Thank you for all the nominations! I have collected the top 5 (after that there was a big gap in upvotes at the time when I checked the post) into a poll that will decide what book the BB Bookclub will be reading in September, for the Retro Rainbow Reads theme - books published before December 31st 1999.
The nominees are:

Ammonite by Nicola Griffith

Change or die. These are the only options available on the planet Jeep. Centuries earlier, a deadly virus shattered the original colony, killing the men and forever altering the few surviving women. Now, generations after the colony has lost touch with the rest of humanity, a company arrives to exploit Jeep–and its forces find themselves fighting for their lives. Terrified of spreading the virus, the company abandons its employees, leaving them afraid and isolated from the natives. In the face of this crisis, anthropologist Marghe Taishan arrives to test a new vaccine. As she risks death to uncover the women’s biological secret, she finds that she, too, is changing–and realizes that not only has she found a home on Jeep, but that she alone carries the seeds of its destruction. . . .

The Fire's Stone by Tanya Huff

THIEF, SWORDSMAN, AND WIZARDESS
AARON. Clan Heir, he has fled his people when his beloved was slain by his own father's command, abandoning his training, duty and beliefs to become a thief. A master of his trade, he now dared the odds in Ischia, city of the volcano, where the price of being caught was death.
DARVISH. Prince of Ischia, third son of a king who had no intention of giving up his throne. The prince was a drunkard, a lover, and a wastrel, yet was gifted with sword skills and with the ability to charm all around him. But not even his charm could free him from the political marriage now being planned.
CHANDRA. Born a princess, she had chosen to become a Wizard of the Nine, that rarest of beings, able to master all the forms that sorcery could take. Now, promised as Darvish's bride, she undertook a desperate journey to Ischia to convince him they must not wed.
Aaron, Darvish, Chandra—three strangers whose fates were about to become interwined. For someone had stolen The Stone, the magical talisman which stood between Ischia and the volcano's wrath. And unless the three could learn to work together on a quest to find the Stone, Ischia would drown in a sea of lava.

Sing the Four Quarters by Tanya Huff

To call the kigh was the height of bard's magic. Only those born with the gift could learn to Sing these spirits of earth, air, fire and water into doing their bidding, and even someone as gifted as the Princess Annice must spend years studying at the Bardic Hall to truly master the Art. And for Annice, one of those rare talents able to Sing the elemental spirits from each of the four quarters, the call of magic was too strong to be denied, even if it meant renouncing her royal blood and privileges.
But Annice might have made a different choice if she could have foreseen that ten years after she'd transferred her life and loyalties from the Royal Palace to the Bardic Hall, she'd find herself fleeing from the King's Guards. For Annice was twice guilty of treason, first for imperiling the order of succession by becoming pregnant, and second for aiding the father of her unborn child, the Duc of Ohrid, to escape the palace dungeons and the sentence of death hanging over his head.
Now the fugitives' only hope lay in tracking down and bringing to justice the enemy who'd masterminded the Duc's downfall, a dangerous foe who had found a way to tie lies and truths together into a knot even the most powerful of Bardic spells could not unravel...

Bingo (that I know of): First in a Series (HM), Bards (HM), Pubbed in the 90s (HM)

Magic's Pawn by Mercedes Lackey

Mage-Craft—
Though Vanyel has been born with near-legendary abilities to work both Herald and Mage magic, he wants no part of such things. Nor does he seek a warrior's path, wishing instead to become a Bard. Yet such talent as his if left untrained may prove a menace not only to Vanyel but to others as well. So he is sent to be fostered with his aunt, Savil, one of the famed Herald-Mages of Valdemar.
But, strong-willed and self-centered, Vanyel is a challenge which even Savil can not master alone. For soon he will become the focus of frightening forces, lending his raw magic to a spell that unleashes terrifying wyr-hunters on the land. And by the time Savil seeks the assistance of a Shin'a'in Adept, Vanyel's wild talent may have already grown beyond anyone's ability to contain, placing Vanyel, Savil, and Valdemar itself in desperate peril...

Bingo: First in a Series

Gossamer Axe by Gael Baudino

When her lover is imprisoned, Christa—a centuries-old harper—must set her free using the greatest weapon she possesses: music
In ancient Ireland, Chairiste Ní Cummen, a harper, was trained in the secrets of music and magic, but her curiosity and pride trapped her and her lover in the realm of the fairy folk, the Sidh. Chairiste alone managed to escape, and now, living in the modern world as Christa Cruitaire, a quiet harp teacher, she is all but resigned to her inability to win her beloved’s freedom . . . until she discovers that the volume and violence of the electric guitar and heavy metal might prove brutal enough to forcibly breach the barriers between the human and fairy worlds. With the aid of her bandmates—who must themselves overcome inner demons of abuse, addiction, and prejudice—Christa is determined to use her newfound musical power to rescue the woman she loves.

Vote here!

The poll will be open until June 10th, at which point I'll post the winner in the sub and announce the discussion dates. What is the BB Bookclub? You can read about it in our intro thread here.

Hello! My boyfriend and I are needing to transfer our leases from the Skybox apartments (basically subletting). The apartment has a total of 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. The 2 rooms that we are transferring are right next to each other and will share a spacious bathroom across the hall (These apartment leases can be transferred to 2 individuals that want to live together or leased separately to two individual people). The kitchen has electric appliances that include a dishwasher, microwave, stove/oven, and refrigerator. The common living area is spacious with ample room for living room furniture, tv setups, bookcases, etc. A large window offers a great view of the courtyard. This lease comes with 24 hour gym access, study room, and secure bike storage. There is also a balcony on the top floor that has a pool table, a IS tv, grill, and fireplace for your enjoyment. In addition to the convenience of living near campus this property management constantly provides fun activities for the renters such as Leprechaun hunts for Saint Patricks' Day, celebration of niche holidays (cookie day,lawn games day, waffle day, Bingo day), book swaps and clothing swaps In regards to security, there is a security guard on site. Only residents are allowed access at all times with a key fob. The third bedroom is already occupied with their own bathroom. This could give you the opportunity to keep to yourself or make a friend. All utilities are included in the rent except electricity which fluctuates throughout the year. I have spent around $50 during Winter and $20 during Spring and Summer. Pets are also allowed at a max of 2 pets per apartment. The apartments are across the street from the Matthew Knight Arena which is really convenient for concerts, rodeos or Basketball games Please feel free to message me with any questions or for any information!

The basketball origin story of Dan Hurley — the man on precipice of walking away from the opportunity to win a third consecutive national title to take over the vaunted, glamorous, celebrity-rich Los Angeles Lakers — was born in a 65-foot long, high-ceiling room attached to an inner-city church rectory built for functions and fundraisers.
The White Eagle Bingo Hall in Jersey City, New Jersey, was a basketball gym only because someone pegged a couple of hoops on either end (one famously 2 inches higher than regulation). It had more in common with the 1890s YMCA where James Naismith first brought out some peach baskets than gleaming Crypto.com Arena in downtown Los Angeles.
https://sports.yahoo.com/dan-hurley-from-a-bingo-hall-to-coach-of-the-los-angles-lakers-163232351.html

WHAT'S ON GAY LAND

QUEEN'S BALL VOTING closes June 9th https://www.surveymonkey.com/Queensball2024
DYKES ON BYKES ride every second Sunday of the month https://www.dykesonbikesqld.org/monthlyrides/
Queer Love Stories Concert - Brisbane Pride Choir, Young Pride https://www.brisbanepridechoir.org.au/dbpage.php?pg=view&dbase=events&id=229042 Sat, 8 Jun - 1900 - 2100 General Admission from $30
Pride Business Network meet for breakfast every Tuesday https://www.pridebusiness.org.au/
Just Gay Stuff Podcast is Produced here in Brisbane by two lovely ladies. Yet to give them a listen, but you can check their FB group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/544086796224650/use61554182386997

PRIDE MONTH

MORETON BAY PRIDE is on this weekend! The website has all you need to know https://www.moretonbaypridefest.com.au/
Tickets from $28, adult. All ages event (fancy!) but minors will need to acompianied by an adult ticket holder to get in.
https://tickets.oztix.com.au/outlet/event/1d8747b0-493c-40c7-b5a7-dce8d0a1f865
Hope you all enjoyed GC Pride. There were a lot of pagaents, but who were the winners? I'll have to find out. https://www.gcrainbowcommunities.com/in-the-media
Were you snapped at the POPPERZ afterparty? Check their FB https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100092037129267

THIS WEEKEND

QLD Pups and Handlers are hosting a full weekend of events, for anyone in to that kind of thing:
~~6 Jun~~ ~~Bunker Bar~~ ~~Meet and sniff~~ 7 Jun - Cabaret - Sunnybank Hall - $55 8 Jun - Stage Rounds - Nellie's Showroom, Sporties - 20 8 Jun - Paw'd - Bunker Bar - $20 9 Jun - Victory Mosh - Bunker Bar - $15
Tickets: https://www.q-pah.org/qphc/attend

THE BARS of BRISBANE

SPORTIES https://www.sportsmanhotel.com.au/
Fri: Balls Out Bingo and Karaoke Drag Shows from 2230 Sat: Dinner Drag Shows at 1930 and 2030 Erotique Drag Shows all night Sun: Top This Sundays W Chocolate Boxx and Katya Lou-King Pool Comp w Magic Mike
WICKHAM Weekly pub grub specials and entertainment https://thewickham.com.au/whats-on/
Sat - Drag Bottomless Brunch - 1130 - $79pp https://thewickham.com.au/events/drag-bottomless-brunch/ Sat - Misery Swiftness: Swemo Night - 2000 - $22.00 https://thewickham.com.au/ticketed-events/
COME TO DADDY Snacks, Drinks, Performance https://www.instagram.com/p/C7ykMg3P5Qx/
Fri - Henny Spagetti and Stefani Stefani Sat - Kate Monroe
OUTSIDE THE USUAL VENUES
What: Dancing Queer Where: Hamilton Town Hall When: Sun 09 1730 - 1930 Entry: $5 https://www.facebook.com/events/2476580865871631/
What: Kylie Minogue DJ Party When: Sat 8 Jun - 1900 - 2230 Where: Bloodhound Bar $16 https://www.stickytickets.com.au/6zlgw/kylie_minogue_dj_party__saturday_8_june_2024__bloodhound_bar.aspx
What: ABBA Night When: Sat 08 - 1900 - 2200 Where: Wonderland Brisbane Info: From $12 https://www.facebook.com/events/668551448698930/

CINEMA

Queer Horror film, shot entirely here in Brisbane:
IN THE ROOM WHERE HE WAITS
Screening this Saturday w a Q&A with Director, Timothy Despina Marshall https://www.fivestarcinemas.com.au/new-farm/movie/in-the-room-where-he-waits
Check out the BIG BRISBANE GUIDE for a round up of cinema listings. The Spanish film festival is coming next week and GOMA is still showing their MAD SCIENCE collection. New Farm Cinema is still a destination for niche, retro and art house cinema.

THEATRE

NB: Plays listed aren't always Queer-themed. They're listed on the assumption that the gays like theatre.
Playing NOW Prospect Terrace https://piptheatre.org/prospect-terrace/
OPENING JUNE 12TH - Fourteen https://www.qpac.com.au/whats-on/2024/shakestir-fourteen
Disney gays: Beauty and the Beast closes 9 June at QPAC.

SPORT

Brisbane Inferno Winter Social Soccer Perry Park, Bowen Hills Sat 1500 - 1700 https://www.facebook.com/events/830849425753482/ NB: Not sure if you need to be a member or not. Contact for details.
Brisbane Hustlers From what I can tell, they're still in Rome? The Bingham Cup is an inclusive Rugby Tournament. Like their socials and follow to show support. They won the third place play off, 26/05, 12 to 7. https://www.instagram.com/brisbanehustlers/ https://www.facebook.com/binghamcup

REGULARS

4ZZZ https://4zzz.org.au/grid Tranzmission - 0900 Tuesday Dykes on Mykes - 1800 - 2000 Wednesday Queer Radio - 2000 - 2200 Wednesday Podcasts Available
Check out Wet's Recurring Events (men only, 18+) https://wet.com.au/pages/events
Check out the lineup at The Beat https://www.beatmegaclub.com.au/media
Fluffy! https://www.fluffy.com.au/
The Quivr - from 1700 Thurs, Fri, Sat https://thequivr.com/ba

POST SCRIPT

Big Brisbane Guide: https://www.reddit.com/brisbane/comments/1d9bawk/whats_on_brisbanes_biggest_and_best_guide_check/
Big Music Guide: https://www.reddit.com/brisbane/comments/1d8h9qv/music_music_music_this_week_from_wednesday_to/
Donate: https://paypal.me/blueishbeaver?country.x=AU&locale.x=en_AU

Hey there. SilverKappa here. This is, regrettably, a truncated RDA Recap; my internet decided to stop working partway through the show. C’est la vie, I suppose. Regardless, let’s dive in.
INTRO
Diplo – “Use Me (Brutal Hearts)”
INVISIBLES
Blitzen Trapper – “Hello Hallelujah”
The Wild Feathers - “Sanctuary”
Kathryn Williams & Withered Hand - “Wish”
The Menzingers – “The Last One Killed Me”
SET 1
Tragically Hip – “It’s a Good Life If You Don’t Weaken”
Amigo the Devil – “Murder at the Bingo Hall”
Tom Cardy – “Smart Style!”
Ze Frank – True Facts: Not-Dead Opposums and Their Weird Defenses
Descartes A Kant - “Graceless”
SET 2
Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats - “Heartless”
Lucy Rose - “Shiver”
Ninja Sex Party – “Dance ‘Til You Stop”
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers – “The Waiting”
WTFIWWY
WTFIWWY Live - How I Learned To Love The Bomb (South Carolina Was Almost Nuked?!) - 5/27/24
Tech Q&A - Windows 11 Will Recall It All - 5/25/24
STORY 1: Video: Judge dumbfounded by man with suspended license joining court Zoom call while driving
STORY 2: Man who made 12,000 harassing phone calls to Congress admits threatening staffer
STORY 3: Meat spill blocks northbound lanes of I-880 in Oakland
STORY 4: Massacusetts teacher on leave after holding mock slave auction and using racial slur, official says
STORY 5: Juror says someone left her bag with $120,000 cash and promise of more if she'll acquit
STORY 6: North Korea sends fleet of balloons carrying excrement to South Korea
SET 3
Renegade Cut – I Watched Every Mad Max Movie and Ate 12 Tacos
Foster the People – “Lost In Space”
Love and Rockets – “So Alive”
TWRP – “Content 4 U”
Broken Social Scene – “Anthems For a Seventeen Year Old Girl”

and that’s where my internet shit the bed, so that’s where this recap ends. deepest apologies.

Events are listed by the day. Events that happen every week appear first, one time stuff after that. If you have anything you’d like people to know about, comment here or message me and I’ll add it in. If you’d like further info about any of the events, look it up! I usually don’t have any extra to add.
Large Scale, Ongoing, and Multi-Day Events

Local Running, Walking, and Biking Info: https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/
Guided Paddling Outings all around the area: https://www.facebook.com/hsmithoutdoors
Tallahassee Film Society Showings: https://www.tallahasseefilms.com/tickets/
Book Clubs for all tastes: https://www.facebook.com/midtownreadeevents
Live Theater:

• Making Light Productions: https://www.makinglightproductions.org/
  
• Theatre Tallahassee: https://theatretallahassee.org/
  
• Mickee Faust Club: https://www.mickeefaust.com/
  
• Monticello Opera House: https://www.monticellooperahouse.org/
  
• FSU School of Theatre: https://theatre.fsu.edu/productions/
  
• Young Actors Theatre: https://www.youngactorstheatre.com/
  
• Quincy Music Theatre: https://quincymusictheatre.com/
  
• Tallahassee Hispanic Theater: https://tallahasseehispanictheater.wordpress.com/
  

OutdooFarmer’s Markets:

• Lake Ella Grower's Market: Wednesday and Saturday, 11am-2pm. You can always find organic vendors, and foragers: The Holistic Cannabis Community, Artzi Farms, Hickory Nut Gifts, and others. Including Pita Queen! Farmer's Market Nutrition Program Coupons gladly accepted!
  
• Tallahassee Downtown Market: Saturdays, 10am-2pm, Park Ave Parks. Vendors display their arts and fine crafts, jewelry, handmade soap, pottery, Fresh from Florida produce, hand-raised beef and pork, fresh baked bread, jams and jellies, and honey. Live music from different local musicians every Saturday.
  
• Frenchtown Heritage Market: 524 N MLK Jr Blvd. Third Saturday of the month 10am to 2pm. Come grow community and support your local farmers and makers, while you get your groceries for the week! Don’t forget! We match SNAP/EBT, so you DOUBLE your money to go towards locally grown fresh fruits and vegetables! If the guy with the pineapple is there, get it. This is currently only happening on the third Saturday of the month for the next few months while road work is completed.
  
• Tallahassee Farmers Market: 2904 Kerry Forest Pkwy, Saturdays, 8am to Noon. Come see us at Tallahassee's longest-running farmers market! We are a year-round market, featuring local farms and vendors that provide the best seasonal produce, meats, baked goods, and more. We welcome you and your whole family (leashed pets included) to come out and meet your local farmers! Ample parking is available between our lot and the shopping center lot next door (by Red Elephant). Come early for the best selection.
  
• St. Marks Community Market: Saturdays, 9am to 1pm. Come enjoy local artists, crafters, bakers, farmers, and gardeners in beautiful downtown St. Marks!
  

THURSDAY, 6/6

• The Hub at Feather Oaks: Bingo. 6pm
  
• Dreamland BBQ: Weekly Open Blues Jam. If you'd like to sing, please bring your own mic. 6pm
  
• Honest Living Vape: Chess-Master Thursdays . Beginners and experts, join us every Thursday from 6-9 for Chess-Master Thursdays. All ages. Bring your board or play ours! Tournaments coming soon! 6pm
  
• Oyster City Brewing Co: Open Mic Night! Join us on Thursdays from 6:30-9:30 PM for Open Mic Night hosted by the incredible Mike Ingram of The Brown Goose! This is your chance to show off your skills! Whether you're a musician, poet, comedian, or have a hidden talent, we can't wait to see what you bring to the stage. 6:30pm
  
• Lake Tribe: Trivia. 7pm
  
• Takko Market Square: Bingo Night. 7pm
  
• The Getaway Grille and Bar: Karaoke with Jared Walker. 7pm
  
• Amicus Brewing: Trivia. 7pm
  
• Cap City Video Lounge: MST3K Thursday: Space Mutiny and Starcrash. Join us Thursday as we climb aboard The Satellite of Love along with Joel, Tom Servo and CROOOOW as we brace for two goofy Star Wars knock offs riffed to perfection by the boys and the bots! 7pm/free but donations encouraged
  
• Smitty's Taphouse: Trivia Lab Thursdays. Teams of 6 or fewer players can compete for $30 / $20 / $10 Prizes + The Golden MacGuffin prize table! New format! Interactive smartphone answering for your comfort and safety! 6 Fun Rounds - 42 Total Questions. 7:30pm
  
• Studio D: Bachata Fever. We always have a bachata workshop at 8 pm before Bachata Fever. We dance afterwards to the sounds of DJ Bacharod. The class is at 8 pm and Bachata Fever will start at 930 pm. Many times people are learning in class and may feel uncomfortable social dancing while they are still learning moves. We have a welcoming environment so stay and have fun and dance with everyone. That is how we learn. 8pm/Class $5/Bachata Fever $5.
  
• The Sound Bar: Comedy Night. 8pm
  
• Finnegans Wake: Open Mic. 8:30pm
  
• Brass Tap in Midtown: Karaoke with DJ Rah. 9pm
  
• 926: Karaoke. 9pm
  
• Bird’s: Karaoke with Nathan. 9pm
  

• Sake World Center: Prince Night (Adults Only). Celebrate Prince's birthday at our tribute night this June! This adults only event will go from 6-9pm for $12 admission (skate rental is included if needed). We'll be playing Prince's top hits all night long-- come skate with us! Remember to bring your ID and LONG socks! Long socks are required to rent skates. No outside food or drink is permitted. 6pm/$12
  
• Blue Tavern: Music of the Spheres First Thursdays: Old and New Irish Fiddle Music with Jason Cade and Paddy League. 8pm
  
• Square Mug at The Plant: Gila “Harbinger” EP release show with Falls Chase, Mulch, and Callisto’s Collapse. 8pm
  
• Fire Bettys: Slasher Bash Movie Night: Rubber. 9pm
  

FRIDAY, 6/7 – Yes, First Friday is happening in RR Sq.

• Blue Tavern: Happy Hour with Steve Malono. 5pm
  
• Lake Tribe Brewing: Flannel Fridays with Live Music. 6pm
  
• Hobbit West: Friday Night Dart Tournament. Anyone can Enter! Sign ups at 7:30, Darts fly at 8:00/$10 entry fee
  
• Ouzts Too: Karaoke with DJ Nathan. Best karaoke DJ in town. 8pm
  
• Just One More: Karaoke with DJ Rah. 9pm-11pm/21+
  
• 926: The Hot Friday Night Party and Drag Show. 9pm/$5/18+
  

• Blue Tavern: David Pucik. 5pm
  
• The Other Side Vintage Shop: The One Thing. Benefit Show for Railroad Square! All of the Band's Tips will go toward restoration of the Railroad Square Art District! 6pm
  

Lake Tribe: Lauren Mullinax. 6pm

• Oyster City Brewing: The Rhythm Remedy. 7pm
  
• The Wine House on Market Street: Frank Douglas. 7pm
  
• The Getaway Grille and Bar: The MAE WEST Band. 7pm
  
• Fish Camp: Stimulus Package. 7pm
  
• The Sound Bar: Swillbilly. 7pm
  
• Blue Tavern: LCP “Good Thing” album release show. 8pm
  
• House of Music: Bill “Sauce Boss” Wharton releases "The Sauce" Free No Cover, Free Gumbo. 8pm
  
• Corner Pocket: Hot Mess. 8pm
  
• Barrel Proof Lounge Midtown: Woody Harvey (of Your Scumbag Neighbors). 9pm
  

SATURDAY, 6/8

• Brinkley Glen Park: Invasive Plant Removal. Join Master Gardener Volunteers at this weekly invasive plant removal event. This is a great way to learn to ID our invasive plant species and how to remove them. We recommend wearing long pants and sleeves, closed-toed shoes, gloves, a hat and mosquito spray. Bring gardening tools such as hand clippers, loppers, trowels, etc. if you have them. We are removing coral ardisia bushes and berries, nandina, tung trees, Tradescantia flumenensis, cat's claw vine, winged yam, Japanese climbing fern, skunkvine and more. Directions: The best way to get there is to take Meridian Rd to Waverly Rd, go to the next intersection and turn left onto Abbotsford Way, then turn left at the next road called Woodside Dr. At the stop sign turn left onto Lothian. Lothian ends in a cul-de-sac and there is a sign that says Brinkley Glen Park. 8:30am-11:30am
  
• Gamescape: Saturday Gaming. Gamescape has relocated from Railroad Square to the Huntington Oaks Plaza (Suite 302, next to the Library) at N Monroe St and Fred George Rd. Open gaming tables are available. Noon-6pm
  
• Corner Pocket: Tallahassee Area Dart Association Blind Draw(Random Partner) Tournament. Signups are 6:45pm/$10 entry
  
• Duke’s and Dottie’s: Line Dancing Plus Lessons. 7pm/21+
  
• Bird’s Oyster Shack: Laughterday Night Fever. * Join us every Saturday at Bird's Aphrodisiac Oyster Shack for a free comedy show!* 8:30pm
  
• 926: Latin Night. Dance to the irresistible beats of Zeus and prepare to be dazzled by a spectacular drag show at midnight. It's more than a party, it's an experience. 9:30pm/$10 21+, $15 under 21
  

• LaMoyne: David Zimmer at Muffins & Mimosas. 11am
  
• Fish Camp: Dukes Tunes and Electric Mayhem Band. 1pm
  
• La Tiendita: Isa Y El Combo Machete. 6:30pm
  
• Gulf Specimen Marine Lab (Panacea): Dive into an Oceanic Extravaganza: Mermaids and Mimosas! Join us for an enchanting afternoon by the sea as we raise funds for a cause close to our hearts – supporting the Gulf Specimen Marine Lab's initiative to fund a new roof for our urchin tanks. Embark on a whimsical journey beneath the waves, where mermaids frolic and mimosas flow. 4pm-7pm/$35
  
• Oyster City Brewing: Flamingo Party. 7pm
  
• The Getaway Grille and Bar: Saturday Night Bikes and Trikes Featuring MOJO STEW. 7pm
  
• Blue Tavern: Thomas Hendon & Company with John R. Butler. Alt-Country/Americana band from the Florida Panhandle. Featuring Drummer Marcus Haines, Bassist Eric Norwood, Lead Guitarist Chris Auvil, and Thomas Hendon on Vocals & Guitar. John R. Butler will open the show at 7 pm, with his signature mixture of quietly disturbing and raucously funny songs about living. 7pm/$10
  
• The Bark: Theo Butts, Softie, Sleepybug, Tearman, and Canine Denim. 8pm
  
• Fire Bettys: Highway 85. 8pm
  
• The Sound Bar: Michael & Friends. 8pm
  

SUNDAY, 6/9

• Bicycle House: Sunday Ride. Ride at 10:30 AM from Bicycle House. We will ride the Cascades trail to the St Marks trail and down to Wakulla station and return, about 31 miles. Ride speed is 12 to 14 mph, with periodic regroups. Vernon Bailey is the ride leader. Vernon is a new CCC member who’s been biking for 50 years enjoys riding with small groups and weekend touring. 10am
  
• Flippin’ Great Pinball: $25 Sunday Funday. Every Sunday spend a fun-filled time with the family for only $25 plus tax at the arcade! Our normal all-day family admission of $34.99 is just $25 and that includes up to a family of 6 (two adults and four kids). Experience affordable family fun that everyone will enjoy. Noon-8pm
  
• E Peck Greene Park (Behind the LeRoy Collins Library): Food Not Bombs Free Mealshare. We offer free vegetarian/vegan food, water, coffee, personal care & hygiene products, bus passes, and clothing when we have some available to those in need. Contact foodnotbombstally@gmail.com to find out about getting involved. Noon-2pm
  
• LeRoy Collins Library: Tallahassee Go Club Meetings. Come play the captivating ancient game of Go, also known as Baduk, with some friendly games and discussions. Beginners welcome. Visit https://www.tallahasseegoclub.com for more information. 1pm
  
• Gamescape: Pokémon League. Come learn, play, and trade with the Pokémon Trading Card Game and the Pokémon video games! We LOVE seeing new players, so come learn how to play! We play both the Trading Card Game and the Video Game casually and competitively. The store offers lots of different seating arrangements to meet our group's needs, as well as food, drinks, and Pokémon products for purchase. We are also hold regular, officially sanctioned tournaments for Pokémon Trading Card Game and Video Game Competitions! 2-4pm
  
• The Plant: Open Jam. All instruments, all players welcome. 4pm-9pm
  
• Pedro’s: Mariachi Clasico. 6pm
  
• Fermentation Lounge: Open Mic Night Hosted by Conor Churchill. 7pm
  
• Oyster City Brewing: Comedy Night. Come have some laughs with us on Sunday nights! If you are interested in participating in the show, reach out to therealsleepypfloyd@gmail.com 7:30pm
  

• MLC Community Center: Tornado Relief Plant Sale Fundraiser. * With the future of our shop uncertain and us out of a job, we’ve got to find a way to get our plants to the people! Please join us Sunday June 9th for a huge blow out plant extravaganza! We will have plants of all kinds of plants, pottery, fertilizers, potting soil, gifts… everything we would normally carry in our shop and more. And we will have a super special friend The Tally Mac Shack food truck posted up to serve you the most delicious Mac bowls in the state! They even want to donate their funds raised to our rebuild/move. All funds raised will go straight back in tour shop with the hopes of rebuilding or finding a new location so we can get back to doing what we love, spreading love and slinging plants!* 10am-3pm
  
• 926: Queer Makers Market. * The Queer Tallahassee Artists Collective is proud to present the June edition of the Queer Makers Market that will now be at 926 on West Tharpe Street. Come and browse the creations of many of Tallahassee's amazing artists and makers. Admission is free. We will be setting up in the grassy field at the back of the 926 parking lot - just look for the canopies! Due to the heartbreaking destruction of the beloved @mickee_minion clubhouse in railroad square from the tornadoes we've moved our Pride Makers Market to the ever-generous @926bar. If you're able to support Mickee Faust as they recover from this loss head over to their page or directly to MickeeFaust.com/donate. It was a privilege to hold past markets in their space, they bring queer joy and community to everything they do. We hope to see you at our outdoor Pride Makers Market on Sunday June 9 from 11AM - 2PM to share queer and trans joy and community during Pride Month. It'll be warm and sunny and full of amazing art and handmade goods.* 11am
  
• Common Ground Books: CGB Summer Book Fair! Come check out our summer book fair with diverse books for all ages! Picture books, chapter books, graphic novels and more! 1pm-5pm
  
• Goodwood: Tomato Feastival 2024. * The Annual Tomato Feastival is a family fun event for all! Enjoy great food, music, games, and of course, local tomatoes. The event includes tomato sandwiches, a farmers market showcasing some of the area's best local farm products, local breweries, a tomato contest, prepared food vendors, games for kids, an awesome raffle, a silent auction and more!* 2pm-6pm
  
• Fish Camp: Morgan and Collins Band. 3pm
  
• American Legion Hall: Trae Crowder. 7pm
  

MONDAY, 6/10 - Happy Birthday to me!

• Just One More: Bingo. 5pm-6:30pm
  
• The Getaway Grille and Bar: Margarita Monday, Open-Mic Night hosted by The Saltwater Cowboy. 5:30pm-8pm
  
• American Legion Hall: Cha Cha - Weekly Lessons. 6:15pm/$5
  
• Hangar 38: Bingo. 6:45pm
  
• Vino Beano: Tipsy Trivia. 7pm
  

• The Sound Bar: Live Rehearsal with The Rockitz. 7pm
  
• Retrofit Records: Being Dead. 8pm
  

TUESDAY, 6/11

• Blue Tavern: Happy Hour. 5pm
  
• The Getaway Grille: Tuesday Night Bikes and Trikes. 6pm
  
• Oyster City Brewing Company: Tuesday Night Beer-go! 6pm
  
• Crafty Crab: BOOMIN' Karaoke. 7pm
  
• Gamescape: Hobby Night. Slay the grey together! Join your fellow gamers and turn your pile of grey miniatures into a battle ready army. Need some painting tips? Feel free to ask at hobby night. You can bring any miniature for any game to paint. 7pm
  
• Ology Midtown: Jazz Jam Sessions. 7pm
  
• Beef O'Brady's: Trivia. 7pm
  
• Island Wings: Trivia. 7pm
  
• Brass Tap in Midtown: Trivia. 1st Tuesday of the month is General Knowledge with rotating themes the rest of the month. 7pm
  
• American Legion Hall: Tallahassee Swing Band Tuesday Night Dance. 7:30pm
  
• Fire Bettys: Comedy Night. 8pm
  
• Poor Pauls: Trivia. 8pm/21+
  
• Blue Tavern: Bluesday Tuesday with Bill Ricci. Every Tuesday is Blues Day @ the Blue Tavern and Blues Meets Girl is a Tallahassee favorite. This perfect, intimate venue provides just what you need for both a mid-week break and authentic blues music experience. 8pm/$5
  
• 4th Quarter: Professor Jim's Tuesday Night Trivia. Popular for a reason! 8pm
  
• Argonaut Coffee: Trivia Tuesday. 8pm
  
• The Sound Bar: Karaoke. 8pm
  
• Fire Betty’s: Open Mic Comedy Night. 8pm/21+
  
• 926: Tacos and Trivia. 9pm
  

• 926: An Evening with Donna Lynch & Friends. * When she’s not singing for Ego Likeness or designing clothes and accessories in Garbage Witch, