#JudahOC
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iris-j-verblenk.bsky.social
November 3rd: "influence"

We're finally entering #JudahOC 's training arc!

#SteepedInShadow

#WIPSnips #WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts #Novel #NovelWriting #Writer #FemaleWriter #AmWriting #UrbanFantasy
Sure, he knew he was still himself, but he still had holes in his memory and no idea what kind of shit these mad scientists did to his brain. For that reason, he had lessons with a strong telepath every day for two hours, and he got out of those with a headache and his limbs feeling like Jell-O most of the time. Adrian had told him it was because using an Immortal's powers always came with a downside: it took a toll on the body as well. Like overusing a muscle group you couldn't actually see. But his new friend had promised him it would get better the more his body adapted to the drain. Ismail—the telepath—had taught him how to shield himself from stray thoughts, how to detect it when someone tried to influence his mind or even attack it. He'd made it sound like they were all walking computers and could hack each other anytime, and in a way, Judah mused, it wasn't so different.
November 3, 2026 at 10:52 AM
iris-j-verblenk.bsky.social
November 2nd: "attempt"

#JudahOC wants something back...

#SteepedInShadow

#WIPSnips #WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts #Novel #NovelWriting #Writer #FemaleWriter #AmWriting #UrbanFantasy
"Is there any chance I can go back to the lab to retrieve something?" he asked. "I'm sorry, no," Duvac declined, shaking his head. "But we have an investigative unit there to clear out all the documents, blood samples, medicines, and such. If you tell me what it is you want, I can forward the message and have them look for it." Judah slouched in disappointment; he wasn't even sure if his stuff was still in that duffle bag, or if it had been relocated alongside him at all. But if that's the only way he could at least attempt to get his leather jacket back, then he had to try. "A scuffed, brown leather jacket," he said. "It might be in a black duffle bag with a frayed handle." "I'll tell them," Duvac promised, and then left the room.
November 2, 2026 at 10:26 AM
iris-j-verblenk.bsky.social
October 27th: "spooky"
Well... we're doing vibes today!

#DuvacOC meets 𝗮̶ 𝗰̶𝗿̶𝘆̶𝗽̶𝘁̶𝗶̶𝗱̶ #JudahOC.

#WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts #SteepedInShadow #Romantasy #UrbanFantasy

(I'll have more to share soon, as I plan on diving back into the grind in November!)
As Duvac continued to scan the hallway for the perpetrator, the light finally fell upon it. For a moment, Duvac didn't even know what he saw; his brain tried to make sense of it, but… It was a shadow in the shape of a man, elongated limbs, digitigrade legs, a tail, and fingers tipped with deadly curved claws that dripped black liquid. It had entirely too many teeth, all of them razor-sharp like those of a shark, and its eyes were of a venomous green that glowed in the darkness like two emeralds. If this was an immortal, it certainly wasn't like any he'd ever seen. "Have you come to hurt me too?" the creature asked, its voice a dark warble. There were layers to that voice: the innocence of a young man, a few licks of insanity, instability, and a darkness that Duvac could only describe as devoid of any emotion. "Not if you don't attack me first," Duvac answered. "I'm here to get you out."
October 27, 2026 at 8:53 AM
iris-j-verblenk.bsky.social
#JudahOC can be a bit difficult at times.

Makes me want to shake him, but what can I say, he has very justified issues.

#WritingCommunity #WriteSky #WIP #SteepedInShadow #UrbanFantasy #Romantasy
"It's Ismail's birthday," Adrian heard himself say as he tied up his still-wet hair in a bun. "We're having a party; want to come?" Judah fixed his hair with a few well-placed strokes of his fingers before turning to him. "I barely know the guy," Judah said. "How can that be?" Adrian countered. "You're meeting with him every day for a few hours, and you're telling me you never talk?" "I'm there for telepathy and shield training," Judah said, shrugging. "That doesn't really lend itself to small talk." "Yeah, but—" Adrian began, then stopped and shook his head. "Don't you want to make friends? I mean, you're one of us now, an Immortal; you're going to know a lot of the people you meet here for centuries to come." Something tightened in Judah's gaze, and Adrian instantly regretted having spoken up. He should've known better than to push it. "Am I, though?" Judah asked. "Because it doesn't feel like it." "That's because you're not even trying," Adrian answered. "What difference does it make?" Judah's voice rose slightly, turning a few heads in the locker room. "If I'm deemed too dangerous to be left alive, I'll just cause everyone grief, so until I'm out of this fucking limbo, I'd rather keep my distance." He grabbed his hoodie, slammed the locker door closed with a metallic clang, and marched out.
November 3, 2026 at 1:52 PM
iris-j-verblenk.bsky.social
#LGBTQWriteAThon October 22:

"Pounded in the butt by the golden-retriever coded werewolf who wooed me into loving him (I'm still mad)." 🤣

