#mr. laveau rambles

[mr-laveau]

People don't take audio RP seriously and I have opinions about it

I can't find the original post but the gist is a discussion on how people don't treat Audio RP as a serious medium of media and story-telling which I agree with. People don't. To mark it with a disclaimer tho-I don't inherently disagree with that post, I thought there were some valid points brought but I wanted to throw my hat in the ring as a VA and as a person who consumed a lot of Audio RP content and still does to this day (I just don't got a lot of time to be a fan and a creator whilst working a job) so here it is, my opinions on why people don't take this seriously and bi-products of that.

To start, I wanna say that Audio RP to me specifically is by its nature very collaborative because I as a VA and writer have to make my character appealing whilst also understanding my audience and what their appeal to my characters are*. It's kinda why I think Erik and the Redacted fandom have such different views on characters and the story-Erik does not have much of a connection with his audience (not hate, just a fact) so things tend to feel flat in some areas versus others-my point however is that I genuinely believe that if you want to make Audio RP, you have to actually understand your audience a little bit, which creates a good segway to my first point.

*if someone doesn't like your character, this isn't to say you're not doing a good job, it just means that people have preferences and their preferences do not align with your character.

Firstly, not a lot of VAs understand the RP(Role Play) part of Audio RP, and it shows. I think a lot of people who make content in this sphere don't take into account the person who's listening to their audios and following along. I'm not going to pretend I know about this but I am going to say that it shows sometimes when you don't understand the core of your audience and it causes people to disengage with your audios because you don't take into account who is listening to your audio (which creates problems like audios which are hard to engage with because of a speaker talking too much/too fast to process anything, issues where listeners are treated less like characters and more like ear pieces and problems where the speaker is written more to show them off than to be engaged with a listener). Really and truly the crux of this is in my opinion is that a lot of people who came into Audio RP, seem to have never RPed with another person or are unfamiliar with those spaces (TTRPG, Text-based Roleplay, Fandom Roleplay and the like) and rather saw an audio RP video and just did something like that (not hating, I started because I liked Castle Audios and wanted to be cool like her). That is not only focusing on VAs, that also applies to the audience, some of y'all are new to this and it shows because some of y'all don't know how to act right*

*That being said, some of y'all don't know how to act right and that is because there's no compendium of ettiquette(/j) for how to engage with this media and that is not on y'all. That said, (lovingly) learn to learn to behave like a listener and less like a spectator.

RP is collaborative by nature because you are creating a character with a narrative for another character who engages with said narrative by role-playing together and creating a collaborative story. Half the fun of RP is that it's a process of two people showing off their dolls and having fun. That is not something that can be said a lot about some Audio RP channels because a lot audios do not take into account their listener as a participant in this process (no, this does not mean the audience has explicit rights to the story, let's calm down there(/j). I will add that Audio RP is different given that the listener cannot directly influence the story like traditional roleplays but that does not take away from the fact some VAs and script writers don't think about who is listening and focus too much on who is speaking.

Secondly, a lot of the audience does not know to engage with the medium and that's a hard pill to swallow because it's not their fault but it is also their fault (/lh). Put down the torches and hear me out. I think that a lot of people who interact with Audio RP do not have the best media literacy and I also think this is true for some VAs. Some people who listen to audios don't read enough into audios on more than a surface level view (which makes for people going "teehee, look at that loser listening to people talk") and some people read too much into an audio to the point that it breaks their immersion and they cannot focus on the audio but have to point shit out (this does not mean that you cannot be enthusiastic about lore and info in audios or notice errors in an audio). To solve this, I just have this to say: expand the media you intake and learn to think critically about what you're intaking and how you're intaking it. TLDR; consume media outside of your usual range and think about that media while questioning the media to see how you feel about it rather than have someone tell you about it. This also applies to VAs and Scriptwriters, it makes your work better, this is a fact of life and I need y'all to see that. Love you all so much and the work you put into this community cannot be understated. That said, everyone sometimes shows a lack of media literacy and awareness and it should be known that it's not just the audience.

Finally, Both creators and fans are trying to make the medium something it's not and they need to stop. This isn't to say you cannot advance or experiment with the medium but trying to make it something it is not will mess with the core idea of what it is, you lose people when you try to do X,Y and Z when you ain't even reached A*. A lot of the audience does not understand the limitations of Audio RP and they need to see what can be achieved within the space and what cannot be done. A lot of creators in the space try do too much and while I get the need to push boundaries, there comes a point where you need to reevaluate what you are trying to make and determine how you are going to do that moving forward. That is not to say you can only make a specific brand of audios and anything other than that isn't Audio RP. No cut that shit out, that is being an asshole. You can make whatever Audio RP you want, it just needs to be audio RP. At the end of the day, the goal is to make an audio where the listener feels like they are a part of it. How that looks can differ and that's okay.

*I'm adding onto this by saying that you can experiment with the medium of audio RP, different genres of it are valid (people like what they like) and there is no one way to do Audio RP and anyone who says there is a way is lying to you.

In conclusion, I want to add that a part of the list of reasons people don't take Audio RP seriously (on top of people not respecting VAs, people not being considerate, people treating Audio RP like they do fanfic and people just being people) is because we as a community are all over the place and don't even enage with our own community right and don't know to respect and treat the medium the way it should be. That's all folks!

[mintygreencake]

Your final challenge

Don't yap about audio roleplay lore

[han-diel]

Progress on my redacted designs!

I’m p new to the fandom but I’m always open to rambling, talking about headcanons and stuff to help with future designs!

here’s my current progress! @mr-laveau 🥺

[penncilkid]

POV: David Shaw's mate is showing you there's no reason to fear his pack mate

Welcome to the by-product of several ramble sessions: Yet another listener rarepair sketch. We've got Darlin' (Maia) on the left and Angel (Alex) on the right. I've had many of thought of these two interacting in several fonts /pos

(Alex belongs to @mr-laveau)

[autisticempathydaemon]

THIS IS FOR THE MATCH-UPS AND ALSO /NF TO DO, IF YOU DONT WANNA, ITS OKAY! :D

What song are you fixated on at the moment? What lyric or verse, and why? — OOOH definitely Dance with me by Topline Addicts, as for lyrics: You say "come and dance with me", but I'm a bit too shy so I just smile politely (its giving me so much Lasko vibes this part and I love it)

What is your Enneagram type? — 9w1 the peacemaker (k think thats what its called)

Do you love gargantuan Youtube video essays, and if so, which is your favorite and why? — I never heard of them (if they are a person bcs I tried to look them up but no luck, unless if you mean subnautica–?) I'm sorry ;-; /lh

Tell me about your childhood imaginary friend. — Not really an imaginary friend, but I guess I could count my daydreams of myself as a fairy princess when I was a kid? So charming and pretty and powerful as hell, getting the hearts of those fictional character I loved at that time

What is your go-to way to fall asleep? — Always lying on the side, my back facing the wall. I try to sleep on my back but it's not working so far, other than these, I need complete darkness and quiet, bcs I get stiff when I hear a noise

If you had to change your name, what would it be, and why? (In tandem, if you have changed your name, why did you pick that one?) — If there was this name in my country, I would go for Jax or Jaxen, gender neutral and short and has a nice punch to it!

What is your favorite of Redacted’s audios, and why? — Lasko fucking Moore. This guy almost took down the channel, was number one before the purge, keeps breaking stuff even in his apartment, he is just like me fr /hj (Lasko kinnie here) and even lately, I love his development so much, like he will always be my number one (I love other characters too tho!)

What Redacted boy holds no appeal to you, and why? Like, not the one you hate but the one who you don’t get the hype for. (I won’t judge, I promise.) — It's I guess because of how much he is popular? I love Sam, but I sometimes forget how much favorite he is and it always surprised me /lh

Tell me about that one book/movie/tv show you know all the words to. — The Smoke Thieves by Sally Green, I love the dialogues between two characters, which one is kinda always flirty (not in Gavin way, he is like "youre so pretty and your pretty eyes omg") and so chill and happy with the other, who is awkward and doesn't know how to accept compliments and theyre so gay omg

Which Redacted boy are you platonically attracted to? Like- forget dating, which dude do you want to be your best friend? — I dont wanna answer this because that means I have to choose /j./lh (... Huxley... I will smooch his cheeks. As a friend.)

Do you have a go-to thing you ramble about when you’re tired, and if so, what is it? (For example, my boyfriend knows I’m ready to sleep when I start talking about space.) — It depends on the mood while I'm tired, but most of the time, it's my Redacted OCs currently, especially when I'm so tires I can't even type right LMAO

Tell me your go-to gas station and drink combo. — Some chocolate snack bar and milkshake in a bottle

Tell me about your favorite playlist at the moment. — I made it yesterday, but it's all kinds of happy sounding songs and OST without any lyrics and it feels so nice to bop into it

What’s your guilty pleasure media, and why? — Wattpad books,, i wanna get back into reading some, its been years

And whatever else you think tells me about who you are! — I'm libra sign, INFP, I like the nights and sunrises, have many redacted OCs (around 20 of them, i like to play with the kinds of powers and try to mix them and experiment) and I like to text RP! I also currently work on my gaslamp fantasy WIP book(?), I'm undiagnosed neurodivergent (possibly audhd), dyslexic and I also listen to Mr Laveau's Nexus AUDIO RP series (recommending if you like video games sfx and original art) and started listening to DND group The Adventure Zone!

I HOPE YOU HAVE A NICE DAY/NIGHT/ALL THE TIME! :D

Okay, so you know who I’ve always thought should really be into fantasy and DnD? Asher, and since canon hasn’t yet confirmed he loves these things, you can be his introduction!

The combination of your personality types and your being a writer gives me the image of an emotional and emotionally intelligent person, which I think is a good match for Asher who is also pretty emotionally intelligent! I think your vibes would really match, and together you two could be, like, the heart of the Shaw Pack as the Beta and his mate. Also, Asher is some sort of flavor of neurodivergent, and I love making ND4ND pairs, ya know?

Your life together would be so FUN, I’m actually jealous. I think getting Asher into DnD and games would be such a treat, listening to TAZ together, helping him learn rules and the different systems, maybe putting together a campaign with Angel and Davey because Angel would be a fuckin bomb DM, I feel it in my heart. He’d also be such a lovely partner for a writer. I can very clearly imagine Asher laying his head on your lap, having you read what you’ve written that day aloud to him which functions as both a cute bonding activity but also a way for you to spot-check and edit how it reads.

Song:

What would you do if I stole you tonight? (Ahh ahh)/ Why waste time? (Ahh ahh)/ 'Cause the world goes on without us/ It doesn't matter what we do/ All silhouettes with no regrets/ When I'm melting into you/ 'Cause I belong in your arms

One, you said you like happy-sounding songs, and I think this is a great one. I love it’s kind of dreamy, high vibe, you know? Two, this came out around 2012, when Asher would have been a teenager, so I like how nostalgic and romantic this song would be for him.

Runner-ups:

For a writer who loves fantasy, OC’s, and roleplay games, Guy is a sure shoe-in for a runner-up! I think he and Asher have a lot of similarities, but I went with Asher because he struck me as a better match for an introvert. For a Lasko kinnie, I had to choose Aaron as another contender because they’re my favorite Redacted rarepair, and I’ve been meaning to write something for that shop for a while.

note: thank you for your entry, I hope you like it!

