#<- me when it's yasper time <3

[piastrinorris]

"These bars can't hold these bars!"

BEN SCHWARTZ as YASPER LENNOV | The Afterparty (2022-) // 2.05

[fairweathermyth]

Hi! I've been meaning to ask you this for a little while now, I would love to know what you think we're the best TV shows/the one not to be missed of this year?

As always lots of love for your Tumblr, I hope you're well! Xxx ☺

Hi!!!! Yeah sure, here are my favorite seasons of television from this year, NOT RANKED, uh just vaguely in order of release <3

Search Party's fifth and final season. I loved this show from start to finish and I loved that it ended on the absolute most bananas note possible. Truly deranged and hilarious. I love this show forever.

Severance's first season. This show was such a surprise! An original, compelling story in the year 2022! I love when shows lean into being weird for weirdness sake. And that season finale!

The Afterparty's first season. I love to have fun! I love a murder comedy! Episode three "Yasper" is probably the most fun episode of television released this year in my humble opinion. Just a low-stakes murdery good time.

Twenty-Five Twenty-One. This show made me feel SO many emotions. No other show this year made me cry this much lol. Kim Tae-ri in anything is perfect, and her performance in this was so full of heart it makes me want to weep just typing this. But also crucially it was very fun too! I love this show INCLUDING the way it ended! (many people hated the ending lol but not me <3)

Barry's third season. Bill Hader needs help! Why did he write this show! To make us have a weekly nervous breakdown!? Idk man this show is simply genius. Another murder comedy btw. Third one on the list so far lol

Better Call Saul's sixth and final season. TELEVISION! Don't know what else to say. Everyone involved is a master at their craft. Genius.

Russian Doll's second season. Was skeptical that the second of the season of this show could come anywhere near as good as the first, but it was incredible! This season was very beautifully done and handled its heavy message with great wit and just the right amount of levity.

Bad Sisters' first season. Four sisters uniting to attempt to murder their other beloved sister's atrocious prick husband? Sign me up! A perfect season of television! Do we need a season two? Certainly not. Will I watch it with every intention of loving it? Absolutely I will. Garvey sisters you have my heart <3 Could we categorize this as a murder comedy? Maybe!

Andor's first season. I can't believe this show exists! I can't believe Disney allowed this to air. Exceeded every expectation I had by a mile. Incredible.

Interview with the Vampire's first season. This show was made for me. Literally everything I love in a story. Campy lyrical murder dramedy of my dreams. The writing, the acting, the costumes. I love when it's clear that every person involved in the making of a thing puts their all into it and cares so much about it.

[sunkingwrites]

(source)

Hello hello, I'm Kasper- you can call me Kasper (obvi), sun, king, or literally any cheesy petnames!

If you call me a slur, I will not hesitate to block you!

☀ I'm a trans dude, he/him and they/them pronouns are fine

☀ May 13 (Taurus sun, Taurus moon, Gemini rising)

☀ I'm panromantic and polyamorous (aka I shove poly bakusquad in your face and you enjoy it)

☀ Inhabiting Canada, where the lakes flow with maple syrup and poutine, the beavers sing their silly tunes, and petting the foxes is sadly off limits

☀ I use petnames for a lot of my mutuals so so often, so lemme know if you're uncomfortable with me using petnames for you!

☀ I'm fluent in English (even tho sometimes I don't act like it), and I have intermediate French,, I'm trying to learn Spanish and Japanese but I'm so easily distracted and can't retain information to save my life 😅

☀ Avid enjoyer of spicy foods, sour candy, artificial banana and strawberry flavours, and cheesecake

☀ If you send me an ask, I will almost always do a little happy dance-- but no, you don't get to see it ;P

☀ I'll add more to this when I remember more things about myself :')

self-ships

Kasper's Bakusquad - me x the entire bakusquad (this includes bakugou, kirishima, sero, denki, mina, jirou, and shinsou) they're my poly bunch of loovvess

Kassou - me x Hitoshi Shinsou (apocalypse au)

Yasper - me x Momo Yaoyorozu

Kashima - me x pre transition!Eijiro Kirishima, prob happened in highschool or smthn

Kasawara - me x Koshi Sugawara

Katsukatsu - me x Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu (soul eater au)

kins

My Hero Academia: Denki Kaminari, Neito Monoma

Bungo Stray Dogs: Chuuya Nakahara

Haikyuu!: Kozume Kenma, Tadashi Yamaguchi

Demon Slayer: Zenitsu Agatsuma

The Way of the Househusband: Masaru Akamiya

The Yakuza's Guide to Babysitting: Toichiro Aoi

video games

Baldur's Gate 3, Beat Saber, Minecraft, Stardew Valley, Animal Crossing, Among Trees, Firewatch, My Time at Sandrock, Slime Rancher (1+2), Civilization (mostly III cuz nostalgia), Red Dead Redemption II, Graveyard Keeper, Kynseed, Don't Starve, Terraria, The Sims (mostly 4), Genshin Impact

anime

My Hero Academia, One Piece, Haikyuu!, SK8 the Infinity, Fairy Tail, Bleach, Demon Slayer, Bungo Stray Dogs, Cowboy Bebop, The Yakuza's Guide to Babysitting, Hunter x Hunter, Cells at Work!, Zombie Land Saga, The Devil Is a Part-Timer!

☀ navigation ☀ rules ☀ about me ☀ masterlist ☀

[8uny]

im really really really happy that the Afterparty season 2 is soooo much better than season 1 and actually hits the premise and feels like what i wanted it to be !!! deeper thoughts below

i tend to enjoy lord&miller's sensabilities, so when i heard miller had a tv show about murder mysteries (my FAVORITE genre) i was stoked. and while i enjoyed season 1, i dont think it actually hit the premise, which is 'murder mystery where each episode is from a different POV, therefore a different genre'.

the most obvious hit is i just dont think it was a good mystery. there were a lot of elements added to give mystery and suspense that ended up meaningless and unsatisfyingly irrelevant. the bow and arrow, the stuff found by xavier's body, the ominous texts. the fact that the big clues that were explained at the end was 'yasper came from a different direction than he claimed' and 'the door was closed all but one time' rather than any of the other myriad of hints they took the time to call attention to was a little unsatisfying. for a lot of the evidence to be meaningless.

for the other half of the premise, i just dont think some of the genre moves were done well. horror wasn't scary, action wasn't thrilling, the kids movie was shot just like a normal one but with funny sound effects and different acting. animation is also not a genre but lets not get into that.

and finally think maybe only a few of the characters are likable and memorable. and not many of them were really believable suspects. it goes to show that in season 2, i think aniq and zoe are the weakest

in season 2 though, i think theyre doing SO SO SO SOSOSOOOOO much better. for the 'mystery' aspect yes of course there are still red herrings, but rather than like a character's secret being only important to them, figuring out a dud is a dud still leads to 'ah... but what about this!' and shedding new light and context rather than 'well, you wasted your time caring'. i just think there x10 more thought in putting puzzles and little details everywhere, that i can pause and pick apart testimonies and think ive found something

and for the genre thing? SMASHING IT OUT OF THE PARK. season 1's flaw was it was so generic, so devoid of personality, so tropey and lifeless and boring. season 2 is delightfully specific! season 1 might have an episode thats just 'romance' as the genre, season 2 would have 'rom com sequel, jane austen regency romance, romantic drama-tragedy' and each will have its own musical and visual identity. season 1's music was so boring it made me wince hearing action movie riffs and horror stings that sound like theyre from a stock library. season 2 actually has that strong sense of identity per episode i was craving

and of course i just think the characters are straight up more funny and likable. even if zoe's family keeps cheating like jesus what sup with that lmao. im very excited for the last 3 episodes i hope it remains on point

[jawnjendes]

little things abt yasper i love very much

the afterparty finale spoilers under the cut!

when aniq turns to him as he figures it out and yasper is just standing there like 😀you think i did it😀

the jacket. I mean come on.

all the musical numbers were just. it’s giving dewey. (I also see a lot of dewey in yasper but the difference is that dewey has things to ground him that yasper probably doesn’t have but ANYWAYS)

in three dots it looks like he’s using his phone as a guitar pick 🙃

“ᴄʜᴇᴄᴋ ᴏᴜᴛ ᴍʏ ᴠᴏᴄᴀʟ ʀᴀɴɢᴇ”

the way he was fidgeting when he got upset, when xavier said no to him and when danner was exposing him (i think that’s just a thing ben does with all his roles - still, i love it)

when he tried to fucking run

oh and his lil speech before he ran,,,,,,poor lil meow meow

the way he was unhinged from the VERY beginning and me, knowing ben and the roles he does, thinking he was just chaotic but harmless as usually until the camera footage scene

“crafting a meanly worded tweet” BITCH you ain’t slick (this made me think it wasn’t gonna be him at first bc it felt too obvious but - chefs kiss)

“diarrhea murder”

he was so supportive of aniq :( (and I’m not even going to THINK about the possibility of what yasper would have done if aniq got arrested)

“I’m building character arcs, dynamics..!” lmao you sure fuckin ARE

i just noticed the lighting in his episode,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,feels kinda bi to me

also he was hiding in the closet lmao

the shoes. first i was like did this fruity lil man REALLY change shoes lmao but now after knowing the things I know. he was lying the whole time LMAO

“whatever means the possibilities are endless” sick sonic reference

when he fucking rolled over on the sofa

im sure there’s more but that’s it for now i love my pathetic singing murder man <3

