dios-multiverse

[dios-multiverse]

to her. (poem)

i saw your face in a cloud about two moons ago.

you were fluffy,

as you'd been.

you did not smile at me;

god knows i wouldn't either.

you were somehow steel and cotton,

industrial and pastoral,

hard and unforgiving

yet soft and malleable.

have you forgiven me yet?

i know i never did right by you.

i never did right by us.

i saw you.

i met you.

i loved you.

you left me.

i love you.

do you still love me?

does it still hurt?

i can still picture us:

playing down by the river.

smiling, laughing.

thinking we could have the world.

knowing deep down we couldn't.

it's odd, ain't it?

being so young,

but already microdosing

on pessimism.

once upon a time,

i think we tried.

we tried to live our dream.

we practically begged for it.

but life got in the way

and i had to let you go.

i look at the sky once more

and see you there again.

you have tears in your eyes.

i try desperately to reach out to you

but my arms are too short to touch the sky.

instead, i replicate your face,

and tell you

hoping you'll hear me:

i'm sorry.

i'm sorry.

i'm sorry.

time has not been kind to us.

but we will make it out.

[dios-multiverse]

apotheosis

word count: 2.5k

rated "t"; content warning for mild body horror elements, and a general warning for bolded dialogue without quotation marks.

character(s): manfred von karma, original non-human character

cross-posted to ao3.

title plain-text: "apotheosis"

apotheosis

ə-pŏth″ē-ō′sĭs, ăp″ə-thē′ə-sĭs

noun;

Exaltation to divine rank or stature; deification.

The fact or action of becoming or making into a god.

❀❀❀

He’d come here often; “his mind palace”, as many had called it. It was modeled in the same fashion as the gothic mansions and shadowed castles he had once been so familiar with, but in all white, like the imperfect man’s vision of heaven. Long winding halls with high ceilings, stone floors that echoed with every step, concrete pillars gilt to the point of impeccable and inhuman shininess. Not a speck of dust could be seen anywhere, and the longer he envisioned this place, the more concrete it became.

It was his refuge and his strength. 

In this place, he was at his best. The world was in order, and he could truly achieve anything.

Still, there was something off about this domain of familiarity. There was a presence that he had never sensed in his sanctuary before. Still, he paid it no mind. This was his space. If there was an intruder, it would have better sense than to harm or confront him.  

He continued his stroll down the ever-lengthening hall to the materializing bedroom, cane tapping on the cold floors as he walked. The room had the same white walls and high ceilings as the rest of this place, but with paintings of von Karma ancestors in gold frames lining the entryway and heavy wooden furniture. There was a bookshelf along the south wall which contained records of all his courtroom victories, if he ever wanted to sit back and reminisce, and a desk at which to do this reading. 

In the center of the room was a large four-poster bed with drapes hanging lazily off of each pole, connecting them to one another. The bed had plush sheets and pillows, wonderful for resting after a long day investigating or perhaps a well-deserved win in court.   

In total the room was a nearly perfect inverted-color replica of his own room in the real world, save for the minor details, but he could always fix that. Even in his game of pretend, he would follow his routine. 

Carefully, he walked over to the white vanity that appeared as he willed it. Sitting down, he picked up the thin eyeliner pencil sitting on the table’s surface. 

Everything about it was as perfect as he was. It fulfilled its exact purpose in his life and he admired its simple efficiency at its task. The pencil asked no questions, refused no work, and was diligent in serving him, unlike some people outside of this place of tranquility who disrupted his routines and annoyed him day in and out. 

As he uncapped the pencil, he gazed at himself in the mirror, its frame flecked with golden accents, only to be met with unfamiliar eyes. He looked away immediately.

They were his own, only, the sclerae and pupils glowed an eerie whitish blue.

Manfred. 

The intruder could speak, was it?

Looking past his reflection, he searched the empty and lifeless environs behind him. There was nothing to see, save for his bed and desk. “What could you possibly want, disturbing me like this?” He was irritated, and scowled at the mirror.