Read this post and send me an ask if you’d like a match-up of your own! 💌

[chasemisprintedlies]

This will make the third time I’ve tried to make this list and I hear that the third time’s a charm, so here’s to hoping. 🤞

The Doors

Roadhouse Blues

People are Strange

Strange Days

Light My Fire

Riders on the Storm

The Cure

Pictures Of You

Just Like Heaven

Friday I'm In Love

Lovesong

The Hanging Garden

David Bowie

Ziggy Stardust

Space Oddity

Moonage Daydream

Heroes

Fame

Led Zeppelin

Going to California

Babe I’m Gonna Leave You

Whole Lotta Love

Ramble On

Black Dog

I Can’t Quit You, Babe

Since I’ve Been Loving You

Mötley Crüe

Livewire

Home Sweet Home

Girls, Girls, Girls

Shout at the Devil

Same Ol' Situation

Looks That Kill

Elvis Presley 

Can’t Help Falling In Love

Teddy Bear

Stuck on You

All Shook Up 

Jailhouse Rock

Hound Dog

The Cars

My Best Friend's Girl

Just What I Needed

Good Times Roll

Drive

Def Leppard

Photograph

Love Bites

Hysteria

Too Late For Love

Animal

Armageddon It

Eagles

Witchy Woman

Hotel California

Take It Easy

Life in the Fastlane

Lyin’ Eyes

Random Others

Spooky - Classics IV

Time of the Season - The Zombies

Season of the Witch - Donovan

Nights in White Satin - Moody Blues

Lucille - Little Richard

Marie Laveau - Bobby Bare

Devil Woman - Cliff Richard

I Put a Spell on You - Creedence Clearwater Revival

Fooled Around and Fell In Love - Elvin Bishop

Shakin’ All Over - The Guess Who

You’re So Vain - Carly Simon

Sugar, Sugar - The Archies

Lil’ Red Riding Hood - Sam the Sham & the Pharoahs

Talking In Your Sleep - The Romatics

Broken Wings - Mr. Mister

Burning Down the House - Talking Heads

Me and Bobby McGee - Janis Joplin

Walk on the Wild Side - Lou Reed

Dream On - Aerosmith

Teenage Kicks - The Undertones

Please Mr. Postman - The Marvelettes

Brown Eyed Girl - Van Morrison

You Never Can Tell - Chuck Berry

Fly Me to the Moon - Frank Sinatra

Somethin’ Stupid - Frank Sinatra

Build Me Up Buttercup - The Foundations

Gypsy Road - Cinderella 

Edge of a Broken Heart - Vixen

Lick It Up - KISS

Feels Like Rain - Buddy Guy

Rock Me Baby - BB King & Eric Clapton

Born Under a Bad Sign - Albert King OR Jimi Hendrix

Teen Angel - Mark Dinning

Knockin' on Heaven's Door - Bob Dylan

Cars - Gary Numan

I could go on forever, but I’ll spare you the reading and just link my playlist for your convenience and you can scroll through it as you please. 

Hey mutuals, passerby, and just anyone in general:

Can y’all suggest me some songs (preferably older songs other than Fleetwood Mac and Queen(I have enough of those))? I’ve been searching for some new songs to put in my library and all of you seem to know what’s good so send me some songs/artists to check out.

You can reblog this post, send it in ask form, or just message them to me. Any form of sending them works for me.

[mr-laveau]

"Laveau, you really can like stop–" So here's a small thing talking about vampire physiology because I think we should all make vampires who can be human but also share traits with animals too.

[mr-laveau]

Ya know, I have very little shame in things mostly because of:

A.) I can't change how people see me

B.) It's not my problem if you think I am embarassing for enjoying things.

C.) I have made it my hobby to be in an enclosed space, make up voices and pretend to be characters, shame cannot be afforded in this economy.

That said, I encourage you to be a little embarassing. I really do. Like go and enjoy that thing you like so much. Wear that one hoodie you like a lot, talk about your interests, be a little bit cringe to the eyes of society because fuck it, why should you deny yourself simple pleasures because another person thinks you're a loser for doing that. They're a loser, like you really are so insecure in yourself that you can't let someone else enjoy something? That is loser shit.