#queerwriters #writingcommunity #lgbtqwriters
#SteepedInShadow #JudahOC #AdrianOC
amaralynn.bsky.social AmaraJLynn 🦹 Fire & Feathers on BK NOW! @amaralynn.bsky.social · 12d
#LGBTQWriteAThon October 22: It's the one, the only, TINGLER YOUR TITLE day. Retitle your book like a Chuck Tingle book, aka "Pounded in the Butt by..." (or not pounded, we love our ace buckaroos)

@rebeccafrostwrites.com #queerwriters #writingcommunity #lgbtqwriters
#LGBTQWRITEATHON Use the tag and follow the feed on Bluesky! Tag @lgbtqwriteathon in photos on Instagram! October 22: tingler your title Hosts: Bluesky: @amaralynn, @rebeccafrostwrites.com Instagram: @lgbtqwriteathon, @amaralynn, @krakengoddess [Image description: fall decor including Jack o lanterns and bats on a soft orange background]
October 23, 2026 at 11:10 AM
iris-j-verblenk.bsky.social
#VPRedFriday

#KôjinOC is the last Alaar awake and the oldest Immortal around right now. As such, he is the only one who might have answers to many of #JudahOC 's questions.

#SteepedInShadow #Dora'sVP #VPSupport #VPInspired #VPRepost #BG3VP #VirtualPhotography #WriteSky #WritingCommunity
Kôjin is a red-haired man with a black shirt. He is partially hidden by flames.
October 16, 2026 at 2:51 PM
iris-j-verblenk.bsky.social
#AwesomeCharacters
Considering money was tight, #JudahOC thrifted most of his clothes. Back in his hometown he knew the best spots and the times to get the jump on some nearly new stuff.

He still kept his wardrobe pretty tidy, a few jeans, a few shirts, a few hoodies. Never more than he needed.
charliedeltawrites.bsky.social 🫜🍂 Charlie (Chelizabeth) Delta 🦊🫜 @charliedeltawrites.bsky.social · 19d
Tell me about your #AwesomeCharacters

Where does your character get their clothes?

High end boutique? Little market stall? Second-hand store? Make it themselves? Hand-me-downs?

Are they happy with them, or do they wish for something else?

#WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts
October 15, 2026 at 10:36 PM
iris-j-verblenk.bsky.social
#LitHodgepodge 14
CW: gore
I loooooove Metaphors and Similes!

It's literally my favorite thing to write.

So here are two examples. 1st one is from Chapter 2.
#DuvacOC finding #JudahOC in the lab.

2nd one is from Chapter 6, where Judah remembers his turning.

#SteepedInShadow
As he continued to move, he expected the light to get brighter, the hallway to be illuminated to a degree that'd bother him. But instead— Darkness awaited him. This wasn't just any darkness, not just the absence of light. It was as though the shadows themselves had coated the hallway from floor to ceiling, eating up any light that dared enter their domain. This darkness felt almost alive, sending a shiver down Duvac's spine in a way little else ever did. He remembered the last time vividly. His Maker, dancing on a mountain of corpses. He felt as though he was standing in a graveyard all over again. Duvac pulled the small flashlight from his belt, turning it on and directing it into the hallway. The light didn't reach far, but what he saw was that the ground was covered in broken glass. Two security guards and one scientist were crumpled in a heap of torn bodies and ravaged flesh by the wall, ripped apart by the claws of a big beast. Their wounds oozed something akin to black smoke. A searing heat ignited in his veins, as if molten metal had been poured directly into them. It scorched a path through his limbs, blazing its way toward his chest. Judah's lips parted in a silent scream, but no sound emerged; his breath was caught in abject agony. His eyes flew wide, and his body started to convulse against the straps. The bed shook under his violent seizures. The monitor picked up the acceleration immediately, mirroring the rapid staccato of his pulse. His heart slammed against his ribs, each beat forcing the dark, oil-slick fluid deeper into his system, twisting and warping something beneath the surface. The veins in his arms bulged, spiderwebbing black beneath his skin. He thrashed against the restraints in another seizure, muscles locking so tightly it felt like they might peel off his bones.
October 14, 2026 at 11:21 AM
iris-j-verblenk.bsky.social
#LitHodgepodge 8 for #JudahOC
🪦Judah knew both. He had a brain tumor, and the doctors gave him 6 months. He was going to just... keel over one day and die from a brain hemorrhage.
🧠He'd rather be able to forget things at will.
⏳To the past, to see his father again. He misses him.

contd. in comments
A screenshot from the game Baldur's Gate 3 which I used to recreate how Judah looks in my head.
October 8, 2026 at 12:30 PM
iris-j-verblenk.bsky.social
#LitHodgepodge 7 (one day late because I could not decide lol)