He still did not see the intruder, but felt its cold, wet breath on his neck. Instinctively, he jolted away from it. 

Running away already? I thought you of all people would be willing to stand me. Its voice sounded far off and echoed with a strange cacophony tinging each word. 

“I assure you, I can withstand many things. I simply despise any foolish coward who will not have the decency to show their face.”

Even with all the confidence he tried to exude, Manfred was anxious. 

Nervous, young man? 

Reaching for his cane, he thought of it as something perhaps a bit more deadly with more weight on it; some kind of weapon. Its form changed in an instant.  

I’m not here to hurt you. On the contrary. I’m here to give you a reward. 

Finally, the figure materialized. It was nothing like he’d ever encountered here, so he knew he had not imagined it. 

It had four eyes, two stacked on two, with the same eerie glow as his own. It had wavy, white hair that came down to its top pair of shoulders, and it had four arms. Its skin was gray, nearly corpse-like, but it appeared to be smooth to the touch. The figure’s wings, black and bony, stretched out over its head with a strange and grotesque beauty. 

The creature’s body was thin, so much so that its rib cage was visible beneath the tight skin. Its four arms were gangly, inhumanly long, and had thin hands with clawed fingers on the ends. It showed its perfectly too sharp teeth in a cruel smile of its too-wide mouth, like someone had taken a blade to its face and given it a Glasgow smile. 

On the whole, it was positively grotesque and skeletal.

Yet, even with these horrifying alterations, it was oddly familiar.

He was not afraid. No. He had no reason to be afraid. Hesitantly, he imagined his cane back in its original form. 

See, you’re already using the ability we gave you! You’re a natural at this, Manfred.

“I imagine you know why my eyes are glowing,” he said, flatly. It was less of a question and more of a command to explain. 

Wait… We? Just what was this thing referring to?

Well—

Manfred interrupted.

“Before you answer, and you will answer” — Absently, he noticed that his voice had taken on a new depth and echo that previously had not been there— “just whom are these others that you are referring to when you say ‘we’?”

The other gods, of course, the figure spoke, shrugging, as if these were normal things to say and not absolutely world-shattering revelations.

Manfred had never considered himself overly skeptical, since he knew there were strange forces in this world that even the most skilled con man could not talk his way into explaining, like the spirits he has seen floating around him ever since… 

Occasionally, vital pieces of evidence would appear after he willed them to. But that was just luck combined with his undeniable and infallible investigative prowess. 

Or could it be…?

Many things were clicking all at once, but seemed like concrete facts of his existence.

“Tell me more about this ability. Now.”

Pushy. The figure rolled its eyes (somehow) but prepared nonetheless to speak. 

You’ve always been special, yes? Have you ever wondered just why that might be?

Manfred stared blankly. He did not come to play Twenty Questions. He wanted answers.

Ugh, fine. As it happens, you, my dear boy, are descended from a divine lineage. Literally. You have been referred to as the God of Prosecution before. It was partially true. You are, by some measure, a god, wrapped in human flesh as you may be; Karma herself blessed your family line, eons ago.

“A god? Of what? Spit it out,” he spat.

I don’t quite know.

Manfred was taken aback. Allegedly, he was divine (he would have guessed as much, even without help, but perhaps that was his ego), but had an unorganized set of powers with no clear domain attached. 

Somehow, even in divinity, the ultimate level of existence, he was imperfect. The thought ate at him.

I’m not sure if you knew, but even this place, your “mind palace” as you and others may have put it, is not just a figment of your imagination. It’s a literal pocket dimension. You created this dimension.

In confusion, he thought back to every time he explained his thought process to his wife. She always said she understood, but perhaps not as strongly. This boosted his ego more than anything. 

He believed he was special. He believed he was above others. And now that he had confirmation of that fact, it felt…  bittersweet? It was an emotion and a sentiment he was largely unfamiliar with.

