#❝ ━━ ✧ VERSE 04. A DARKER SHADE OF MAGIC
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❝ ━━ ✧ VERSE: HOGWARTS: A DARKER SHADE OF MAGIC
G E N E R A L .
House: slytherin Age: 16 Blood Status: mixed-blood Affiliation: hogwarts
M A G I C .
Wand: 14" / yew / dragon heartstring / hard flexibility
yew wands are among the rarer kinds, and their ideal matches are likewise unusual, and occasionally notorious. the wand of yew is reputed to endow its possessor with the power of life and death, which might, of course, be said of all wands; and yet yew retains a particularly dark and fearsome reputation in the spheres of duelling and all curses.
the witch or wizard best suited to a yew wand might equally prove a fierce protector of others. wands hewn from these most long-lived trees have been found in the possession of heroes quite as often as of villains. what is certain, in my experience, is that the yew wand never chooses either a mediocre or a timid owner.
dragon heartstring produces wands with the most power. dragon wands tend to learn more quickly than other types. the dragon wand tends to be easiest to turn to the dark arts, though it will not incline that way of its own accord.
Patronus ( based on this list ): magpie. a relative of the crow, the magpie is considered to be one of the most intelligent animals in the world. also like the crow, they have a bad reputation, but in fact, the magpie is seriously misunderstood. they are very curious creatures and will often fly off with something that they find interesting. magpies are able to sense approaching danger very quickly, making them the perfect patronus!
Best Subject(s): charms / cursing / legilmancy Worst Subjects(s): transfiguration / flying
T H E W I Z A R D.
from the moment of his birth shinsou hitoshi has led a difficult life. his father comes from the long shinsou line of pure-bloods but was disowned for marrying his mother, a muggle. if that didn’t make shinsou infamous enough amongst older wizards who know his name and father’s “shame”, it also doesn’t help that both the mysterious arts of parseltongue and legilmancy run in his family. ironically enough the shinsou line is looked down upon more for being ‘sullied�� than their sordid history of death-eaters and blood purists.
both are fairly misunderstood, though parseltongue the more feared of the two. shinsou has inherited an aptitude for both and is fairly powerful. as legilmancy is often considered an advanced art not taught to the general hogwarts population he is instead tutored by professor aizawa who is a skilled legilman in his own right. legilmancy is often misconstrued as magical telepathy but it involves extracting memories and emotions and the safe-keeping of them. they are often also able to determine whether they are being lied to or not.
shinsou is, in many ways, a very exemplary slytherin. should he have chosen it he also would have been a great ravenclaw but he often operates more with his cunning and ambition. as many slytherins he has no actual desire to be evil or follow in the footsteps of ancestors. in fact, even amongst other slytherins shinsou is something of a pariah and feared.
M I S C.
cursing is his favorite school of magic by far followed closely by charms. he has a way with exerting his will through magic that is both incredibly powerful and incredibly dangerous.
he has not had much opportunity to duel or friends who would practice it with him but given the chance he would excel. his spell casting is quick and precise and he eventually will be able to master wordless spells as well, which is a rarer and useful skill.
his dream is to become an auror. as many expect him to turn completely to the dark arts there aren’t many who take him seriously on this.
because of his father’s disowned status and his own mixed blood shinsou is denied the estate and wealth that he would have been the rightful heir to. instead a cousin of his will inherit the shinsou grounds when he is of age.
he has a black cat named maki who he loves very much.
despite knowing that many of his skills are considered “dark” and feared shinsou does little to hide them. he wants to succeed in life and become a famous auror while defying all the stereotypes.
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Summer Tour 2018
Martian Blogster was created by two friends who met in middle school and immediately forged a lifelong friendship based on their shared passion for live music. Since Phish returned in 2009 and they saw their first shows at Jones Beach, they have seen over 225 Phish shows to date combined. This blog is a space to positively discuss and dissect the current and future affairs of Phish with a focus on the 3.0 era. Welcome and we hope you enjoy our first post as much as we enjoyed writing it!
Coming off one of the greatest accomplishments of their career with The Baker’s Dozen, as well as a strong New Year’s Run, expectations for Phish’s 2018 summer tour were sky high. With the band truly back on the road for the first time in over a year and a half, the foursome delivered some spectacular shows and many others filled with great moments. Without further ado, we present our summary (in four lists and with rankings just for fun) of a tour that was drenched in highlights, yet somehow already seems to be underrated as phans look towards the upcoming fall tour.
Top 10 First Set Jams/Segments
1) Ghost (15:56) -> Crosseyed and Painless (12:28) > Simple (8:08): Friday 08/31 (Dick’s N1) – The centerpiece of the best first set of summer. Ghost contains a beautiful major-key jam led by Trey. Mike then pushes the pace, leading the band through a groove (with Under Pressure teases from Trey) that seamlessly transitions into Crosseyed. With all jaws firmly dropped on the floor, Trey hits the opening notes of Simple, leading the band through a gorgeously melodic yet contained version that caps off this segment perfectly.
Video: https://www.instagram.com/p/BnMYBtBnFA1/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet
2) First Tube (8:16), No Men in No Man’s Land (10:07), Ghost (22:27): Friday 08/03 (Alpharetta N1) – It’s hard to think of many shows that start stronger than this one. This was the first sign that Alpharetta wasn’t going to be a standard summer weekend.
3) Down With Disease (17:50): Saturday 09/01 (Dick’s N2) – Placed in the second song slot, this Mike-led version was the highlight of the Dick’s Saturday show. Trey hints at Guy Forget towards the end of the song, and a rare full return to Disease at a rocket pace certainly earns the band their early breather in Shade.
4) Everything’s Right (16:41): Tuesday 08/08 (Camden N2) – A seldom heard jammed out ending to a first set. The moment proves to be that much more powerful as the crowd knows there’s still a second set to come.
5) Reba (13:20), Wombat (11:37), Tela (6:53): Sunday 07/22 (The Gorge N3) – The meat of the best first set of The Gorge run comes at the peak of the third and final magical sunset of the weekend. Wombat produces some of the best music we’ve heard from performances of the song, and the following Tela is a spontaneous request from Page after he noticed “the sky was burning.”
6) The Moma Dance (13:55), Ghost (16:08): Tuesday 07/17 (Lake Tahoe N1) – The first Type II jam of summer comes in just the fourth song and is a sure sign of things to come for Ghost (our pick for MVP of the summer, with five stellar versions).
7) Tweezer (11:37) -> Bathtub Gin (11:24) > The Curtain With (14:10) > Chalk Dust Torture (10:13): Sunday 08/12 (MPP N2) – While nothing in this segment truly departs from song structure, it’s hard to ask for a more fire string of songs. The energy displayed here clearly carries over and sparks the band for their throwdown of a second set.
8) Simple (14:44): Friday 07/20 (The Gorge N1) – This highly exploratory version is influenced by the peak of The Gorge’s first sunset.
9) Kill Devil Falls (12:18): Saturday 07/28 (LA Forum N2)
10) Soul Planet (11:43) -> Possum (9:10): Sunday 09/02 (Dick’s N3)
Top 10 Second Set Standalone Jams
1) Carini (20:24): Friday 08/03 (Alpharetta N1) – Another year of Phish means another monstrous year for Carini. The best version of the song this summer also nabs our choice for best overall standalone jam of the tour. This jam contains a delicate motif based around The Band’s Chest Fever that Trey rides to the mountaintop.
Video: https://www.instagram.com/p/BmORbJQHEpN/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet
2) Set Your Soul Free (24:04): Wednesday 07/25 (BGCC N2) – After opening The Gorge run with its debut, this song wasted no time before becoming the band’s newest jam vehicle during its second outing. This groove clinic proves that jams don’t need to peak to be a tour highlight. Look for big things from this song come fall.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=981NooW2WYU
3) Down With Disease (24:28): Tuesday 08/07 (Camden N1)
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuTK-MGr6q0
4) Chalk Dust Torture (24:03): Friday 07/20 (The Gorge N1) – The first long-form jam of the year has everything you could hope for in a 25-minute Chalk. Things sure get serious quickly once it gets dark at The Gorge.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdJEGLHMk9M
5) Split Open and Melt (18:09): Sunday 07/22 (The Gorge N3) – My favorite version in over a decade and a truly special way to close a set. At the risk of sounding cliché, this jam has a very open, Pink Floyd-esque feel to it (Thanks, Page) before the band nails the ending with a Crosseyed mashup that ties up one of the best sets of summer in a bow.
6) Light (16:30): Tuesday 08/07 (Camden N1)
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmoOQjFzKvY
7) Tweezer (16:55): Friday 08/03 (Alpharetta N1)
Video: https://www.instagram.com/p/BmDqnjhnsb3/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
8) No Men in No Man’s Land (13:27): Sunday 08/12 (MPP N2) – A dense version that packs a big punch while continuing the energy of the first Tweezer Reprise of the set. This No Men covers a lot of musical ground and is a must-hear for fans that might sleep on its “short” 13-minute run time.
9) Set Your Soul Free (17:44): Saturday 09/01 (Dick’s N2) – Another great version in just its fourth outing. Mike takes the reigns, just as he does in the Disease on this night (as mentioned above). Trey develops a lick at the end reminiscent of the Foo Fighters, which Mike latches on to as they ride it to glory. Although it feels like it has more to explore before being cut awkwardly by Fuego (as it tends to be these days), it’s still a highlight of the summer.
