♪♬♫ clockwork waltz - the rotating realm
Simple Entry
[
There are two ways into the Fortress. The easier--more straightforward way is in the exact same place where the Statue of Focalors sits. While it is a lengthy trip down a long elevator that brings you deep underwater--You'll get a gorgeous view of the fortress outside and the ocean below once you arrive in the central hub. From there, there's another long elevator down to the Fortress itself... ]
Difficult Entry
[
Or, maybe you just don't like elevators. Maybe but maybe you just LOVE swimming. Which is why entryway into the fortress #2 is Right for You. Near the Krusty Krab--a restaurant on the bottom of the Harbour, has a rather strange set of tunnels that twists and turns and eventually opens up into a beautiful cave full of greenish crystals--and eventually into the fortress itself. A number of long hallways that start out lush and green and full of plant life eventually settles into the same thing: a copper-bronze, dull metal as you find yourself entering the Fortress, soaking wet... ]
CREDIT TEXT
First Floor
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First impressions: This place is huge. You now understand why the elevator rides were so long, or why the swim down took forever. The place is enormous, and this is just the first floor. The entryway into Meropide--whether you came in through the secret entrance or through the front gates welcomes you with the same: The first floor and it's common areas. Directly in the center is a large door with a Cerberus Motif--and leads to Wriothesley's Office. To your left, the Coupon Cafeteria; to the right, the Pankration Arena. There's an area to mingle with others living down here, as well as even a bulletin board where the Duke posts announcements such as lunch menus or current jobs needing done; as well as posting up items needed for the clean up or adjustment of the fortress. ]
Coupon Cafeteria
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No matter if you're here for a visit, or if you live here, the number one thing that Wriothesley insists on is that everyone should eat at least one square meal a day. You needn't pay for food at Meropide--simply come to the Cafeteria when hungry and you'll eat your fill for free--but that is, perhaps not entirely 'for free'.
Maybe it's the Duke having a bit of fun, or perhaps it's just his way of running things--what you get to eat may not always be what you suspect. Wriothesley isn't a talented chef after all--so some meals cooked down in the fortress might come out delicious--while some suspicious.
Each one also comes with a hand-written fortune slip. The writing is oddly immaculate and well-scripted, however, what might be written on each slip may mildly differ...
He won't admit it outright, but rumor has it the Duke himself writes these out. ]
Pankration Arena
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"Pankration" (from Ancient Greek παγκράτιον pankrátion, "all powers") was a combat sport in the Greek Olympics that allowed practically all forms of techniques that did not involve weapons or other objects, similar to modern mixed martial arts.
This is exactly what's on the label--a 1v1 fighting ring. The caveat is, unlike Fight Club that's run by Nero; no special powers, weapons, or transformations are allowed.
Fights are done with fists only, and matches are decided when one combatant is knocked out or surrenders.
The Arena is where Wriothesley earned his title as Duke and would be willing to fistfight almost anyone there. He wants to start up championships there again soon... ]
The Duke's Office
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This is where you'll find the Duke most days. Either spending time in his office alone reading--going over paperwork left behind by the Order, drinking tea or just plain napping--the door is always open for visitors and people who need his help alike. Upon entering there's a spiral staircase that brings one up to the Duke's personal living quarters--or, if one goes down, they'll find two things: One being a giant Sluice Gate that leads down to Yggdrasil; a direct portal to Asgard, now empty of the Unyielding--as well as an old, abandoned airship yard, where... a giant ship used to be. Now there's just tons of equipment for building an airship with no actual means of doing so. Pity. It could probably be used at some point, with enough work. ]
Second Floor - Living Quarters
[ Welcome to the second floor. The hallways in here are long and bisecting, many leading off into--you guessed it--bedrooms. There are dozens of rooms on this floor, all twisted and hidden among the pathways branching outwards; you have your choice of a comfortable solo room, large enough to live in comfortably and put whatever you'd like inside. The Duke will have at least set up a bed for you, and will offer you an allowance for things like bedclothes. The decorating is then up to you otherwise.
You may also choose to stay in one of the rooms that have a more dorm-like quality to them, hosting a much bigger living/shared area, but with four bunk beds in one corner. It's truly up to you.
On this floor also exists the Infirmary--a doctor's office in case anyone gets sick or--what with the Pankration Arena below--hurt. There's a quick elevator next to it for ease of access.