“Pocket dimension?” 

Manfred. You live in a world where spirit mediums are real and can channel the dead. Yet the idea of a pocket dimension confuses you?

“I am not confused.”

You are. But you’ll learn in time.

The being (it deserved to be upgraded to that at least.) crossed its long, slender legs in the air where it floated, and observed him as he paced the floor, cane tapping all the while. 

He muttered to himself, despite his aversion to it.

Am I dreaming? Or perhaps I’ve finally succumbed to a stress-induced state of delusion? Am I dying? What was it that the others always said to me…? That I would work myself to death and then down into Hell?

He continued pacing, having upgraded to chewing the nails on his free hand. In truth, it did not help him grapple with any of this, but he figured lashing out would be less than ideal. Though he was loath to admit it, he was very clearly not the one here with the leverage or power.

Damn it all!

Regardless of his personal feelings, what of his family? How would they fare in all of this? His children were young, and though he knew his wife was capable and there were plenty of staff in their home, he was afraid they would be lacking in a stable familial life were he to go through with this.

After a few more minutes of this, the deity spoke again. 

Are you ready for your final ascension?

“No. I have more questions.”

Go on.

“I may not have a domain, but you do. That fact would be obvious to any half-witted fool. What is it?” He may have actually tried to phrase this as a polite question, but it seemed as though everything to leave his mouth sounded more like a command. 

I am a god of death. However, there are many of us in the family. I just so happen to be the most qualified for this. It’s the reason I was able to come here without your invitation.

“My invitation?”

Yes. If you were to call upon any being while here in your world, they would be brought here immediately, regardless of the situation. It is a power you should use very wisely.

When would he possibly use his power unwisely? Even after this long conversation, it still failed to realize who he was? No matter. He had no time to dwell on foolish things such as this. 

“Do you have a name?”

No. None of us do. Only the lucky few, such as yourself, who were born into human bodies, were able to get such a luxury. We were forgotten too soon.

“What exactly does this transformation entail?”

That question is not one that can be answered through mere words.

What a cheap fake out. If the being wished not to answer, it simply could have said so. No matter. It was probably better off that some things remained a mystery until the right time. Curiosity could only be properly satisfied through discovery; no amount of talk could replace experience.

Manfred pressed on, nearing the end of his barrage of thoughts turned questions. 

“How does this affect my family?” He was essentially ready to accept his full divinity, but he needed to know they would come to no harm. 

It doesn’t. You will return home practically unchanged. 

“What?”

Stop asking so many damn questions! The deity flung its arms out in exasperation and took a deep breath. Just know that your life will henceforth be different, even though it seems like nothing has happened. And maybe you’ll have heightened physical resilience. But that’s a gamble.

Manfred just sighed. Not in defeat, just weariness. This charade was getting old, like a particularly uncooperative witness.

“Fine. I’m ready. I just find all this preamble to be so tedious. Go on. Get on with it.”

This may hurt.

In an instant, he felt every bone in his body creak and break in ways they had never done. His perspective changed a million times, then a million more, from inside his form to outside, to directly behind, and he saw his body contort in and on itself from above, as though he were not present, and grow strange limbs and appendages he previously did not have: eyes in all the wrong places, feathers and claws, horns of varying lengths and degrees of sharpness. He could see a similarly blue light to the one in his eyes emanating from himself, and a ghostly apparition split itself from his writhing form before being forced back in. His skin changed color all over the spectrum of visible light, and glowed forebodingly.

Suddenly, the light behind his eyes caused the room to grow brighter, to the point of blinding. Yet, as soon as the light seemed to cause a complete supernova-esque explosion of white, it went completely dark. 

❀❀❀

He was in immense amounts of pain, but back inside his own body. He could feel that he was curled up in a fetal position, something he hadn’t been able to accomplish in many years. When he noticed this, he also noted that he was floating in some… liquid. He prayed, ironically, that it would not stain his suit or mess up his hair.