Video: https://www.instagram.com/p/BnO0NDUnRHe/?hl=en&taken-by=cowphunk
10) Golden Age (18:42): Sunday 08/05 (Alpharetta N3)
Top 10 Second Set Segments
1) No Men in No Man’s Land (13:40) > Carini (18:56) > Theme from the Bottom (9:30) > Mercury (15:12) > Light (18:39): Friday 08/31 (Dick’s N1) – Yes, we are well aware that this is the entirety of the set, but this sequence feels like one big jam, and listening to any of the songs on their own feels incomplete. To break up a sequence, there needs to be a pause or a song that doesn’t fit, and quite frankly there is no way to do that here. A perfectly placed and amazing version of Theme ties together four Type II jams in a set where the band doesn’t take a single break. Highlights within this epic run include a never-ending peak in Carini and the most special set closer of the summer in Light. Whether Phish was adding to its legacy of greatness on night ones at Dick’s or if this was a way of apologizing for the Curveball cancellation, the band we travel cross-country for certainly reaffirmed the love that everyone in attendance has for them on this incredible night.
2) Crosseyed and Painless (12:22) > Soul Planet (23:39) > A Song I Heard the Ocean Sing (6:18) -> Piper (13:56): Saturday 08/04 (Alpharetta N2) – While most fans hold Alpharetta night one in higher regard, the second show is every bit as memorable due to this monstrous second set sequence. An exploratory Crosseyed moves into the best Soul Planet to date thanks to Trey saving the jam when it quieted to a near stop on two occasions. A blissed-out theme at the end of ASIHTOS is then capped off by a huge Page-led Piper.
3) 46 Days (11:17) -> Tweezer (14:25) -> Golden Age (15:27) > Steam (9:15): Sunday 09/02 (Dick’s N3) – 46 Days departs to bliss territory almost immediately, and Trey finds a beautiful motif that he uses to showcase all of the toys in his new rig. The band builds to a darker peak before returning to the song, and Trey forgoes a traditional ending, choosing instead to play staccatos while layering in Tweezer’s opening notes. Amazingly, Phish then mashes the groove at the end of 46 Days in between the verses of Tweezer. Tweezer turns to a major key early on and reaches a peak anchored by a cathartic solo from Trey before another seamless transition into Golden Age. On a whim, Golden Age moves into funkier territory before Trey takes the band in a bluesier direction. Playing to die for licks one after another, Trey then hints at Boogie On, tricking the crowd into thinking they are experiencing a third amazing transition, but the jam slows and moves into Steam. The always welcome song was a showcase for the band’s new ambient digital effects, similar to the version played on the third night of the last New Year’s Run.
Video: https://www.instagram.com/p/BnRpuHeH39a/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet
4) A Song I Heard the Ocean Sing (14:36) > Mercury (16:25) > Carini (14:38): Tuesday 07/24 (Bill Graham N1) – ASIHTOS continues its hot streak after a sublime New Year’s version. Mercury shows why it will go on to become one of the breakout jams of this summer, and Carini is a standout, as always. This night feels inconsistent, but that doesn’t mean it’s devoid of top-notch work from the boys.
Video (Carini): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XR6hU97bn0U
5) Everything’s Right (19:20) > Down With Disease (17:03): Tuesday 07/31 (Austin) – Anyone that made it to the most out-of-the-way stop on tour was certainly rewarded with this sequence. The best version to date of Everything’s Right and a Disease that contains the most evil passage of the summer.
Video (Everything’s Right): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_CidBi8S9o
6) Crosseyed and Painless (18:23) > Twist (13:05) > Waves (7:27): Sunday 07/22 (The Gorge N3)
7) Gotta Jibboo (14:01) > Fuego (17:40): Saturday 07/28 (LA Forum N2) – For the first time in ages, Fuego is the highlight of a show, featuring a simple and stripped down – yet powerful – jam. The slow build and peak is possibly the music from this summer on most frequent repeat.
Video (Fuego): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-TnkKp3vk8w
8) Sand (11:47) > Mercury (17:21) -> Ghost (15:00): Saturday 08/11 (MPP N1)
9) Down With Disease (14:30) > Simple (10:36) > Ghost (13:15): Friday 07/27 (LA Forum N1)
Video (Ghost): https://www.instagram.com/p/Bl60rcfnBon/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
10) Drowned (13:40) -> NICU (9:03): Friday 08/10 (Walnut Creek)
10 Moments in a Box (Chronological/Unranked)
1) Gorge Sunsets: The never-ending rainbow skies (apparently aided by the unfortunate brush fires that struck the area) during sunsets at The Gorge truly led to some magical moments from the band. With sunset beginning just after lights on almost every night and lasting through set break, the skies guided the band and left us with this list of first set highlights: Roggae, Simple > Ya Mar > Sand, I Am Hydrogen, It’s Ice > Divided Sky, The Curtain With, The Birds > Bird of a Feather, Reba, Wombat, Tela
2) Light > Waste: Friday 07/20 (The Gorge N1) – As Trey said about this on SiriusXM: “We did this jam and it just stopped for no reason. Some jam where we were, like, jamming and it just went, bam, and stopped, like, with a mind of its own, all of us at the same time. Right before Waste. It was so funny that it just decided it was over, like the jam itself and me and Page were like WTF! If a jam gets rocking like this and then, boom, it stops, you might want to do Waste afterwards because the show just tells you what to play next, and there’s no way you can possibly plan that.”
