♪♬♫ 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
[
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
[
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
no subject
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.
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.
no subject
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 rolling office chair with a light pink cushion and a minifridge.
In the back corner is a pair of cat beds and a cat tree, used by Lia's Shinx and her ordinary cat. 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.
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's Room (Close CR Only)
The bedroom area has a twin-sized bed; a nightstand with a charging station for his phone and a framed photo of him and his dad; a wardrobe for his clothes; a fire-resistant doggie bed for Koukou the Fuecoco; and a small, simple shrine that has a cross, some prayer beads, and a bible. And of course, candles. Because Catholics love candles.
The Living Room Area has a small two-seat couch with some anime mascot plushies; a coffee table where his tablet regularly sits; a TV with a Nintendo Switch and a blu-ray player; a couple shelves worth of various anime; and a few select pieces of anime merch that Jun likes including a Magical Alisa figure. There's also a bird perch and a dedicated growlight for Yoichi the Shiny Rowlet.
The Study Area contains bookshelves that are filled with manga and various books that Jun's collected - mostly fictional. There's a desk that's half set up for college coursework and half set up for doing art. Depending on the day he'll either have his laptop there, or whatever art project he's currently working on. There's a armchair with a dedicated reading lamp that he regularly curls up and reads at.
Finally the Kitchenette is pretty basic, as Jun does eat most of his meals in the Fortress's cafeteria. He's got a mini-fridge, a microwave, a shelf with snacks and emergency cup noodles, and a coffee machine. There's a small dining table with a chair if he wants to eat a meal there, but that's usually only on days when he feels particularly unsocial.
There's also a bathroom attached to the room but, well, it's a bathroom not much to say there.
While the space is well kept and tidy, it's very much a product of Jun's eccentric personality. There's less a dedicated design theme and more a collection of decorations that Jun found interesting. This means the walls are covered in anime art, other art pieces Jun found neat, indoor plants of various kinds, mementos from various people and events, a couple small pride flags for gay and non-binary, weapons he's acquired (notably, NOT the holy blade he keeps that in hammerspace) and really just random stuff Jun thinks is neat. There is also a section of the wall that is covered in numerous decorative crosses he's collected. Because of course there is.
Varian's (Store) Room
Currently, Varian only stays in Meropide during the weekends- eventually, he'll move in permanently, but for now, he is a weekend cryptid. It should be noted that Varian doesn't actually sleep in this room - unless you count times where he might pass out from overworking, which most people... would not. He stays with Jun when he's in the fortress. He uses this room as a place to store inventions, tools, scrap metal and honestly anything that he'd be tripping over if he left it in his forge.
His room is pretty sparce- and has the air or someone who put the damn thing together chaotically at best. He uses the fortress's existing pipes as bookshelves and his desk seems to be a plank of wood he attached to the wall with rope. He has a little kitchenette but this is filled with various chemicals bubbling away which are... probably best not touched. There's a small bathroom to one side.
In one corner he has a twin bed which Varian himself does not sleep in. His raccoon, Ruddiger, his Zigzagoon, Newton and his Pachirisu Edison usually sleep on the bed in a pile when they're in the Fortress. One of the walls has a chalkboard on it for when for when Varian needs to scribble some insane equation or idea when it comes to him. For personal items, it's largely textbooks, a clothes rack and a few half-finished inventions and tools strewn about.
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. 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.
His Pokemon generally have free roam of his room and the common area outside. The following can be seen: