Aleph's AU Workshop

So yeah, I made this sideblog to post about my AU stuff in a more specialised place Main: @alephzdraws

[alephs-multiverse]

MASTER POST

Hey all! Aleph here!

So...welcome to The AU Workshop!

It'll probably be mostly used for Sonic-related stuff, but you never know, so I'm leaving it open! :D

Basically, any worldbuilding and lore will probably be happening here rather than on my main blog. I'll still post art related stuff over there, but the whole behind the scenes will go here instead to keep it out of the way.

You can send in your Asks about my AU stuff here or over there, I really don't mind where you submit it.

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Will adjust this later...

[alephs-multiverse]

Can we have a little teaser for chap 15 of FoN?

Yes you can! Sorry for leaving you hanging, but! Here's the first 200+ words of Chapter 15 that may or may not be tweaked a little as I continue working on it.

The extended break to focus on studies and starting a new story made my writing for this one fairly rusty. It was so much worse literal days ago. I think I'm getting it back though so hopefully I have a finished chapter soon.

[alephs-multiverse]

By the way, I'm still working on Chapter 15! I actually have the time to properly work on it without other major stuff getting in the way now!

[alephzdraws]

New Chapter?!

New Chapter!

Chapter 14 is finally here! Yayy!!!

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

[alephs-multiverse]

AU Update:

Hopefully Chapter 14 is either out tomorrow or Saturday! Tbh I planned to release it a month after my last update chapter update, but life responsibilities took higher priority during that time so the chapter wasn't finished yet (and I'm a chronic rewriter). Since I'm finally gonna be on break for a short while, I finally have a little more time to produce more AU content! Yayy!

[alephs-multiverse]

It's been a while since I loreposted! (bruh I threw this half-finished into the drafts a month ago why did I forget to post this?)

I've kinda been thinking about this for a while so I'm just gonna share it.

Sonic doesn't really know or understand what Shadow is supposed to be. Like...all Sonic knows is that it's in his body, can sometimes control him, and somehow has the ability to communicate when inhabiting a body.

Sonic knows Shadow can talk, but he can't tell if it has actual self-awareness or if it's just trying to act like it does. Like how a computer doesn't really know things the same way a person does even though it can definitely respond.

Although when Shadow begins to show actual thoughts and feelings besides the violence, he'll find himself switching 'he/they' or something like that because then they'd kinda be officially promoted from something to someone and it'd feel a little uncomfortable for him to not at least acknowledge that. Especially when he finds out this weird creature in his head actually has a name he'll answer to.

On the flipside, Shadow very much has an alien perception on what a 'person' actually is. Isn't really aware of names and pronouns and all that. That's a learned thing. Before crossing paths with Sonic, Shadow sees any living being similar to how you would observe wildlife but without the wonder. Just kinda there and existing like it is. It is alive. Other things are also alive in this world. A lot of living things are also made of meat. It can eat meat. It knows that it is meant to eat meat.

The only reason I write Shadow's POV with they/it pronouns right now is because it would be a pain to write without using any in a way that didn't look awkward to me. I couldn't even pull a Lunar/Soleil where only their name is used to refer because Shadow's name isn't even known in the AU's canon at this point.

Shadow has no real understanding of pronouns and generally perceives others the same way it perceives itself. Simply another living thing being alive. It doesn't even understand the concept of gender. Until Sonic clarifies, Shadow would only refer to other people as 'it', even Sonic himself. He doesn't realise this for a while though because Shadow just says "you" when referring directly to him, and (begrudgingly) only uses the names of other people if it knows/remembers, not their pronouns. Shadow doesn't actually understand the concept.

Teaching this alien How to Society and Not (unnecessarily) Kill People is going to be a chore.

[alephzdraws]

Chapter 13?! For Christmas?!

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

[alephs-multiverse]

[Materialises back on this blog]

Hey all! If you're wondering where Chapter 13 is, I'm almost done writing/proofing it! :D

I intended to release it for Christmas Eve but got sidetracked, but it will probably be out either Christmas Day, or still Christmas Eve depending on what timezone you're from!

I'm releasing it before I go to sleep though at least so expect it in the coming hours!