Currently Living in the Fortress: ]
Wriothesley
Jun Nightroad
Joshua (NPC)
Ghilley Adair
James Rogers
Hermes
Ana
Maxima quo Priscus
Eren Jeager
Harumasa
Lia
[ part time workers/visitors ]
Varian
Ragna
Caleb
Fugo
Josuke
Basement - Factory and Forgotten
[
And finally, the basement of the Fortress. On the first layer lays the production facility--a place where the Guardemeks that had attacked the city were made and manufactured. After the fights inside the fortress, many of the mechanisms that run the factory have been broken and made obsolete, but with enough they could be fixed up and made to work again. However, Wriothesley is a tinkerer, not an engineer, so he hasn't gotten around to figuring out such a thing anyway. If the things can even be made anymore. The magic that ran the guardemeks back home was different from the magic down here, after all.
Furthur down from the Factory is the more maze-like part of the fortress. Down there is the darker part of the Jail that Meropide truly is, and The Duke will ask any and all who live here to stay away from this part of the fortress--for their own safety. Down there, after all, still sleep the many locked away and sealed individuals the Order had felt too dangerous to let roam free or risk allowing to reincarnate into the world again. As much as The Duke dislikes it, some things are best left sleeping.]
FORGED IN STEAM AND SMOKE
Located in the basement in the production facility, there is a corner dedicated to a forge. A
gas forge is the heart of it, allowing for any smithery to be done with relative ease. It's spacious and perfect for nearly any project. There are work benches set around it, along with a wide array of tools - most them Varian's, but he doesn't mind people using them so long as they put them back. An anvil sits nearby too. Half-finished works dot around the place because Varian sometimes gets distracted. Try not to touch them, just in case.
A PLACE FOR QUIET LETTERS
Located near the Administrative Area, there's a large library that was added in
December 2024 magically by Veldora. The library is massive, containing thousands of books in any type of genre you desire. The entire library is done in a rococo style with spiral staircases and towering bookcases that require ladders (think the library in Beauty and the Beast). That said, there are plenty of modern comforts added to the library: a reading area with plenty of armchairs or squishmallow pillows; a small computer lab with internet access and a printer that works half the time (magic can only do so much); and a number of private study rooms.
[ IF YOUR CHARACTER LIVES IN THE FORTRESS, please feel free to COMMENT ON THIS POST with a housekeeping/description/any images for reference to what their living space looks like. ] 
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loupmorque) wrote2024-09-07 02:07 am
THE GREENHOUSE (Publically Accessible)
Greenhouse
Serenitea Pot
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Facing one wall is a desk, with a cup of pens, a lamp, and a little desktop globe. His Li'l Cactus also usually sits on the desk, ready to hear out his thoughts and keep notes. A small terrarium in one corner houses an ordinary-looking frog. The other most notable feature is the slowly-growing collection of books on the shelves between the bed and the desk. They cover a range of subjects, both fiction and non, but a number of them seem to center on potential hobby activities.
There are a few cushions on the bed that look like rocks, but are soft to the touch, as well as a stuffed octopus and dinosaur (which Maxima believes is a dragon). There are also a pair of lamps sitting on the bedside table: if you touch one, the other lights up as well.
A more recent addition is a bed in the corner for his Aron, Fortis, and some reinforced toys on the floor meant to be able to endure the kind of force a Steel type can naturally exert. A pile of scrap metal too damaged for Varian to get much use out of it has been appropriated as Pokemon food instead.
In the hallway outside his room stands a vigilant shoebill, staring at anyone who passes by. It never seems to move, but likes to eat fish.
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A full loft bed occupies one corner, with a built-in desk underneath. The bed has several blankets, especially during the winter, and lots of pillows (the bedding is predominantly pastel colors). A plushie of an armored bear sits on the bed when Lia isn't using it. A cushion shaped like a goose is kept up there at all times. The desk underneath currently has a small lamp, a laptop computer, some books, a sewing kit, and a cup for pencils and pens. There's also a mini-fridge and a rolling office chair with a light pink cushion.
In the back corner is a trio of cat beds and a cat tree, used by Lia's Shinx ("Sparks"), Sylveon ("Ribbon"), and her ordinary cat ("Cinder"). There are also a few toys both suitable for regular cats and for Pokemon.
Another part of the room, a bit closer to the front, appears to be primarily used as something of a kitchenette. Lia still primarily uses the Fortress's kitchens whenever the urge to cook strikes her (which is often), but this area has a decently-sized toaster oven, a microwave, an insta-pot, an electric s'mores maker kit, and an electric kettle. There's a card table set up to hold a few snacks, cup noodles, tea, a package of bottled water, and some other things for various drinks.
A couch has been moved in here, with a folded blanket draped across the back.
Aside from that, Lia uses string lights as the primary lighting in her room (though she does have a pair of proper lamps--when one is touched, both will light up), and rugs (pastel-colored) have been laid on the floor.