Was he being reborn? 

He maybe should have realized earlier that perhaps being exalted to divine rank would be a bit like this. He was supposed to be a genius, for goodness’ sake!

It did not matter. Soon, he would be elevated beyond the scope of anyone’s imagination. He would be immortal. He could continue on crushing the criminals and the defense attorneys who thought they stood a chance against him for all eternity. 

As if on cue, a speck of light appeared. 

Was this it? The moment he had been waiting for even before he knew he was divine?

Deification. The voice of his unexpected guest had returned. 

The darkness dissipated and he emerged sitting on his bed with his cane laying next to him.

“What now?”

That’s it. Go and see yourself.

Slowly, Manfred grabbed his cane and moved carefully off the bed and onto the floor. Once his feet and cane were on the ground, he stood up and walked to the vanity once more. The eyeliner pencil from before remained, as did all of the ornamentation. There in the mirror were his eyes, still white-blue, though a bit diminished in their brilliance… and an uncanny glow to his skin. It was as if he was being lit from behind by a spotlight. 

“My eyes. Will they remain this way, even after I leave?” he asked, only slightly uncertain now if this had been a smart idea.

No. However, should you intentionally use your power again, they will glow. Be wise with it.

In all honesty, Manfred felt no different than he did previously. Perhaps it would be wise to say that he had already achieved some level of divinity beforehand, and that this was his confirmation. His perfection was limitless, just as it already was. Now he was truly above others. He could bend his reality to his will. He’d reached the top of existence. The logical limit and illogical extreme of all things.

So why did he still feel… empty?

[dios-multiverse]

GAY DICORCE !!!!

[dios-multiverse]

weird little ficlet/idea that i’m kinda just workin out for fun and probably won’t do too much with . it’s shingou </3

“russian roulette is not the same without a gun” (391 words)

this is what it felt like: the two of them, sitting across from one another at a table with a gun directly between. each one of them spins the barrel, and narrowly misses being shot.

both of them would be too focused on the game to actually ruminate on what was hanging over their heads and in the air.

that is what it should have been. it would have been much safer that way.

but here’s what it was: the two of them sitting across from one another, late at night; much too late for either of them to explain why they were with the other. there was no gun. no bullet to avoid by luck alone. still, something just as awful was at stake:

dignity. pride. a creed that was to be upheld no matter what.

which of them would fall first?

better yet: how quickly would they both fall?

both men knew the other was risky. no doubt about it. yet there was a sick fascination. both wanted to test the other; see what made him tick. it was only a matter of time before one of them blew up.

gregory made the first move, cordially. “why did you invite me here, manfred? we both are very busy men, and as delightful as it is to see you, surely it could have waited until a more reasonable hour?” the words were weighted with condescension. to manfred, at least.

manfred scoffed in response. “don’t call me that, edgeworth. and don’t question me. you forget your place.”

still, this lacked his signature edge. it wasn’t as harsh as he’d intended. he was unbearably tired, and it showed.

vaguely, he recalled what he’d looked like in the mirror that morning, just hours before: disheveled, eye bags shadowing his under-eyes, hair unkempt and out of place. those few hours now seemed like millennia.

manfred had spent the entire night tossing and turning, losing precious sleep and focus… all because of the man sitting across from him.

what was it that made that blasted edgeworth so hard to not think about? why was he taking over his thoughts? how had he lost their game?

perhaps it was that his luck had run out. perhaps this was the spin that ended with a bang.

he pulled the trigger, and by god did the gun fire.

