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sweethomey2026-04-16 02:42 pm
slowpokey) wrote in sweethomey2026-04-16 02:42 pm
WEEK ONE
Welcome to your new home!
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! :)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.
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
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:
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.
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!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!
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!
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.
...
– 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!
no subject
Roommates... [ ...wait for it... ] Oh. Oh!! For the program! Oh, it's starting!
[ And just like that, her eyes are wide open and she's sparkling. She grins sheepishly and chuckles lightly. ]
Right, right, sorry! I, uh, totally didn't realize where we were. [ Obviously. ] Vanitas, you said? I'm Kara. It's so nice to meet you! Ooh, our room looks like outer space...!!!
[ She's a bit distractable right now, can you tell. ]
no subject
Uh, yeah. Welcome to "Under the Microscope", a new brand of... what was it? "Television" program?
[Expect to find him messing with all the electronics in the house later. At least for now, he merely nods in acknowledgement.]
It's fine. Better get your head on straight, though. It's bound to be a crazy week, Kara. [He glances around their room with a vaguely interested hum.]
Might as well head on down, if you're ready.
no subject
[ She says it way too flippantly, but she swings her legs to the side and gets right onto her feet, ready to go on demand like she wasn't just rising from the grave a few moments ago. ]
Yup, ready to go. To the kitchen, was it? I'm starving... Hopefully there's an actual meal down there!
no subject
[So he says, rubbing his arms as he looks around in a hunted way and he hurriedly moves to leave, as though he might outrun the cameras watching them.]
There damned sight better be real food. We can't survive on scraps or junk.
[Still, he hurries downstairs and to the kitchen, where his expression turns to dismay at all the pastries and sweets.]
Seriously? Where's the protein? Eggs, ham! Real bread and cheese!
no subject
[ But she will keep pace with him and follow him to the kitchen. There are a lot of delicious-looking pastries and sweets, as beggars can't be choosers, but Vanitas' disdain brings about some great suggestions. ]
You know what? This is a whole kitchen. I'm sure we can make something with protein? Let's check the fridge, there's probably some kind of meat in there. You thinking of making a sandwich or something?
no subject
[Vani, you're a human... Either way, he looks relieved at the suggestion of checking the fridge and glances around for it, finally figuring out that it's probably the chest-looking thing there. With a nod, he opens it up and peers in.]
Mmm. A breakfast sandwich sounds good. Ham, egg, bacon, and cheese... Maybe a bit of lettuce or tomato if they have it. Something all-around to satisfy early morning hunger. Not... dessert.
[He says that word like it's a profanity.]
no subject
[ She also peers in, and when he lists his ingredients, she immediately goes searching for them. Packaged ham, a carton of eggs, slices of cheese. Those go on the counter first. ]
Oh, not dessert? I guess that's fair, but it sounds like you're not really a fan. No sweet tooth for you, huh, Vanitas?
[ Oh, there's the lettuce. And the tomatoes! Out of the fridge they go! ]
Okay, all we need's the bacon...
no subject
[Boy, you are eighteen years old. Slow down a little. While she grabs those items, he scoops up the bacon, the orange juice, and some Roquefort. He's French.]
Not a one. Vile, nasty stuff. All tastes the same when made with similar ingredients.
[Somewhere in the house, Jeanne is yelling for him to apologize to the food.]
Got it. [He holds up the bacon.]
no subject
[ Anyway, going back to the ingredients... She takes the bacon and places it on the counter with a thumbs up. Then, she'll go and grab a cutting board for Vanitas and let him handle the rest. ]
But yeah, I guess you just don't like sweets at all! That's probably healthy, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't appreciate a good dessert. Not to worry, though! That's why we're eating actual food now!
no subject
[He's just guessing, but that's the first thing which came to mind. Undead leg. Not the most appetizing topic, but hey, he's a doctor. He's dealt with worse. After washing the produce, he selects a knife and begins expertly chopping them into appropriately sized pieces.]
It wouldn't be so bad if they didn't use so damn much sugar and such. It's just... too much. Once in a while isn't bad, though I'd rather have real food, honestly.
i love that i gave you her lore earlier and now here we are again, 2 days later, exchanging lore
[ Said without a smile on her face, but her expression is neutral, like it's hardly an inconvenience. (It is. It really is.) ]
You know, I also didn't care too much for sweets before. At some point, though, it was the only thing that was available, so I ended up learning to appreciate them. Nothing replaces a proper meal with protein, though! I agree with you there. So as exciting as the pastries are, a sandwich sounds more ideal...
2 days 2 soon!!
[He recognizes that sort of impassivity from his own expressions and thus doesn't press the issue.]
When you only have certain things to eat, you take what you can get, that's true. I don't mind baked goods, it's just... so many recipes use an excessive amount of sugar and honey and sweeteners. It's too much when all you'd like is fish or meat or cheese. Real food.
2 FAST 2 FURIOUS!! NYOOM
[ She tilts her head at his statement, because she's gotten so accustomed to excessive sugars and sweeteners. But she understands what he means. ]
Hmm, yeah. Real food! The stuff that actually makes you feel full afterwards...but not in a way that makes you feel sick. I get it.