THE ALLEY
The corridor itself has been converted to a common living space for the residents of the Alley. There's a collection of furniture and items there, mostly stuff they liked but aren't so high in quality it'd be an issue if they were stolen.
While there's no locks or doors on the Alley itself (but are such on the private rooms), it's still unofficially considered a less than public area of the Fortress. Characters with Friendly CR towards any of the residents will be allowed in the Alley's common area without any issue, while Strangers may be given a much more wary treatment. Characters with Negative CR with Alley residents will either be asked to leave, get chased out by a Valhund, or in worst case scenario - have to deal with a tiger.
COMMON AREA
Jun and Varian's Place (Close CR Only)
The various parts of their apartment are as followed:
Bedroom: A room that is closed off to most visitors as its their private space. Inside is a queen sized bed with a blue comforter, two nightstands that belong to each of them, and their personal wardrobes where they store their clothing. On Jun's nightstand there's a reading lamp, a phone charger, and a framed photo of him and Varian in Germany. On Varian's nightstand is a reading lamp fashioned from scrap metal, whatever book he’s currently reading, a picture of him and Jun and a pile of loose change - in theory his phone charger lives here, but it’s usually lost somewhere in the room. On the walls there are various decorative crosses and a wall lamp Varian made out of pipework and various glass vials with chemicals in them - it’s very steampunk. There is also small and simple shrine in the corner with a cross, some prayer beads, a bible and some candles - which is where Jun does his daily praying
Kitchen: A small kitchen that Jun and Varian use when they want to have a meal in. There's a fridge stocked with staple ingredients, a weekly supply of pre-made lunches for Varian and other folks who need them, and the drinks they're less willing to share with folks (such beer for Varian and red wine for Jun). The cupboard has more staple ingredients and snacks less willing to be shared. On the counter space there is a sink, an all-in-one appliance and a coffee machine. Basically it's a fully working kitchen EXCEPT there's no oven. They have a small table meant to sit the two of them comfortably on nights they want to have a meal alone.
Study Area: A chunk of the living room space has been converted into a study area for the two of them. There are bookshelves full of manga, novels, and science-based textbooks that both of them have collected. There are two desks set up for each of them as dedicated work-spaces. Since most of his botany work is done in the greenhouse, aside from laptop and a few plant guides - Jun's desk is mostly geared to be a spot to do his art with a collection of art supplies and various works in progress. Varian’s desk is a pile of books and paperwork set in a haphazard pile. He does have some less messy space, where his calligraphy set and paper is set for writing Jun letters. His little thesaurus dinosaur also lives here, as does the friendship lamp he has connected to Amal’s.
Living Room Area: This is the rest of the living room area. There's a small two-seat couch; an armchair; a coffee table that's usually covered in a LEGO project they're working on; a TV with a Nintendo switch and Blu-ray player; a couple shelves with various anime and mythbuster-type shows; and a select few pieces of merch that both of then like (including a magical Alisa figure and a few Gundam figures). On the walls, there's various framed photos of Jun and Varian's family and close friends along with... yes, more crosses.
One corner of the living room is a dedicated pet area which includes a perch for Yoichi the Shiny Rowlet; a pokeball for Koukou the Fuecoco; a doggie bed for Mew; a cat bed which Newton the Zigzagoon and Edison the Pachirisu snuggle in - Ruddiger refuses this and sleeps on the couch or on the foot of the bed (when he can get away with it). In another corner is set up to be a shadowy area with a rug that's dedicated for teleportation.
There's also a bathroom attached to the place but, well, it's a bathroom not much to say there.
The upkeep of the place is at constant war between Jun's tidiness and Varian's messiness- it's livable but there's a fair share of clutter around. The decor of the place overall is a product of their two eccentric personalities. Jun contributed anime art and other art pieces he just thought there were neat. There are also more than a few potted plants with sun lamps, mementos from various people and places, and a couple pride items. Varian, meanwhile provides upcycled ornaments or “useful” appliances he made from junkyard scraps. He also brings books, treasured gifts given to him by loved ones, some mementos from Germany, and some antiques he’s found from his original time period. Thanks to the Divine Air Conditioner, their room is always at a perfect temperature.
Ana's Room ( Close CR Only )
Tucked in another corner of the room is a little study area, with a simple desk and laptop with books piled in one corner. It's relatively neat, with a few folders and notebooks of coursework from classes she crashed - it's a random assortment of subjects, but most seem to be science based. There's a bookshelf tucked in next to that, which has some of her growing collection of personal books... And books on subjects she finds particularly interesting.