[dios-multiverse]

untitled no. 1

i want to punch something

but i don’t want to break my rings

i want to yell about everything

but i can’t handle the pain that comes after

i want to bite sometimes

but i really need my teeth

i want to run away

but my legs don’t work too good

i want to love

but my fragile heart can’t handle it

and i want

and i want

and i want

i want to be divine

and never feel the pain of being forgotten

i want to build a world

and destroy it in one go

i want to be in control

i want to be in control

i want this broken record to heal itself

and i want these bones to reform their skeleton

and i need to be powerful

so i can help my friends

i need to have the power of change

and hold it in my hands

i need to have more of life

and keep it safe and sound

i need

i need

i need

i need to be right

and i want to be heard

and i will grasp at straws until it’s done.

[dios-multiverse]

OH MY GOD I JUST REALIZED.... IT'S KORI'S BIRTHDAY TODAY...

OH I'M SUCH A BAD CREATOR :(

[dios-multiverse]

care: a not safe for school poem

(under the cut as to not clog the dash)

i remember you.

i remember the way you held me.

i remember the way i thought you cared.

i remember the shit i believed i would do for you.

i remember how i'd jump for joy at the mention of you.

i remember the gentle way you told your lies and weaved your tall tales.

i remember the spirit that always seemed to hang around you.

i remember your skin.

i remember who the fuck i though you were then.

i remember how big you were. so much bigger than i'll ever be.

i remember mourning you.

i remember grieving the person i saw drifting away.

i remember the day i had to stop loving you.

[dios-multiverse]

changing my url from headlineworthy to dios-multiverse!

[dios-multiverse]

10 fun(-ish) side things about the tddup gang!

Jay and Nikki's parents started out by fake dating and then getting married for non-romantic reasons. Said relationship started as what their mother deemed a "prank".

Jay has a scar on the left side of his jaw, but it has nothing to do with the family business.

Neither Kori nor Jay has a favorite food. When asked, they usually reply with whatever they ate last, in the event they enjoyed it.

Naomi became a published author at age 24, but struggled to "replicate the magic" of her first published novel for a while afterwards. She's highly self-critical in that aspect.

Most, if not all, TDDUP characters have siblings. In fact, they come from families with 2 - 4 kids. The character who has the most siblings canonically is Kori's mother, Camille, with 8, though four are half-siblings through her mother.

Jay *hates* his legal name, but claims he can never change it because of the "sentimental value".

Mario and Jay actually lived together for awhile when they dated, but eventually had to live separately again for both of their sanity.

Jay's first ever partner was actually his childhood best friend, a girl named Felicity. They broke up on amicable terms, but remained friends, and she was invited to his + Kori's wedding.

Twice before Jay, Kori had nearly been married twice, once immediately her senior year of high school, and a second time during college. She claims she has bad luck when it comes to serious relationships.

Both Jay and Nikki were involved in theatre as kids, and often appeared in productions together. When asked who they think the better actor was/is, they never agree, claiming the other is better. (they're besties, okay?)

[dios-multiverse]

'Til Death Do Us Part Character Refs!

these are just basic info about the more prominent/recurring characters. more specific details will be in separate posts or answers to asks! note: all character ages and relationship statuses are as of september 2018, since that's the rough estimate of when this tale takes place

our lovely protags ~

Jaycen (Jay/Jayce) H. December:

- gender: male

- sexuality: bisexual

- age: 30 years old

- date of birth: April 29, 1988 (astrological sign: taurus.)

- race/ethnicity: black/african-american and white

- relationship status: married to Korina December

- eye color: dark brown

- hair color: strawberry blonde

- occupation: assassin

- favorite color: blue

- previously mentioned fav. color is specifically the blue from the bi flag

Korina (Kori) H. December:

- never ask about his younger brother

☆☆☆

- gender: female

- sexuality: biromantic heterosexual (split attraction model explains her id the best, lol) if she's asked, she just says she's bi with a preference for men *shrug*

- age: 28/29 years old

- date of birth: September 19, 1989 (astrological sign: virgo)

- maiden name: Korina Haruka* Ishikawa

*this is a name she had as a baby. is written on official birth certificate or any legal documentation as a middle name.*

- race/ethnicity: white and asian (japanese)

- relationship status: married to Jayce Hakim December

- eye color: green

- hair color: black

- occupation: accountant (in the literal sense! not the slang term, though we support sw here)

- favorite color: green

- has one child from a previous relationship, a ten y/o son named Kaito. jay does not know that kaito is kori's son.