[ And she keeps eyeing that sandwich, like she would really like one...... ]
TOKYO DRIFTING HERE WE COME
[Meaning he hates them all equally, but he's not going to say that just yet.]
Exactly. [He pauses, debating, then continues, quieter.] There was a time when I didn't get much real food. So I value it when I can.
[Maybe he noticed, maybe it's automatic, but it's clear that he's doing up enough for at least two sandwiches, maybe three. Three slices of tomato, three leaves of lettuce, six strips of bacon, etc.]
NYOOOOOOM DOWN THE IKEA AISLES
...That's a part of her that she's trying to silence, though, because losing all of her hope is what's going to destroy her. Which makes Vanitas' answer about humans all the more interesting. She sure has seen people at their worst, including herself, but there's a part of her that still cares for them and would like to not see the end of humanity as she knows it. ]
Hmm. We can be pretty nasty, huh. [ Humans, that is. ] Do they live among you, then?
[ She idly watches him work, not trying to be weird about it, but it's holding her attention for long enough that she can properly mull over her response. ]
And...yeah. I think I took it for granted a while ago. But I've started to understand its value recently. Something about how absence makes the heart grow fonder.
STRAIGHT THROUGH TO THE GARDENING SECTION
It's tough to tell from his tone alone what feelings he harbors towards people in general or even humans in particular. Even vampires seem iffy with him. He has to laugh though at her calling humans "nasty."]
Understatement of the year. [He nods, humming a bit.] Some do. Most live in Altus, in another dimension, but there are still some who remain in the human world, either because they choose to or they were abandoned or born there.
[Three plates, six slices of bread, all getting stacked in a row, until they're finished and he slides one over towards her, taking up his own in both gloved hands.]
Not only that, but proper nutrition helps keep you strong and enables you to fight better. You have to have balanced meals, and you don't get that from desserts or sweets.
WEEDING OUT ALL THE TRAUMA (they wish)
Another dimension? Yeesh, I don't wanna think about one of those opening up where I'm from. Then again, I think this place probably counts as one, sooo....
[ And to her relief, he does, in fact, hand her a sandwich. It looks like he has an extra one, too. ] Oh, thank you. This is...definitely the most balanced meal I've had for a while. [ And it is very much appreciated. ] Is the extra sandwich for someone else?
LMAO YES;;;
Heh, yeah, kind of hard not to think of this place as such. But all in all, it's not bad here.
[He acknowledges her thanks with a hum, taking a bite of his own and swallowing before speaking again.] You're pretty skinny. You need to eat properly. [Vani, plz.] Ah? [Midway to taking another bite, he pauses, looks confused, then flustered, before finally answering quietly.] ...no. I just-- ...force of habit, I guess.
no subject
[ That comment about eating properly gives her pause, and she sighs to herself before taking a bite out of the sandwich. ]
I know, I know. It's just hard to come across...food like this.
[ She trails off as she swallows, and takes another bite. If he's looking at her, he may be able to catch a little shimmer in her eyes. She may be feeling a little emotional at being able to eat food like this again, because the group had been struggling to secure proper meals for a few days. They'd eaten enough to survive, but something like this almost felt like a faraway dream. ]
Ah, let's hold on to that extra sandwich. Have you met our roommate yet? An Zhe? He's a little clueless, but he's cute. Maybe he'd like to eat one of these.
[ They shouldn't waste it. Someone should be able to eat it. ]
...Thanks, Vanitas. It's good.
no subject
[He smiles at her eating, though it's a bit sad.]
Something I know all too well. At least here you can eat whenever you need to. If you need something prepared, just ask me.
[He does indeed note that, which is probably why he makes the offer he does. He didn't exactly eat well as Moreau's test subject, after all. Food is a luxury not everyone has. He's just grateful they don't have to hunt for their meals, like he did on some of his excursions hunting down curse-bearers.]
Ah, yeah, that's a good idea. Might as well feed him too, huh? Even if he is a bit odd.
[It would never go to waste on his watch, but it's still a good way to build a friendship with their roommate.]
Don't mention it. Glad you're enjoying it.
no subject
[ And she's only been here for a day, but she's really not looking forward to going back to reality. Back home. With any luck, her wish will be granted, and she'll be taken back to a time where she was actually happy, but she's not putting a lot of stock into the validity behind it. ]
But I really appreciate it! Do you like making food for people? It's nice of you to offer!
[ She'll go ahead and find a little bag for the sandwich and pack it carefully. ]
He is a little strange, but I think he's harmless. Maybe we can get him to open up a little?
[ Says a very guarded individual... ]
no subject
[Before being thrust back into their own worlds and the troubles that go with them. He, too, has no real faith that their wishes will be granted, but... considering how crazy this all is anyway, it doesn't hurt to believe, just this once.]
Not especially. It's just something I got in the habit of doing.
[Which is the tsundere way of saying yes, yes he does.]
Heh... Aren't we all a bit weird here? He's fitting right in already.
[Not that he's opposed to coaxing the guy into talking a little more through bribery.]