Beyond that is a small, but very comfy, couch also covered with pillows and a coffee table in front of it. The last section of the room has a little kitchenette area, enough to have a place to store her own personal snacks and things for visitors; specifically things her brothers or particularly close CR like. Also she always has some kind of plant or flowers in her room, through their placement varies.
Harumasa's Room (Close CR Only)
First of all, the entire room has ramps and walkways along the upper parts of the walls that are just big enough for a cat to comfortably walk along. This is for his sweet, darling cat named Phoebe. There are a couple of litter boxes, and a sizable cat tree complete with "condos" and perches stands near the bed. Two wicker baskets sit in an out-of-the-way corner of the room with one full of cat toys and the other full of dog toys. A German shepherd with a service dog vest on is generally at Harumasa's side, but sometimes she can be seen napping or playing with his Pokemon.
There's a comfortable-looking twin bed in the bedroom area that's always covered with green sheets. A simple nightstand is right next to it that has some pill bottles sitting on top of it. A dresser isn't too far away, equally simple, and there are comfortable enough rugs all over key parts of the floor. A computer desk sits nearby with an old laptop sitting on it and a comfortable chair for sitting at it. Sometimes a replica of Arjuna's Olympic jacket is draped over the back of the chair.
Sitting in the middle of the room is the most comfortable-looking couch anyone has ever laid eyes on. It's an L-shaped couch with soft cushions, fluffy throw pillows, and a soft, warm quilt hanging off the back of the couch. It's definitely covered in black fur despite Harumasa's best efforts to keep them clean. Strangely enough, it looks like the couch gets more use as a bed than the bed itself does. In front of the couch is a coffee table that has two lamps sitting on it. Whenever someone touches one lamp, the other one will light up like magic! In between the lamps is an elegant vase that holds well cared for sunflowers in it.
There is a kitchenette in the room and a small dining table to host guests. The table also has a simple yet elegant vase that's full of brightly colored flowers, though they change whenever they start to wilt. It has all the basics, and there's also a fridge in there. It'll have all sorts of food inside, some of which aren't even for him and are there for his siblings or friends when they come to visit him. There's also some medicine that needs to be kept cold on one of the shelves on the door. The freezer also has some food in there, including some things that aren't for him and are for when people come to visit.
The walls of his room have some movie posters on them, but the vast majority are framed photos. Pictures of interesting landmarks, beautiful views of Kaisou's pier at sunrise and sunset, and photos of himself with his friends and family hang from the wall in no particular order. There's also a poster of Arjuna from the 2024 Olympics, and a decorative replica of Arjuna's bow that hangs from his wall in a place of honor.
His Pokemon generally have free roam of his room and the common area outside. The following can be seen:
GUEST ROOM
The room contains the following:
The decor of the room has been made as pleasant and comfortable as possible. They even installed a window that's been enchanted to show sunlight and other views if you'd like. However if you look carefully, there's been a few crosses hung in hidden places around the room such as behind a wardrobe or a curtain. It's to protect from the demons okay. Demon guests will be warned of these crosses.
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Notably, the lighting is always very dim in his room and can be turned up or down with a knob. It seems this was done intentionally. Also of note, it seems to have many windows to the sea. It has a small kitchenette area that seemed to be used just for quick meals and specific cravings. He has a desk in a corner that is only touched every so often and seems to mainly be used to sit a tall, plain white candle that's lit every night and a laptop that's pretty old but still functional.
There is a sectioned off area dedicated to working out with a mat and punching bag as well as some medium sized weights. Laid on an end table next to the work out area are wrappings, a small towel and more often than not a bottle of water.
Also in his space are his two very friendly dogs, Tito an excited Boxer and Concha a sweet mini American Shepherd. Scattered around the place are just so, so, so many toys of the squeaky and rope variety,
When moving in he'd gotten a twin bed, but recently he splurged a little for a Full Sized bed. Dogs sleep on it too, you see.
It seems like a place that wants to truly be a home, has signs of the man living within it, but reluctance to believe he can stay.
GUILDMASTER'S OFFICE (public)
There's a nice professional desk in the middle, with a chair behind it and a couple of chairs in front for people to use in official meetings. A couple of locked filing cabinets are along one wall, next to a bookshelf with a few random books and some very neutral decor trinkets. Overall it's nowhere near as nice as Wriothesley's, and looks pretty much like someone recently decided they needed an office and filled in everything beyond the bare minimum by ordering IKEA's concept of professional decor.
The Aides du Meropide logo is on the door above a little plate that just says "Office". The door is locked when Maxima isn't inside, or much more rarely if he's meeting with someone and doesn't want to be disturbed, otherwise it's usually open when he's in there.