decadentjackal: shrimpstory

ABOUT

After the harrowing events of his childhood, Osprey once vowed he would never return to his icy homeworld, Eldis. Instead, he'd kept his head down, transferring to the central regions of the Empire to serve as a knight to one of the Empire's lesser lords, a frail youth that he finds himself falling for against his better judgment.

His lord, Lilian, seems determined to spite Osprey along with his own fate. Despite his ill health, Lilian is as much a schemer as the rest of his family. Through a bit of underhanded persuasion, he manages to secure a position governing one of the Empire's seemingly useless provinces— Osprey's home world.

The frigid wasteland is not all it seems; beneath the surface runs a network of geothermal channels. In these rich, warm waters live the Rækju. Worshipped as godlike entities by the humans who have settled there for generations, these centuries-old creatures possess powers beyond human understanding. To the desperate and ailing Lilian, they hold promise— for healing and power, whatever the cost. To Osprey, they bring only painful reminders of the devastation they're capable of.

in progress / 2024-current

^{By Flowerspots}

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AUs & Side Stories | References & Lore | Gallery | Playlists

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CAST

Lilian Sylvanis

Despite his physical frailty, he is a willful boy, desperate to overcome his limits and willing to employ whatever manipulation he can to achieve his ends. Whether or not he means what he says is debatable, but he is capable of affection, infuriating as his ways of showing it might be.

Age: 18-19 || Animal: cat (and shrimp) || Height: 5'7"-> taller when shrimpy || Orientation: gay || Occupation: a lord || MBTI: INFJ ||
Sign: ☀️♐︎/🌙 ♒︎ Colors: plum, mauve, sunset red

Likes
novelty, snow, the strange and unfamiliar; multidimensional pleasures; Osprey

Dislikes
hot weather; chronic pain; his own weakness and limitations; most of his blood relatives

Osprey Kierkannen

Possessive, resentful, entitled, and overly-protective, he is by no means the sort of person suited for the submission of knighthood. Still, he has chosen his path, and none can sway him from it, even if a part of him still knows he was meant for greater things. He hopes to kill that part of him eventually; Perhaps with enough debasement, he can.

Age: 25-26 || Animal: Osprey / dog || Height: 5'10" || Orientation: gay (top cursed to bottom) || MBTI: ??? ||
Sign: ☀️♋︎ /🌙 ♍︎ Colors: grey, bronze, white

Likes
woodsmoke; warm baths; Lilian (unfortunately)

Dislikes
The Raekju; his home planet; cold; Anyone who looks at Lilian the wrong way

Betony Sylvanis

Lilian's older cousin and longtime rival, and a continual disappointment to his father. Betony pursued an education in biochemistry, where he spent much of his time at university sleeping around and indulging in substances (most of which he created himself). Though he tries to act otherwise, he's extremely insecure and hates being underestimated. Deep down, what he wants is to be loved and admired, but he has a tendency to look for it in all the wrong places...

Age: 26-27 || Animal: cat || Height: 5'11" || Orientation: gay || Occupation: lord AND biochemist || MBTI: ESFP || Sign: ☀️♌︎ /🌙 ?
Colors: blue, silver, black

Likes
science; leather (it's vegan, and so is he); sex and drugs ^_^

Dislikes
his father; being ignored; being alone; taking off his gloves

SECONDARY CAST

Mylos Krueger

25 || knight || 6'0" || ♎︎
Betony's knight. A kind boy with a warm smile who seems to make everything a little brighter with his presence. Once a friend to Osprey during their Academy years training as knights, he has contented himself with his life as Betony's knight. Even if life as a knight is a short one, he's lived well, and he loves Betony for all that he is. He'd like to think he's made both Osprey and Betony better people by his influence. It's not a savior complex or anything, he's just that type of guy...

Orris Sylvanis

late 50s || lord || 6'1" || ♊︎︎
Lilian's uncle, and Betony's father. Truly a piece of work in every way. Loves to lounge on the veranda, tan, drink heavily, and generally be a terrible father/ guardian. Cycles through knights at a suspicious pace because he loves a nice young piece of armcandy. Manipulative, backstabbing drama queen, even and especially with members of his own family. gaslight gatekeep girlboss!

Aeskja

~800-1000 years old || raekju. a giant shrimp-god || 20 meters long? big? || his astrological sign is a mystery
His human form is an illusion, but he wanted to fit in the frame, ok

AUs & Side Stories

✷ The Prince of Nothing & The Lord of Nowhere ✷
{10k words, complete} ✷ {An Omegaverse arranged marriage AU}
Originally written for OMEGATOWN (a free dystopian omegaverse-themed zine)

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^{Across the great Empire beyond Osprey’s small, ice-bound world, alphas, along with the practice of breeding, have long since been lost to the ages. His own world remains a distant holdout of a bygone era, himself a living relic. Though he is a prince, and his intended a former lord of the Empire, both are seemingly helpless against the shadowed forces that shape Osprey’s forgotten world as much as the pull of their own physical connection.}
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REFERENCES AND LORE

^{A ref sheet for Lilian (& Osprey). Click to full view!}

^{Osprey's decorative knight armor and underlayers. Click to full view!}

^{The Oaths every knight who serves a lord of the Empire must take...}

GALLERY

✷ Part I: Edelmire ✷

On the pretense of his upcoming birthday, Lilian visits his uncle Orris at his childhood home, Edelmire. With Osprey in tow, he must hide his true motivations: acquiring for himself the governorship of the frozen frontier-world, Eldis. Unfortunately, the rest of Lilian's family is just as treacherous as he is, and his fussy, overprotective knight is suspicious of his intentions.

✷ The Duel✷

The aftermath of a duel to the death, in which Osprey loses control (and loses an old friend). A short test comic of a scene that has since changed a bit (and was drawn pre-Mylos) but here it is for posterity.

✷ Lilian & Aeskja ✷

Abducted in secret and assumed dead, Lilian finds himself imprisoned in the temple of the rækju named Aeskja. With no choice but to give in to the godlike creature's demands, Lilian is transformed to suit the beast's purposes and taken as his mate. Though Aeskja's true intentions remain a mystery, he tempts him with illusions and pleasures beyond the human imagination.

✷ Betony & Osprey ✷

Meanwhile, Osprey is left to the mercy of Lilian's cousin, Betony. What starts as revenge becomes something... else.
(vaguely skipping over plot details, so just enjoy their cartoon sadomasochistic power struggles roughly in chronological order, including Betony cutting his hair)

✷ Lilian & Osprey Reunited ✷

After finally seizing his chance to search for Lilian, Osprey discovers that Lilian is not only alive, but has been taken as the Rækju's mate (to him, a fate worse than death.) After trying and failing to take him off-planet, Osprey has no choice but to accept that the boy he loves has become inextricably tied to the creature he hates and fears most. Still, there is a silver lining: Lilian is no longer his lord, and Osprey is no longer bound to serve him nor obey laws regarding their sexual relationship.