[this-seems-familiar]

now presenting...

various once upon a time characters and ship tags as songs i’ve heard on the lofi hip hop radio - beats to relax/study to station! :D guess who had a lot of free time during work today.

this is by no means a comprehensive list but did get v e r y long, so i’m going to stick it under the cut. chances are even if your fave is Obscure, there’s an 80% chance they’re on here. although i will admit to running out of steam when it came to the ships--if a character or ship you dig isn’t on here, you can request a song in my inbox if you’d like. <3 and let me know if the links don’t work!

the characters are in complete random order with no rhyme or reason, but the songs are purposeful; headphones are recommended but not required. i hope y’all find this inspiring at least a tiny bit! enjoy~

david nolan/prince charming - j’san x epektase, ‘ghost in my mind’

killian jones/captain hook - dryhope, ‘contrasts’

neal cassidy/baelfire - casiio, ‘back home’

zelena/the wicked witch - ajmw, ‘hometown’

mary margaret blanchard/snow white - no spirit x mell-o x sitting duck , ‘la rochelle’

emma swan - mila coolness, ‘ibis’

belle french - mell-o x ambulo, ‘solace’

henry mills - pandrezz, ‘crystal lake’ ft. epektase

regina mills/the evil queen - iamalex x dillon witherow, ‘lazy morning’

rumplestiltskin/mr. gold - chiccote’s beats, ‘away’

ingrid/the snow queen - g. mills - ‘icicles’ ft. chris mazuera & tender spring

ariel - iamalex x dillan witherow, ‘coral’

elsa - chris mazuera & tender spring, ‘winter’s kiss’

mulan - less people, ‘gyoza’

anna - eisu x softy, ‘snowflakes’

august booth/pinocchio - team astro, ‘helpless’

tinkerbell - dontcry & nokiaa, ‘since’

alice jones/tilly - mondo loops, ‘starside groove’

the blue fairy/mother superior - project aer x wys, ‘after sunset’

ursula - mila coolness, ‘surf’

archie hopper/jiminy cricket - amies x cxlt, ‘things will work out’

sidney glass/the magic mirror - enra, ‘consequences’

grumpy/leroy - tysu x spencer hunt, ‘letting go’

eric - dontcry & nokiaa, ‘tides’

cora mills/the queen of hearts - sitting duck x hoffy beats, ‘slow mornings’

ruby lucas/red riding hood - brillion x chief, ‘moon theme’

malcolm/peter pan - dlj, ‘the docks’

robin hood - brillion, ‘when the sun goes down’

merlin - jordy chandra, ‘late night call’

aladdin - softy, ‘before the rain comes’

jefferson/the mad hatter - xander, ‘missing you’

graham humbert/the huntsman - xander, ‘morning time’

philip - no one’s perfect x kanisan, ‘pendulum’

isaac heller - yasumu, ‘untold stories’

aurora/sleeping beauty - lilac, ‘hyacinth’

ashley boyd/cinderella - purrple cat, ‘caramellow’

granny lucas - oatmello, ‘essenced’

albert spencer/george - team astro, ‘love lockdown’

the dwarfs mining co. - chiccote’s beats, ‘before’

greg mendell/owen flynn - tabal, ‘no return’

cruella de vil - cabal x blumen, ‘crystal land’

dr. whale/victor frankenstein - casiio, ’wondering’

kristoff - monma, ‘winter days’

maleficent - ajmw, ‘way back when’

henry mills i - snug, ‘warm meadows’

marco/geppetto - hm surf, ‘single phial’

ruth - laffey, ‘umbrella’

lancelot - laffey, ‘campfire’

will scarlet - sebastian kamae x aylior, ‘dontyouknow’

anton the giant - g. mills, ‘sublimation’ ft. arbour

daniel - softy, ‘autumn morning’

the apprentice - mila coolness, ‘heron’

violet - oatmello, ‘good night’ with late era

lily - imagiro, ‘wool gloves’

morraine - eugenio izzi, ‘get lost in the mind’s ocean’

dorothy gale - kupla, ‘valentine’

the blind witch/miss ginger - chiccote’s beats, ‘finding’

paige/grace - mila coolness, ‘balance’

kathryn nolan/abigail - g. mills x hm surf, ‘mmmm’

william smee - no spirit x mondo loops, ‘washed ashore’

sister astrid/nova - yasumu, ‘midnight thoughts’

ava zimmer/gretel - laffey, ‘moonlight’

leopold - less people, ‘persist’

billy/gus - glimlip x yasper, ‘floating away’

milah - snug, ‘balcony nights’ ft. spencer hunt

midas - chiccote’s beats, ‘back’

michael tillman/the woodcutter - spencer hunt, ‘moonlight’

walsh/the wizard - mondo loops, ‘drive to midnight’

eloise gardener/mother gothel - towerz, ‘fateful slumber’

liam jones - dryhope, ‘quetzal’

rapunzel - chris mazreua x brillion, ‘juniper’

fiona/the black fairy - kupla, ‘twilight’

jafar - no spirit, ‘glowing lights’

the jabberwocky - mondo loops, ‘winter shells’ ft. kanisan

jacinda vidrio/ella mills - yasumu, ‘questions’

lucy mills - kupla, ‘sleepy little one’

margot west/robin mills - snug, ‘night coffee’ ft. mondo loops

king arthur - brillion, ‘crescent’

guinevere - mila coolness, ‘silent river’

merida - iamalex x dillan witherow, ‘nightwalk’ ft. azula

dr. jekyll/mr. hyde - g. mills, ‘rest your head’/fatb, ‘aurora boreale’ ft. mell-o

ivy belfry/drizella tremaine - chiccote’s beats, ‘illusion’

nicholas zimmer/hansel - chris mazuera, ‘obscurity’

hades - dryhope, ‘down river’

sabine/tiana - chris mazuera, ‘counting’ with g. mills

drew/naveen -hoogway, ‘skyline’ ft. dlj

felix - kupla, ‘roots’

walt d./the author - jhove, ‘if you only knew’

elliott mcgrath/jane hawkins - less people, ‘everything’s a symptom’ _____________

red whale (dr. whale x ruby lucas) - aso, ’espresso’

rumbelle (mr. gold x belle french) - yasumu, ‘waking up’

sleeping captain (aurora x killian jones) - monma x cocabona, ‘garnet’

snowcules (hercules x snow white) - dlj, ‘blackout’

beauty queen (regina mills x belle french) - tabal, ‘inside space’

captain charming (killian jones x david nolan) - pandrezz, ‘cuddlin’

aladasmine (aladdin x jasmine) - kupla, ‘soft to touch’

believe or leave (mr. gold x jefferson x dr. whale) - hoogway, ‘everything (you are)’

brave warrior (merida x mulan) - wys, ‘snowman’

charming whale (david nolan x dr. whale) - sebastian kamae x aylior, ‘outlet’

bellefire (belle french x neal cassidy) - eisu, ‘sheets’

captain charming hood (david nolan x killian jones x robin hood) - yasper x glimlip, ‘infused’

dragon queen (maleficent x regina mills) - tenno, ‘luna’

firewood (august booth x neal cassidy) - sebastian kamae x intoku, ‘lucid’

blue hook (the blue fairy x killian jones) - tysu x spencer hunt, ‘blue moon’

outlaw queen (regina mills x robin hood) - a[way], ‘warm nights’

captain swan (emma swan x killian jones) - hm surf, ‘mud master’

snowing (mary margaret blanchard x david nolan) - brillion, ‘kiptime’ with hm surf

golden queen (mr. gold x regina mills) - team astro, ‘empty shelves’

white whale (mary margaret blanchard x dr. whale) - laffey, ‘nighttime’

red cricket (archie hopper x ruby lucas) - dr. dundiff x allem iversom, ‘pale moon’

swan queen (emma swan x regina mills) - no spirit, ‘memories we made’

curious archer (alice jone x robin mills) - flovry x tender spring, ‘becoming’

swanfire (emma swan x neal cassidy) - pandrezz, ‘when she cries’

wicked hell (zelena x hades) - elior x eaup, ‘ships’

seeing stars (archie hopper x elliott mcgrath) - euginio izzi, ‘the fairie’s city’

[bandanas99]

Untitled Future Project: 1 - The Choice

As I sat in a dank and dreary room, water dripping from the ceiling into a glistening puddle on the floor, being monitored by a City Guard, free falling in a chasm of ignorance as to what awaited me – I truly comprehended the rarity of the Choice.

I had known my whole life that the Choice was an opt-in affair. I had known that it was not a commonplace thing. I had known that my mother had worked extraordinarily hard to give me the Choice.

Out of the many thousands born in our year, I was one of four who had the proof. The City Guard stood uncomfortably close to the backs of our chairs. I was overwhelmed with the sense that he did not like or trust us.

The man to my right was sweating profusely through his tattered grey suit. Every few minutes he would take a very deep breath and smooth his hands down the braid at the back of his head. He intently studied the door opposite us expectantly.

The woman to my left with the white streak through her chestnut hair was clenching then relaxing her fists repeatedly. Her breathing was even and her eyes were very lightly shut.

The woman in the last seat was resting her chin on her bloodied knees with her feet up on her seat. Tendrils of long red hair spilled over her shoulders and occasionally she would wipe the tears that were spilling from her eyes onto the sleeve of her pale pink dress.

We waited in pregnant silence for over an hour after the stated time of our appointment before anything happened.

