever prompts, Monopoly, Candyland, you name it!

There's also some music playing in the background on a set of speakers. This is free for you to mess with and shuffle through the modern-day playlist. In fact, pretty much everything in the house is free to tamper with.

Anyone who partakes in at least 2 joint activities with different people (board games, snacking, fighting, dancing, getting up to no good...anything, really) will be rewarded with a complimentary bath bomb on their bed on Monday morning!

Take a look around the house, get to know your housemates (and roommates), and relax on this fine and wonderful Sunday!

OOC Note: The bath bomb reward is not going to be mod-sanctioned, go ahead and just assume your character received one if they interacted with 2 or more people on Sunday ICly.

Also, characters will receive a weekly stipend with enough money for groceries and a few luxury items. You can choose to do whatever you want with this cash, though.
Weekly Challenge
Come Sunday evening, though…that's when the Challenge is issued.

A notification appears on your phone that says "CHALLENGE!! OPEN ME." Doing so will reveal the following instructions:

Did we mention that we forgot to get commercials? Oops! For those who don't know, commercials are advertisements for viewers to try and scam people into buying things they don't need. This time, however, you're going to scam people into buying things that they probably need, for the entirely wrong reason!

Your task this week is to film a commercial with at least one other person. You are to take one of the household objects in this house and give it new meaning. That hairbrush over there? Use it, and it'll turn your hair any color, style, and texture that you want it to! Ooh, how about that washcloth? Wiping your face with it will apply makeup to perfectly suit the occasion! Y'know, stuff like that. It's not actually real, but we think it'd be funny, so work with someone and get it done! Remember, your wishes are your rewards, along with some other fun little prizes! :)

Commercials will all be played on everyone's phones AND the big screen TV next week Sunday! Get excited!
You can film your commercials using your phones, as they are state-of-the-art technology. There are phone stands/tripods/etc. that can be found in your bedroom closets for you to use. Go wild, go ham, be entertaining and have fun!

OOC NOTES: The challenge thread must have a minimum of three comments per character, though I encourage threading beyond that for the sake of cr. I will accept in-progress threads as a completed challenge turn-in. There will be a top level next week for reactions to all the commercials as they play on screen for the characters, but you're free to also thread out reactions if characters stumble into the filming in-person, etc.
The Rest of the Week

The rest of the week will have a fun little treat for the guests: Cats! That's right, cats will show up to the home periodically every day, asking for food. Feed the cats on demand and they will be satisfied. If you don't and they sense that you are walking away, you will have one unlucky event happen to you at some point during the week. What that is can be something as mundane as spilling coffee on your shirt, to having an accident so bad that you need to go to the clinic. The choice is yours.

...

Throughout the week, the following individuals will experience strange phenomena…


– On Monday, Luocha will have the misfortune of encountering a cat that really has decided it doesn't like him. It will try to bother him in various ways, whether it be attempting to scratch him, pee on him, nibble on his shoes…it will do this every hour for 4 hours today, starting at any given time of the day. It will leave Luocha alone afterwards, though it may still stare him from time to time…like a normal cat would. Maybe he can even try to befriend it…

– On Tuesday, Sakura will have a very specific struggle. The first electric or battery-powered appliance she tries to use simply will not work no matter how hard she tries. Even if she charges the appliance, it will not work. The one way to get it to power on is to ask it nicely. Insulting it will get it to actually move and smack her. Whoops! Time to throw down with some electronics?!

– On Wednesday, Jeanne will wake up to something very strange. There will be vines, leaves, and flowers that have grown all around her bed. It's rather unruly, actually, and inhaling the pollen for too long will make her a little loopy. Drunk, essentially, minus the alcohol. It is possible to get a hangover from this and nursing it will be done the same way it normally would be if alcohol were involved. The greenery will go away by Thursday midnight, but she can also make it go away earlier if she rips them out of the roots. (Which are in the floor. Don't worry about it)

– On Thursday, Avery will find a book on his bed when he wakes up. The book says My Diary. He can write whatever he wants in it, but if he writes something about any of the other residents, the book will drag him to wherever said resident is – in the house OR the town – and read his writings about them outloud, right where the resident can hear it all! Sadly, there is no way to test this out beforehand, as any thoughts that are unrelated to the other residents will be kept confidential. The diary will disappear on Friday at midnight.

– On Friday, Hakuya will gain a voucher, good for one day, for free candy at Sweet-E's! He can get a max of two full bags of whatever candy he wants. The bags are freezer bag-sized. The candy itself looks normal, but eating it will cause something interesting to happen. Hakuya will 1) gain a pair of shades that, if removed, will make another pair of shades to go on his face; 2) his top will turn into the equivalent of a disco ball shirt; and 3) party music will follow him around wherever he goes for the next 2 hours. Congrats, you're the coolest kid on the block!!!

OOC Notes
Welcome to the Week One log of Sweet Home Round 2! I had a lot of fun with this and hope you guys enjoy the game. Some important notes:
  • Please do not literally burn down any buildings or property in this game. ICly, if a character tries, the house will immediately put it out via temperature regulation and built-in sprinkler systems. If your character has fire-based powers, they can affect people and objects but will not cause great damage to the overall building. Do not mess with the built-in safety precautions, please. There is an OOC reason for this that I will not disclose and please do not ask me for it; I am serious about shutting down anything that involves this at any point in the game. You will only get a slap on the wrist if it happens after being warned.
  • Challenges are due at the end of the week, along with AC! See the AC + Rewards page for more information.
  • Gossip Board submissions are essentially a way for your characters to get exposed ICly on any shenanigans they've gotten up to. This is purely on a voluntary basis OOCly. A link to submissions can be found below.
  • OOC Plotting for Week One can be. found here! Feel free to reply to that top level with anything you're looking for.
  • Feel free to ask any questions in the #mod-questions Discord channel! And please don't hesitate to ping me too so I don't miss it. Thanks!
twelvehundred: (🌸 fourteen.)

kitchen

[personal profile] twelvehundred 2026-04-18 06:45 pm (UTC)(link)
HALT!

[It's almost as if a spidey-sense for trouble has gone off when Bakushin yells, from at least a little length away??? At the very least Alena will hear some impressive running making it's way over to the kitchen, Bakushin pointing directly at Alena.]

Property damage is strictly prohibited! [...It's not??? Bakushin stands up straight though, her expression still hard and authoritative, but--] Given that this seems to be intentional, I imagine the people here would be most upset with us if we were to damage their property and cause problems!
kickdownthatwall: alena sitting with her hands together (waiting patiently...)

[personal profile] kickdownthatwall 2026-04-18 07:47 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh. Did they say we are not to be damaging property?

[she does have a touch of DON'T TELL ME WHAT TO DO, but on the other hand...]

Maybe it is fine if I am asking first, since it is not mine or villain's.
twelvehundred: (🌸 thirteen.)

[personal profile] twelvehundred 2026-04-18 07:52 pm (UTC)(link)
I believe I heard them say something of the sort, but! It is one of society's unspoken rules, as well!

[Bakushin senses the defiance and her hard gaze doesn't waver, but...hm. Well, maybe...]

...I suppose that asking cannot hurt. But if they do not give you a response, then it would be most rude to do so!

Not yours or villain's, however...?
kickdownthatwall: alena proposing an idea (i think we should punch enemy.)

[personal profile] kickdownthatwall 2026-04-18 09:12 pm (UTC)(link)
Well, if it is mine, then I can do whatever with it because it is mine. If it is villian's, then their opinion does not matter because they are deserving of it. But I suppose organizers are helping us, so their opinion does matter.

[very logical!]
twelvehundred: (🌸 eight.)

[personal profile] twelvehundred 2026-04-18 09:32 pm (UTC)(link)
[...

One can practically smell the smoke coming out of Bakushin's ears as they flick about, taking in that information and deciding what to do with it. But given she only hears about half of it...

But she kind of gets it. Villains do need to be punished after all. It's sound logic.]


Well, if it is only until we are all introduced...perhaps when our first day is over, we can ask them for one as a challenge to yourself, instead? Perhaps they will be amendable, once the challenge they have placed them out for has been cleared!

I would be more than happy to assist you in drafting a letter of recommendation for this task, should you wish! With all of us following the rules of these kind people, surely such diplomatic measures will work wonders!
kickdownthatwall: alena sitting with her hands together (waiting patiently...)

[personal profile] kickdownthatwall 2026-04-18 10:27 pm (UTC)(link)
Yes, that is making sense to me. It is intended for breaking ice, I think? So I will do that. And then I will ask to test my strength on these boxes. I am not sure how much they will need letter, but maybe. I am appreciating offer, anyway.

[well. anyhow.]

In any case, I am Alena of Zamoskva. For introductions.
twelvehundred: (🌸 six.)

[personal profile] twelvehundred 2026-04-18 10:56 pm (UTC)(link)
It is indeed, and fret not! For I am always here to assist as much as anyone needs, and that includes you!

[Bakushin bows her head at Alena (of Zamoskva makes her sound fancy and important, so--!), before offering her hand with a bright and unwavering grin.]

Alena of Zamoskva! It is a pleasure to meet you, and I look forward to getting to know you further! I am Sakura Bakushin O, a student of Tracen Academy--nothing on your prestigious title, but I look forward to what further challenges this place shall bring us both!

And hopefully in those challenges, we shall all be brought closer together!
kickdownthatwall: alena cheerfully getting into a combat stance (train and fight!)

[personal profile] kickdownthatwall 2026-04-18 11:01 pm (UTC)(link)
[Alena kind of shakes her head at the bow...]

Ah... there is no need to be bowing or anything! I am tsarevna, but I do not wish for that to be big deal, you know? It is more about personal achievement for me, not titles.

[...but the rest sounds great, actually.]

But yes! We are very much going to be cooperating. I am sure all of us want our wishes to be fulfilled!
twelvehundred: (🌸 five.)

[personal profile] twelvehundred 2026-04-19 12:49 am (UTC)(link)
Ah!

[Bakushin manages to catch all of that, filing it away before nodding her head. That makes sense, she supposes.]

I understand, yes! For someone as great as you, living amongst the people...you must not be able to do that often! Please, forgive my impudence and formality! I shall henceforth treat you as a fellow, so no need to worry!

[Bakushin beams shortly after, going to grab some fruit that's opened up--here, have a piece too, Alena!]

I imagine all of us do, even if some of us seem uncertain about what it is we want...truly, I am most excited to hear the wishes of others, and perhaps help them fulfill such things as well! Perhaps we can make lifelong friends here, too!

So, Alena! What is it that you ever stride toward, if I may ask?
kickdownthatwall: alena sitting with her hands together (waiting patiently...)

[personal profile] kickdownthatwall 2026-04-19 03:41 am (UTC)(link)
[...

Alena kind of wonders... if Sakura treats anyone informally, actually... she's starting to get a picture here.

well. anyhow.]


Well. I am looking to find the people of my kingdom, because they are all missing.