☆☆☆

most relevant side charas

Mario G. Saunders

- gender: male

- sexuality: homosexual

- age: 28 years old

- date of birth: October 26, 1989 (astrological sign: scorpio)

- race/ethnicity: white

- eye color: hazel

- hair color: dark brown (not quite black, but very close)

- relationship status: single

- favorite color: purple

- occupation: unemployed (he's rich and takes his parents' money. he doesn't need a job /hj)

- jay's ex and the younger brother of kori's former friend, lorraine

☆☆☆

Nikita (Nikki/Nik) S. December

- gender: female

- sexuality: panromantic demisexual

- age: 27

- date of birth: June 5, 1991 (astrological sign: gemini)

- race/ethnicity: black/african-american and white

- eye color: hazel

- hair color: black

- relationship status: single

- jay's younger sister and one of his closest friends

- favorite color: sunflower yellow (specifically.)

- occupation: assassin (it's a family business, alr?)

- will kick anyone who asks jay about their younger brother

☆☆☆

Naomi (Nomi) K. Lin

- gender: female

- sexuality: bisexual - age: 27

- date of birth: November 6, 1990 (astrological sign: scorpio)

- race/ethnicity: black/african-american and asian (chinese)

- eye color: hazel

- hair color: black

- relationship status: single

- favorite color: lavender

- occupation: author!

- kori's best friend and closest confidant

- mother of eight month old twins named michael and mae

[dios-multiverse]

hello! call me d, or dio. this [gestures around the place] is my writing sideblog.

i am black, a minor, and a pansexual nonbinary person. those are the most important things to note here.

my main is @genderqueer-karma ! feel free to follow me there, if you want!

most of my writings are original works, though some are fandom-related. i occasionally post on ao3! (i do not control the characters i find comfort in [that is a warning]. if i write about a character, assume that i care them a lot.)

while you're here, explore some of my most valued and treasured (original) works, which you can find out about via the featured tags, as well my blurbs about them below

#tddup 'verse - aka 'Til Death Do Us Part. Jay and Kori December are newlyweds who both finally get their happily ever after with each other. Or so they think. Not long into their marriage, tragedy strikes and their worlds are flipped upside-down. As deadly family secrets and people from both of their pasts start coming back up, it leaves them wondering if death will truly do them part. (semi realistic fiction)

#painting 'verse - aka The Princess and the Painting (working title). After the mysterious deaths of both the King and Queen of Dionne, a small nation on the continent of Darion, the land is thrown into absolute turmoil. Princess Cassidia, the monarchs' daughter, is too young to take the throne. Still, she is tasked with figuring out: a) who killed her parents, b) why they did that, and c) how to absolutely kick that person's ass. However, not long into her journey, she is trapped inside a painting within her home and her objective is shifted to one thing: survive. (fantasy)

#leo + vi - (untitled). Leonardo is at the top of his game, the CEO of a major information processing company. On the surface it seems like he has everything he could possibly want: money, power, a loving daughter. The works. However, when someone threatens to reveal the truth about him and his daughter, Violeta, he must decide what some things are truly worth. (modern fantasy)

#evil guy loves his silly little daughter. more at 11 - (untitled). Marino runs Circuit City with an iron grip. He's been able to maintain control for years. He's evil, he knows it, and he's unafraid to show it. Still, he has morals... and a precious daughter for whom he'd go to the ends of the earth. If something were to happen to her, it'd be the end of a lot of people's worlds. (fantasy/superhero/slice of life)

------

that's it! all other works are fanworks, poems, or aren't as developed as the above, so they'll go in the miscellaneous bin til further notice. ciao <3