The party comprised of two men.

The Official strode into the room with the thick ivory cloak draped over his sloping shoulders billowing behind him dramatically. I barely suppressed a scoff. The sharp lines of his white dress shirt were embroidered with spun gold designs, and the pressed creases of his trousers bore an identical pattern. His stern face was framed with short cropped blonde hair and a well-groomed beard and moustache and his eyes were partially obscured behind a pair of thin gold frames that he wore on the tip of his nose.

The Official’s Guard wore a stately uniform of rich plum and detailed with gold that was at once functional and stylish. Their face was obscured by a helmet and visor, their hands covered with form fitting gloves and their armour shone in the dim light. An energy weapon was strategically visible and threatening in its prime position on their hip.

The Official took a seat behind the intimidating desk and The Official’s Guard stood on the other side, facing us.

“Who do we have here?” The Official asked The Guard who had escorted us in. The Guard walked across the room silently and handed him a box. The Official opened the box and The Guard returned to our side of the room.

The Official beckons with his left hand and the Guard roughly grabs the crook of the man to my rights elbow and pulls him across the room to the desk. The man is visibly shaking and appears tiny next to The Official’s Guard. 

“Makkas Barealous, son of Elspeth Barealous and Yasper Barealous,” The Official glared at the man until he nods in agreement.

“Though you are born Not, you parents Elspeth and Yasper Barealous registered you for the Choice.” The Official scrutinised an item in his hand for a moment and his lips split into a vicious smile, “It appears that your parents missed the deadline by fourteen minutes.”

The Official gestured sharply to the left with his hand and The Official’s Guard grabbed hold of the man. Though he did not resist, his eyes went wide and he began wildly looking around at those of us sitting on the bench. I felt the woman to my left shifting in her chair and her hand brushed mine several times before it came to a rest with her palm up and fingers opened. I wanted to squeeze it but I could not move.

“By way of misregistration and an unaccordance to deadlines, you are not entitled to the Choice this day or any other day.” The Official’s voice simmered with sickening satisfaction; “You, Makkas Barealous, are permanently Not.”

Makkas began to speak in protest of this ruling but as soon as he opened his lips, he was silenced by a swift blow to the head from the energy weapon. The speed with which it was flourished garnered a gasp from the woman to my left. The unconscious body of Makkas was very quickly removed from the ceremony room by The Official’s Guard.

The proceedings were suspended momentarily, and The Official took the opportunity to observe those of us who remained with a mixture of undisguised disgust and fascination.

The Official’s Guard reappeared and took my arm marching me across the room until I was an arm’s length from The Official. Up close he reeked of sour wine and floral perfumes.

“Fae Masrus, daughter of Joana Masrus and undisclosed father,” The Official boomed through the small auditorium as he spoke directly into my face, his eyes burning with some emotion that I did not recognise.

“Yes.” I confirmed with a volume and confidence that I did not expect.

“Though you are born Not, your parent, Joana Masrus registered you for the Choice.” The Official lifted a small object from the box and studied it for a moment. “You were registered 11 days and 3 hours after your birth.”

After the briefest pause, he held up his hand to reveal the crystal that The Guard had taken from around my neck before the ceremony.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” My mother beamed as she showed me it, “Not just how it looks, but what it represents.” She cupped my cheek in her hand, smiling brightly though her eyes misted with tears. “Your beautiful future. Full of opportunities. You have the Choice. This is the proof.”

“This is the most important thing you will ever own, Fae.” She said seriously, “We must always protect it.”

The Official shone a small handheld light through the crystal. My heart thundered as I understood it’s consequence. It projected bright blue shapes in the form of symbols and letters over and behind me, causing me to squint at the shadows of his face.

An age passed as he studied the lights in detail. I held my breath and, yet again, waited for something, completely unknown. My heart was thundering in my ears as I felt the panic rising in my throat.

 “Here the Officials of Old Amsterdam confirm the receipt of all twenty-seven registration forms for this individual and verify them as fully completed, correctly stamped and meticulously notarised before the deadline of 49 days and 21 hours after First Breath.”

“As a result of this registration, Fae Masrus,” His navy eyes scrutinised my face with a mixture of disbelief and contempt; “You have a Choice; you may accept your assignment and join the Worthy, or you may stay with those who are Not.”

My mind was racing. There was so much about the Choice that I did not understand.

“Wh-what is my a-assignment?” I stammered.

“You must make the Choice to learn your assignment.” The Official hissed, small particles of spittle flying from his mouth and spraying my face.

My mother’s wishes were ringing in my ears. “Anything is better than what we already have.”

“I-I-” I faltered, when my mother had said I could choose my assignment with the Worthy or to stay with the Not, I had always assumed that my assignment would already have been revealed.

“Make the Choice.”