[alephzdraws]

Hey, hey! Did you know that today is TFoN's birthday? Technically. Because I was writing it before that date but dw bout that. Yep, I uploaded Chapter 1 of my main Sonic AU's fic a year ago today! It really doesn't feel like that, does it? Probably because Chapter 13 isn't done yet ehehehh... (Was planning to upload it today, but assignments took priority and needed a mini mental break before going back to it)

Yeah, that's also why I haven't uploaded any of my own art for almost a month. So...Have a drawing of Team Sonic with intentionally badly cut out party hat jpegs.

But thank all of you who engage in my Sonic Horror shenanigans! Couldn't have made it this far without y'all!

Also the day is pretty much over for me, but I spent a while on this. I'm a little rusty on my Sonic artstyle and I'm still adjusting to my new tablet. Drawing directly onto a screen feels different.

Version without party hats lol

[alephs-multiverse]

Yeah sorry, I'm so not gonna be able to post the new chapter today. Kinda got caught up in life stuff that needs to be complete in less than two weeks. Nothing Curse™ worthy, nah, just student work I really need to catch up on before the end of term. Give me about a week into December, and I should have it ready.

[alephs-multiverse]

Do you think the next chapter will be out by the end of this month?

Hmm, should be. I think.

[alephzdraws]

Chapter 12?! Really?! Chapter 12 of That Freak of Nature is actually here!

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

And the embed still works!!!

[alephs-multiverse]

Whoops, forgot to switch blogs lol, accidentally reblogged a post to the wrong blog.

T'was only a matter of time. XD Mistake fixed!

[alephs-multiverse]

Did it again dammit.

I swore I switched it this time. Swapping to and from this alt manually is a pain and it's so easy to forget to do it.

[alephs-multiverse]

Chapter 12 is still in the works!

Anyway, here's another uncommon paragraph dump. :)

I can totally imagine that Sonic has near no control over the morphing Shadow can do to him. Sonic can try and work around what the morph did, but he can't actually initiate it. Only Shadow can.

So if Shadow decides for whatever reason to pop out the fangs and claws, there's nothing Sonic can do about it until Shadow puts them away. Yet another thing that forces them to work together to get through problems and find solutions.

I bet if they got good enough with the teamwork, it would look like Sonic can actually control the abilities at will. Sometimes, he might think he can and then gets confused why it doesn't work later on. Eventually, it might almost be at will and Shadow simply automatically allows Sonic to do whatever.

Unfortunately, that mean if he needs to use his "hunting instruments", he has to rely on Shadow for that too. Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to eat enough at once. And he just has to hope that Shadow doesn't make him do anything really crazy if the mental command swap knocks him out.

I also imagine that Shadow can...temporarily remove fear from Sonic's body? Just absorb the spike of adrenaline so there's no need to worry about anything for a while. Shadow likes causing fear, but Sonic's fear in the way makes it all the more annoying. Having his host cry over dead bodies is not productive. Does also get rid of excitement for the same amount of time though, so he'll be either more serious than normal, or just straight up dead inside until Shadow stops.

Can imagine the semi-detached apathy where Sonic is completely present consciously, but not emotionally. Covered in blood and all he can say is "not again...I just washed..." with not much concern for the body right in front of him. They had to die right? He was hungry, and bad things happened to him if he stayed too hungry.

[alephs-multiverse]

So you’re Stuck with writers block

Need some help?

I don't think so? I want to write, and I seem to be able to write other stuff just fine (might actually decide to post what I've been working on in the meantime), so I think it's mostly writing fatigue causing the writer's block and I just need a short break from trying to write that specific fic so I can look at the text document with fresh eyes again.

I'll probably feel like writing more again after about a week or so give or take.

Feel free to throw some ideas in if you want though.

(Btw I did read your previous ask. It's still in my inbox. I'm planning on attaching a pic to it later on)

[alephs-multiverse]

If anyone's wondering where the next chapter is this month... I've kinda wrote myself into writer's block. Ahh, it was going to happen eventually after about nine straight months.

I planned to keep chapters coming out at least monthly, but methinks I'm gonna have to skip this month so I don't give myself straight up writing burnout.

First of all, don't worry! I am continuing the fic! I've simply been putting my focuses elsewhere for now (like my art) until I feel ready to continue with writing.

I'll still be around to answer any questions!

[alephs-multiverse]

Whoops, forgot to switch blogs lol, accidentally reblogged a post to the wrong blog.

T'was only a matter of time. XD Mistake fixed!