Anywways, have a good day

[mr-laveau]

Actually I can't spoil what happens in NeXus but I can talk about what my plans for character relationships are once they're not spoilers (the imaginary lawyers in my head are reminding me of the fake NDA I have signed with myself)

Uriah and Cher are very much "you came?"/"you called" for each other, it's one built on mutual kindness and respect for each other that they keep naturally building on top of that leads to their relationship blossoming, the most I really wanna ever get across is that these are two very hurt and mistrusting people who choose to show kindness to each other and it creates a relationship where they both trust each other and want what's best for the other while denying themselves happiness, luckily one has the other's back.

Hot Shot's core thing about their relationships is how quickly they run into them based on the surface level appearance of what the person they're interested in looks like and that really is a lot of what it's like to date in college. You go for people who look like they're your type and feel like they could make you happy but you're both still young and there's so much to learn about each other and so much growing up you have to do. With hot shot and their boys, it's really about learning to see past the surface level and understanding that you have to let people grow and relationships like that require a lot of patience to grow with each other as people.

Joseph and Rascal is a fun relationship to me because it's essentially two free spirits who decided to be free together, they're both very independent people and can go for periods of time without each other but they also like each other's company, they like being around one another and are both people who love each other as partners and friends. Is this one of the least expanded upon relationships I have? Yes. Do I love them for being my first poly couple. Also yes so I will just talk about them

[mr-laveau]

HIIIII ok so i may have binged all your videos in like two days (whoops), ty for the poly rep!! its really nice seeing well thought out poly couples :D i am curious, will there be any more poly couples to be featured in neXus?? my first thought was that oscar/nik/hotshot would be a triad, but im very happy abt khaleed/joseph/rascal!! would you ever consider oscar/nik/hotshot becoming a triad, or is that not in the cards for them? have a great day!!

Hi, thanks for the ask! Also, yes! There will be a few more poly peeps to go round as well as different set-ups for poly relationships! The AMPycule as the discord has taken to calling them is definitely in the works and is one of the relationships I'm most keen to look into given the plans I have for them, altho I would say that they're not gonna be stopping at a triad. You did outline the established Khaleed/Joseph/Rascal dynamic but a few ones I can talk about (seeing as how I can't talk about these relationships too much because they have spoilers attached) is:

Carlisle/Tanker/Dave - which is a triad that I do wanna touch on more at one point given that I love their dynamic with one another even tho no one's met Dave. Vernon/Darren/Lazarus - is also another network with Darren at the center which places a lot of focus on the idea of healing with others and finding support in other people rather relying on just yourself, it's also my current fave cuz it's a vampire/werewolf/wraith romance I've been dying to sink my teeth into it There's a good bit of relationships to explore between people and there's also monogamous speakers and listeners but at the end of the day, I wanted to have fun and indulge in having characters that were like me and could reflect my thoughts, experiences and ideas of what poly relationships could look like. that said, we've only just touched the iceberg of poly listeners in NeXus

[penncilkid]

Today is March 28th, 2024.

It marks exactly one year since, on a whim, I joined a Discord call. I've referred to it as "Robocop Day" since discovering the date because I joined the call after watching Robocop for homework and decided "Fuck it, if they're still on call, why not join?"

Words cannot properly capture/express how that was one of the best decisions I could've made.

To sit and think about all the ways I have changed for the better in this year is absolutely insane sometimes. I was so nervous to join that night, I barely knew anyone in the Redacted fandom and had barely gotten to know anyone outside of Angie (shoutout to thefablefoxart, go check her out /gen). But in that moment, for whatever reason, my brain was like "Do it. Go join this call. At least give it a try." So I did— And promptly got roped into a multi-hour ramble about one of many Darlin OCs (/lh /pos).