“I choose to be Worthy.” I whispered softly, then cleared my throat and said it more confidently; “I choose to be Worthy.”

“Very well,” The Official’s tone changed entirely. “The Officials of Old Amsterdam grant you, Fae Masrus, permission to enjoy the sanctuary of our city. You had made the Right Choice. Please, take a seat on the right side of the room and wait to be processed for your assignment.”

“What is my assignment?” I asked.

“You will be told if you pass your processing.” The Official drawled, his attention already turning back to the people who were waiting to make the Choice.

“If?” I repeated nervously.

“Sit down.” He growled. I began to return to my seat.

“Not that right!” The Official screeched. “My right!”

The Guard escorted me to a bench on the other side of the room. I looked forlornly at the women who were waiting for their Choice.

“Ryla Kivis, daughter of Amina Kivis and Ondre Kivis.”

The woman with the white streak was led forward, her eyes only opened once she was in front of The Official. They were a deep, dark brown colour and flecked with gold which I could see from 60ft away. She ran a hand through her hair and smiled at him,

“I am Ryla Kivis.” She confirmed.

“Though you are born Not, your parent, parent Ondre Kivis registered you for the Choice.” His gaze was withering but her smile did not falter. “You were registered 19 days and 18 hours after your birth.”

“I was.” She said confidently as he lifted her crystal from the box.

During the moments that he shone the light through her registration, she directed her smile at me. Her eyes focusing on mine and making me feel slightly nervous. I was not sure what she expected from me. I managed to smile back at her though my teeth sank into my bottom lip.

“Here the Officials of Old Amsterdam confirm the receipt of all twenty-seven registration forms for this individual and verify them as fully completed, correctly stamped and notarised before the deadline of 49 days and 21 hours after First Breath.” He licked his lips before continuing, “As a result of this registration, Ryla Kivis, you have a Choice –”

“I choose to be Worthy.” Ryla declared before he could finish.

The Official’s eyes narrowed; “The Officials of Old Amsterdam grant you, Ryla Kivis, permission to enjoy the sanctuary of our city. You had made the Right Choice.”

Ryla turned to look at me again and broke into a grin.

“Immediately,” The Official said quickly in an attempt to instruct the action she was already taking; “Take a seat on the right side of the room and wait to be processed for your assignment.” Though he spoke quickly, she was already sitting before he finished his sentence.

His nostrils flared as he turned on the last person to make their Choice. The Guard lifted her from her seat and she immediately began sobbing loudly.

Her sobs very quickly turned to shrieks and then screams as she was dragged towards The Official.

“Control yourself!” The Official barked gesturing sharply to the left as The Guard attempted to hold her shoulders steady. The Official’s Guard moved behind her and held a gloved hand over her mouth to muffle her screams.

“Santee Yoola, daughter of Bigge Yoola and undisclosed father,” The Official stopped to stare at her. The Official’s Guard removed the hand from over her mouth and we heard her gasping for breath, rivulets of tears rushing from her bloodshot eyes down her face.

“Yuh-yuh-yuhh-yes.” She blubbered, snot began dripping from her nose onto her lip.

I turned to look at Ryla and noticed the grave expression on her face which only increased my confusion. Why was Santee so upset?

“Though you are born Not, your parent, Bigge Yoola registered you for the Choice.” The Official continued, “You were registered 24 days and 13 hours after your birth.”

“Here the Officials of Old Amsterdam confirm the receipt of all twenty-seven registration forms for this individual and verify them as completed, stamped and notarised before the deadline of 49 days and 21 hours after First Breath.” Santee’s breathing began to come in ragged rasps, her shoulder shook with silent tears.

“As a result of this registration, Santee Yoola,” The Official began leaning forward in his seat, “You have a Choice; you may accept your assignment and join the Worthy, or you may stay with those who are Not.”

“I-I-I-I’m p-p-pregnant.” Santee chocked out the statement and sank to her knees. I hear Ryla gasp before her hand opened once more. I immediately laced my fingers through hers.

The Official hardly batted an eyelid.

“To be permitted to make the Right Choice, you must have the Not foetus immediately destroyed.” He began gesturing with his hands at the lights, “If you wish to be allowed to make the Choice next year, you must be permanently sterilised by one of our operatives today.”

“I-I can’t.” Santee howled, her hands moving to her stomach and cradling her barely swollen belly.

“By way of imperfection and illegal smuggling of a Not child, you are not entitled to the Choice this day or –” The Official began to decree.

“Please!” Santee screeched, “Please, sir, please. There must be a way.”

“I have told you the way, Santee Yoola.” The Official said with a satisfied smirk. “You cannot bring a bastard through the walls of Old Amsterdam. Your womb has been permanently tainted by holding the life of someone who is Not.” He gestured with his hands incredulously.

“The rest of you is permitted to enter, if you make the Right Choice.” The Official rolled his eyes at The Official’s Guard and then looked back at the sobbing woman on the floor. “What is your Choice, Santee Yoola?”

She buried her face in the crook of her arm as the sobs wrecked through her.

“I rarely give second chances, Santee,” The Official growled, “Make the Right Choice.” His eyes narrowed into duplicitous slits as he smirked at her. “You can keep and raise you bastard in the familiar poverty of Northamsterdam or you can join the Worthy.”

“I can’t.” Santee said morosely, her eyes shut tightly and face slick with emotion.

“You have disappointed me, Santee Yoola.” The Official scowled, his fingers began moving quickly through the lights, “You are not entitled to make the Choice, this day or any other.” His face twisted, “In penalty for wasting my time, no blood relation of yours is permitted to make the Choice for the next hundred generations.”

“What?” Santee’s eyes sprang open and she clambered to her feet, “No! Please, sir, reconsider, please sir, my baby should have the Choice.” She rushed forward to his desk and reached her hands across the table. The Official jumped from his chair and pressed his back against the wall.

Crunch.

The Official’s Guard slammed Santee’s face into the desk. I had not seen him move towards her but I will never forget the scream of pain that ripped through her or her bloodied, sobbing face when she desperately turned to look at me.

Santee was facing in my direction as the gloved fist held the hair at the crown of her head and pulled her roughly backwards. The Guard hit her back and her knees with the energy weapon, eliciting screeches of pain.

The Official was nervously rearranging his cloak on his shoulders, visibly perturbed by the situation and looking about him.

Ryla’s hand tightened its grip on mine. I felt a soft puff of air on my neck when her hair swung as turned her head away. My eyes were transfixed on the desperate bleeding woman.

The Official’s Guard put energised manacles around Santee’s wrists and removed her from the room as she bawled.

The Official cleared his throat, attempting to regain composure as he returned to his desk. His fingers danced through the lights once more and he looked to his right;

“Fae Masrus, Ryla Kivis, you are now invited to make your way to the North Gate.”

[airadam]

Episode 145 : Setting Levels

"Appetite for construction..."

- Swigga

We celebrate another birthday for the podcast this month, marking twelve full years since that inaugural experimental episode! This month's mix includes new tracks from artists who are setting themselves new standards, as well as some deep album cuts, B-sides, and unreleased gems. Sadly, we also mark the passing of Gift of Gab of Blackalicious, who left us just a few days ago. We include just one of his tracks this month, but he's an MC who left a deep body of work behind for us to continue to celebrate.

Twitter : @airadam13

Twitch : @airadam13

Playlist/Notes

Children of Zeus : I Need You

Manchester's finest are back with their brand new album "Balance" and this was an early favourite of mine. Not uptempo, but much more so than "I Want You", with lots of bump, Tyler and Konny gave themselves a perfect canvas to get busy on the vocals. Go get that album!

Ilajide : Please Set Me At Ease

If Ilajide punches as hard as his beats are, a lot of heavyweights could be in trouble. Always bringing the heat, he shows his literal chops right here on this beat from the "Latex" LP.

Cocoa Brovaz : Get Up

For those that never knew or had forgotten, there was a period of almost ten years when due to the threat of legal action from the firearm manufacturer of similar name, Smif-N-Wessun had to change their name to Cocoa Brovaz. During this time you could hear the Brooklyn legends popping up on all kinds of quality records, and this was no exception - the B-side to the Mos Def/Pharoahe/Nate Dogg "Oh No" single, and a worthy inclusion on the "Lyricist Lounge 2" collection. Hi-Tek's beat on this was unconventional back in 2000 and still stands out as unusual today.

Special Teamz ft. Sean Price : Boston To Bucktown

Special Teamz was a Boston supergroup made up of Edo G, Jaysaun, and Slaine, who dropped the "Stereotypez" album in 2007. As signees to Duck Down Records, it was a natural move to tap them up for a guest appearance - and here, the late great Sean Price joins them on this Pete Rock-produced cut.

LL Cool J : Summer Luv

The B-Side to "Loungin'" and an inclusion on the deluxe edition of "Mr. Smith", this is a track I just don't hear enough! LL isn't showing love to the weak MCs he takes out on this one, and Rashad Smith's beat is a punchy and relatively sparse bit of 90s boom-bap crispiness.

Rakim : Last Resort

I think this one may have slipped past a lot of listeners - I got it on one of those random bootleg 12"s - entitled "Unreleased Jewels", released in 2003. According to Discogs, Da Beatminerz provided the beat, and it's an overall solid track. The hook is borrowed from a line from one of my favourite Rakim records, "Teach The Children" from the "Don't Sweat The Technique" LP.

Moods, Yasper : Vibe Vibe

From the "Endless Sunday Vol.1" album, these two Dutch producers on the Chillhop label do indeed bring the vibe. This would do the job for cruising with the top down, BBQing in the backyard, relaxing in the park - it's a pure summery feel-good track!

Swigga : Pendulum

1/3 of the great Natural Elements crew here, from his brand new LP "Sunset Mindset (Swigga SZN)". I can't quite describe the sound - it's dramatic, with a little rock edge to it - almost like a stadium track. Swigga (who some of you will have known as L-Swift) matches the vibe without going head-to-head in loudness, and keeps the flow accessible on the surface - but check the multisyllabic rhymes.

Blackalicious ft. Lyrics Born : Do This My Way

RIP Gift of Gab. He may have been in less than ideal health for some time, but his passing still hit the community hard. On this track from the Blackalicious debut LP "Nia", Lyrics Born of Latryx produces as well as supplying his half-sung, half-rapped vocals as the special guest, but without Gab, it wouldn't have been the tune that it is. He holds down his side of the lyrics with the skill and insight that made him a favourite for those that knew throughout his whole career.

The Mouse Outfit : Sunrise (Shift Ops Remix)

We switch into a little D&B mode here with a remix of a fairly recent track by The Mouse Outfit - in fact, I played it here on episode 132 when it came out! You still get the vocals of One Only, but Chini and Metrodome's production has to move over a little for the work of fellow Mancunian Shift Ops, with sharp drums and plenty of low end.

Lenzman & Konny Kon : Food

Staying with the vibe for one more track, the Metalheadz veteran combines with Manchester's own Konny Kon - no stranger to D&B by a long shot - who flows at half time over this extra-clean track from the 2019 "Bobby" LP.

[Charlemagne] Natural Elements : Paper Chase (Instrumental)

A dope 80s sample for those in the know, with the added bass and slow-walking boom-bap drums on the top make this a personal favourite. 100% check the vocal version of this track by the incredibly underappreciated Natural Elements - I played it a while back, pick up a copy if you can!

Mobb Deep : All Mines

"...where the people do murder for money" is a hell of a half-bar at the kick-off of the second verse, the kind of classic Prodigy line that would have been scratched and sampled in the late 90s for sure. Not much info on this track, which was on a 2005 bootleg release, so I don't know if Havoc produced it or not, but that menacing beat with that muted trumpet accent running through it is dopeness for sure.

Skyzoo & Aaria : St. James Liquors

Brooklyn bars from Skyzoo, from his new "All The Brilliant Things" album, which is themed around the gentrification of his home borough. Kenny Keys' beat is a bass-heavy gem, and Detroit vocalist Aaria adds a little sparkle on the hook.

Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth : What's Next On The Menu?

Classic Pete Rock and C.L! This was banging heavy on the pirates and mixtapes when it dropped back in 1993 - it was on the soundtrack to the Hip-Hop cameo-packed "Who's The Man?" as well as the apparently unofficial "Never Coming Out" EP (banned from Discogs). Pete Rock blends three huge staple samples on this one but still has ir sounding fresh, and C.L. glides on the jeep-rocking beat. Straight winner.

Platinum Pied Pipers ft. Jay Dee : Act Like You Know

Heavy, nasty, grinding. Perfect. The late great Jay Dee/J Dilla features on this track produced by Waajeed, one of his protoges. Waajeed and Saadiq made up PPP, whose debut "Triple P" definitely worth having in your collection - a mix of Hip-Hop and soul with a kind of jazzy sensibility in places. 

Marco Polo : Ps and Qs (Remix Instrumental)

Just a nice instrumental from Marco's "Baker's Dozen" compilation. I had to loop this up a little bit to stretch it out, as he kept it very short and sweet. MP on the MP strikes once again! 

Nipsey Hussle and Jay-Z : What It Feels Like

A cross-continental meeting of the lyrics, if not the minds, as the late Nipsey Hussle combines with Jay on this selection from the "Judas and the Black Messiah : The Inspired Album", taking its spark from the film about the assassination of Black Panther Fred Hampton. Nipsey recorded this verse eight years ago, and didn't like the song at the time. It was developed in stages over years, with more and more instrumentation and arrangement, plus Jay's verse rougly a year ago. The final product is bombastic and epic-sounding, with the production headed up by Mike & Keys, and there are a stack of guests in the background - for me, highlighted by the distinctive vocals of James Fauntleroy. It was clearly worth the wait,

Please remember to support the artists you like! The purpose of putting the podcast out and providing the full tracklist is to try and give some light, so do use the songs on each episode as a starting point to search out more material. If you have Spotify in your country it's a great way to explore, but otherwise there's always Youtube and the like. Seeing your favourite artists live is the best way to put money in their pockets, and buy the vinyl/CDs/downloads of the stuff you like the most!

Check out this episode!