One Snip for #JudahOC and one for #AdrianOC

From my WIP #SteepedInShadow

#WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts
Judah absently reached for the bottle of shampoo and worked it into the long, tangled strands of his hair. It smelled faintly of coconut and vanilla, not bad, but nothing to rave about either. He scrubbed the suds into his scalp until his fingers hit the shaved patch on the right side of his head. He hadn't seen himself in a mirror in all this time, and had avoided it upon entering the bathroom too. But now, he wondered what he might look like. He knew he'd lost a significant amount of weight, was likely looking more like a scarecrow than a human being, and he felt itchy stubble on his face and neck, so he hadn't been able to shave for some time either, patchy though as his beard always grew. So most likely he looked like a malnourished homeless person. Well, at least now he no longer smelled like one too. But it brought about the need to change the only thing he could control right now. Turning the water off with a decisive twist, he stepped out into the bathroom, dragging a towel from the nearby shelf and wrapping it around his hips. Then he reached for the disposable razor. Once his thigh hit Judah's bed, he reached forward, trying to feel his way about. His hand hit Judah's neck, feeling cold, clammy skin drenched in sweat, but before he could continue checking on him, Judah's eyes suddenly popped open with an eerie green glow. It was like the jade green of his eyes was amplified, something Adrian knew his own eye would do whenever he went more wolf than man. Then the shadows—that thing that had hovered before—drew closer around Judah, forming a new body; his limbs grew longer, shoulders broader, and his teeth sharpened into razor-sharp tips. It had begun gradually, but then, just as Adrian was about to pull back, Judah surged up, his hand closing around Adrian's throat and claws digging into his skin—not yet breaking it. "Who are you?" Judah asked, but the voice that came out of his mouth wasn't his; it was a deeper, darker tone, thick with an accent Adrian couldn't place. "Adrian," he answered. "Judah, it's me. Come on, pull back those claws." The grip around his throat remained unrelenting, claws digging deeper just slightly, just enough to prick Adrian's skin. Then the third presence in the room seemed to feel him out. It slid over him like an unwanted touch, and his wolf side bristled in defiance. But at the same time, something inside him answered. Then, as fast as the presence had manifested, it was gone again, and the shadows receded, leaving Judah collapsing against Adrian's chest with heaving breaths. He wrapped his arms around the other man and snarled, cursing the scientists who continued to treat people as lab rats.
October 8, 2026 at 12:24 PM
iris-j-verblenk.bsky.social
#LitHodgepodge 5

#JudahOC: "For once, not having to worry about money and be forced to decide whether to fix my car or pay my rent."

#AdrianOC: "Find the same kind of love my parents had. Yeah, I'd really like that."

#SteepedInShadow
pamelajeong.bsky.social Pamela Jeong @pamelajeong.bsky.social · 29d
#LitHodgepodge 5

A person's vision of happiness tells us a lot about them. Do they imagine adventure, security, peace? Or is it in the details—a cozy hearth, trophy on the mantle, gaggle of grandbabies?

What's your OC's version of happiness? Give us a snapshot.

#WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts
#LITHODGEPODGE Hosted by @pamelajeong.bsky.social An October Prompt Game of Miscellaneous Proportions MONDAYS WITH MARCEL [Black & white picture of Marcel Proust, a man of the fin de siècle who had dark hair, sleepy eyes, and a dark mustache, sitting with his elbow propped on the back of his chair and looking pensive] Prompt: 5 | Answer as one or each of your characters (as well as yourself, if you wish!): What is your idea of perfect happiness? [Graphic of a talking crow] The Proust Questionnaire is a set of questions popularized by French writer Marcel Proust. Victorians answered these questions in parlor games, and modern interviewers now often use them. They can also be a great character development tool! Join tomorrow for Tuesday Tropes!
October 5, 2026 at 9:05 PM
iris-j-verblenk.bsky.social
#LitHodgepodge 2
It would be so much fun to see my idiots in an episode of Supernatural.

Just thinking about Sam and Dean trying to figure out what the fuck #JudahOC even is makes me laugh.

#WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts
October 3, 2026 at 11:20 AM
iris-j-verblenk.bsky.social
#OCAsk #OCQOTD
It once was #JudahOC 's dream to become a tattoo artist. But he never got the chance.
If he had the chance now, he'd finally develop his style. It'd be flowy, like smoke, fog or water.
A tattoo of a fox. Drawing of two wolves palying A tattoo of a dragon an abstract tattoo
September 13, 2026 at 5:47 PM
iris-j-verblenk.bsky.social
#SongsOfSeptember Day 4
Abyss by Yungblud.
The text hit very close to home for #JudahOC

#SteepedInShadow

youtu.be/LYabT4zZnJQ?...
September 12, 2026 at 6:53 AM
iris-j-verblenk.bsky.social
#SongsOfSeptember Day 11

A Song for the Vibes is definitely Survivor in the Emil Bulls rendition.