This account would not be what it is without these people. Neither would my art, my writing, my channel, and more. There are so many ways I have grown and so many things I've been able to try in this year of knowing this group of people, and I cannot wait for all that's to come still. So, without further ado, I'm gonna put the people in this group chat on blast (lovingly /lh):

@latenightsleeper: Sleeper Beeper, as Cupid calls you, you are such a force to be reckoned with. You are elusive but nonetheless loved and cherished. You are an incredible storyteller, even if 99% of the time you're simply finding new ways to rip my heart to shreds. I know life kicks your ass more often than not (which is should stop doing, frankly /lh), but I hope you know how important you are to me and how I would rain hellfire at the drop of a hat for you. I've been very lucky to get to know someone like you, and I hope I get to continue gaining your lore, as you put it.

@cashandprizes: Miss Alexis Moonlight, it is no secret how much you have improved my quality of life. Even when you're fussing at me, I know it's out of love and it simply makes me a better person in the long run. Any time spent with you, be it online or face to face, is truly a blessing in more ways than one. I've said before and I'll say it again, you are someone who makes me feel incredibly safe and secured, especially on my harder days. And that is something I will never take for granted. You are such a visionary, even when you don't always give yourself credit for it. I'm always in awe of the things you manage to cook up, regardless of the form they take. I hope that someday I can repay you even a fraction of everything you've done for me.

@mr-laveau: Veau, candidate for the leader of the PK fanclub (alongside Frenchie and Lexi Moon if I'm not mistaken? /lh), it's no secret that I am one of your biggest cheerleaders. And I intend to maintain that title because you are incredible. You are an insanely talented artist, voice actor, and writer, and I don't care anyone else tries to convince you. You are also one of the kindest people I have met when it comes to people you care about/look out for. It's insane for me to think that this singular extended invitation could have allowed me a chance to get to know so many amazing people in the long run. I am so happy to have met you. You have helped me be self-indulgent with the things I make and have pushed me to not only go after the things I want, but be kinder to myself along the way. No amount of words I could give to you will ever encompass all that you mean to me.

And one bonus party:

@wingless-cupid: Cupid, you may not have been there for the creation of this group chat, but you are absolutely a core member of it now. You've been stuck with me for far longer than the rest of these guys, but that doesn't mean I'm gonna pass up on the opportunity to appreciate you and our friendship as well. Life is a bitch to you, but you keep pushing on and I'm so happy to have witnessed it all on the sidelines. Your creativity and execution of such is insane to see in the best way possible. Even if we're threatening each other with violence every other minute, I know that you have my back. And I hope you know I have yours as well.

So yeah. Who is this post for? Mostly me. But I also think everyone I've mentioned is amazing and worth checking out. Thanks for being in my life, guys /pos

[penncilkid]

Hello all and welcome to: WIP Wednesday!

*insert fanfare here /lh*

After seeing a similar idea expressed by my dear friend Pluto, I decided I'd be making WIP Wednesday into a source of self-contained motivation! "PK, isn't that what WIP Wednesday has always been?" Listen, let my brain conceptualize it how I need (/lh). But this is the first of (hopefully) many weeks where I'll be getting my ass writing something— Whether it's a page or a few sentences.

On today's docket: Bites n Bruises (aka what happens when you ship two Darlins)

Maia couldn’t help but stare up at the vampire before her. She’d always found him alluring in his own way. It was something she found difficult to put to words. Whenever Quinn approached her, he had this air to him. As if he was commanding a space the second he walked in. And if he deigned to speak to her? Resisting the temptation to respond was impossible.  It was a thrilling sensation. One that always brought a smile to Maia’s face.

Had an idea sparked by the many ramble sessions me and @mr-laveau have shared (and subjected @cashandprizes to), and I live to share spread my sickness (/pos). The focus will be on Maia's perspective of Quinn prior to him attacking her, which is something I enjoy exploring given how different she reacts compared to her prime storyline counterpart. If I were to describe the intended vibe of this fic, it'd be "blissfully unaware circled prey". Ironic for a Darlin, isn't it?

[Bonus for anyone interested: The current placeholder title for this fic is Songbird's Snare]