3) Driver: Wednesday 07/25 (BGCC N2)
4) Slave to the Traffic Light, Sleeping Monkey: Friday 07/27 (LA Forum N1) – After spending the entirety of my first day in LA traffic (especially en route to the venue), as I’m sure many other fans experienced, this Slave felt perfectly placed in the moment. After the song’s conclusion, it was hard not to smile ear-to-ear at Trey’s infectious reaction to the crowd sing-along during the Sleeping Monkey encore.
Video: https://www.instagram.com/p/BlyaGxfn7Xf/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
5) You Sexy Thing: Sunday 08/05 (Alpharetta N3) – Opening Alpharetta’s Sunday show, this was the first cover debuted during The Baker’s Dozen to reappear. While not played particularly well, the song was a great way to energize and misdirect the crowd before a second song Tweezer Reprise. Teases and a full reprise of the Hot Chocolate number throughout the show were warmly received.
6) Fee, 2001: Sunday 08/05 (Alpharetta N3) – After forgetting the words to Fee, Trey told the crowd, "We'd like to end the show now with something we remember all the words to.” A great version of 2001 ensued with You Sexy Thing and Tweezer Reprise teases ending the night and run in an extra-special way.
7) Thread > Runaway Jim -> Run Like an Antelope -> Runaway Jim > Run Like an Antelope -> Makisupa Policeman > Run Like an Antelope: Friday 08/10 (Walnut Creek) – A fun mashup that saw Phish activate a playful side the likes of which haven’t been seen since the MPP Tweezer Fest of 2014. Thread is included as part of the mashup since it was quoted throughout. Musical moments like these are born out of a playful mood, which was clearly on display this night when Trey made an attempt at Drake’s “Kiki Dance” during Meatstick.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95BgZDkQa1I
8) Piper -> Tweezer Reprise: Sunday 08/12 (MPP N2) – Speaking of Tweezer Fests, four years later at the same venue (and once again on the second night of a two-night run), attendees were treated to a reprise of that show. Playing Tweezer Reprise three times in the second set and encore, this middle version that built out of Piper was one of the most energetic peaks of the tour.
Video: https://www.instagram.com/p/BmbR5nlnVEf/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet
9) Harry Hood: Friday 08/31 (Dick’s N1) – Not played in the first set since 2003, the crowd was certainly caught off guard when Fishman dropped the signature opening beat to Hood. While the opening Free was a well-played version, this was the first sign that something special was going down on night one of Dick’s.
10) Mellow Mood: Sunday 09/02 (Dick’s N3) – The biggest bustout of summer, having not been played for 257 shows. Rare Bob Marley covers and Colorado is a pairing I think we all can get behind.
Video: https://www.instagram.com/p/BnRFj3dnVEH/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet
Let us know your thoughts in the comments section or on Twitter. Given all that has transpired in 2018 thus far, Phish sure seems primed for a monumental fall and we can’t wait much longer!
Your Trip is Short,
Martian Blogster
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“No, I actually only get the Prophet for the crossword.”
❛ not like it’s good for anything else, ❜ a dry observation. splashed across the front pages is the scandal of the week in awful and voyeuristic print. the faces moving in the charmed picture are stuck in an endless cycle of shocked expressions and quickly waving hands - no photos! - they seem to say.
evidently, no one had listened.
another glance and he’s pointing at a blank in the puzzle. he barely avoids smearing his hand on still drying ink. ❛ pretty sure that one’s supposed to be horklump. ❜
harry potter starters | @pyrominensu
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‘ things didn’t turn out the way i planned, but i’m alright with that. ’ (Post-Potter)
❝ ━━ ✧ well, that’s putting it mildly. if there was a prize for understatement of the year then she would have easily won. first he looks at her face, then the ruined mess of their joint Potions project. the far wall has been painted a very vivid yellow. part of it looks like it’s melting.
another second passes before he grins wryly, holding aloft the actual goal of their task. the feathers, once the signature black gloss of a ravens, are now bright as buttercups. ❛ we redecorated part of the dorm while we were at it. ❜
grave suggestions | @ivoryribcage
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