There's no lover's quarrel, but #JudahOC is definitely a survivor.

#SteepedInShadow

youtu.be/fGfGfJvirrc?...
September 12, 2026 at 7:21 AM
iris-j-verblenk.bsky.social
#SongsOfSeptember Day 3
Good Things Go fits both MCs for different lines of the lyrics...

#JudahOC #AdrianOC #SteepedInShadow

youtu.be/Ip0jJACsE_g?...
September 12, 2026 at 6:46 AM
iris-j-verblenk.bsky.social
#SongsOfSeptember Day 5
#JudahOC and #AdrianOC end up in the middle of a conflict that's older than most Immortals.

Angels Fall by Breaking Benjamin fits the vibe a lot.

youtu.be/hVl5MtdodLU?...
September 12, 2026 at 7:02 AM
iris-j-verblenk.bsky.social
#SongsOfSeptember: Day 1
Hello! I'm Iris, I'm currently working on a Queer #UrbanFantasy Novel called #SteepedInShadow.
My MCs are #JudahOC and #AdrianOC.

It's very hard to pick a favorite song, but I guess I really like this one?
youtu.be/TjMPGd20Ryk?...
September 12, 2026 at 6:41 AM
iris-j-verblenk.bsky.social
#SongsOfSeptember Day 6
At the beginning of the story, #JudahOC is grasping at straws not to die of his brain tumor.
He's only 27, and he feels like he spent most of his life being bitter about the opportunities he didn't take! And now it's too late to change.

Or is it?

youtu.be/D2HVVUKefLw?...
September 12, 2026 at 7:08 AM
iris-j-verblenk.bsky.social
#AwesomeCharacters #WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts

#JudahOC

"It's just a nightmare."

#SteepedInShadow
Judah cloaked in shadow, his hands framing his face. He looks uncertain.
September 11, 2026 at 7:09 AM
iris-j-verblenk.bsky.social
#AwesomeCharacters
#JudahOC would probably apologize and then help pick up the fruit.

If he carried something off his own (most likely eggs, because that's just his luck) he's give off a sigh of exhaustion. Of course it's the eggs...
charliedeltawrites.bsky.social 🫜🍂 Charlie (Chelizabeth) Delta 🦊🫜 @charliedeltawrites.bsky.social · Sep 9
Tell me about your #AwesomeCharacters

We haven't done a hypothetical in a bit!

So: Your character is in a store when someone bumps into them, spilling their own fruit everywhere.

Does your character: Get mad? Help them clean up? Steal a piece? Other?

#WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts
September 10, 2026 at 10:50 AM
iris-j-verblenk.bsky.social
#AwesomeCharacters
#JudahOC didn't finish High School. He dropped out at around 17 years old to start working full time when he emancipated himself from his mother.

#AdrianOC has a degree in technical engineering. He also dabbles in coding, but likes to work with his hands.

#SteepedInShadow
charliedeltawrites.bsky.social 🫜🍂 Charlie (Chelizabeth) Delta 🦊🫜 @charliedeltawrites.bsky.social · Sep 7
Tell me about your #AwesomeCharacters

It's back-to-school time around here, which makes me wonder: how was your character educated?

Is there formal schooling where they are? Or were they trained in other ways?

What was it like? Did they enjoy it?

#WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts
September 9, 2026 at 6:01 AM
iris-j-verblenk.bsky.social
Though I don't know yet how detailed it'll be. But I very much agree with Rachel.
A middle ground between "just smut" and "no smut at all" is very important to me too, as is showing healthy intimacy, and I promise I'll do my best to write #JudahOC 's and #AdrianOC 's first time as well as I can.
September 9, 2026 at 5:56 AM
shandoraexplorer.bsky.social
#TavQOTD
Well... as some of you know, I recently tossed my OG novel OCs into BG3.
They don't appreciate being isekai'd...

#JudahOC #AdrianOC #SteepedInShadow
Adrian Judah
September 1, 2026 at 10:32 AM
iris-j-verblenk.bsky.social
August 31st: "chip"

MY TIME HAS COME!

#JudahOC vs that shitty chip!

#SteepedInShadow

#WIPSnips #WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts #Novel #NovelWriting #Writer #FemaleWriter #AmWriting #UrbanFantasy
"Surgery?" Judah asked. "Yes, to get the tumor removed," the woman answered. "I mean, I could wait until your body disperses it by itself, but seeing as we have to get the computer chip out too—" "Chip?!" Judah echoed, voice pitching higher with panic and suspicion. "What chip?" Judah's hand flew to the back of his neck. A dull, cold memory stirred—pain, sharp and sudden, like a needle drilling into his skull. Now, as his fingers pressed against the skin there, his mind spiraled. "Get it out," he whispered, then louder, more frantic. "Get it out! Get it out!"
August 31, 2026 at 8:15 AM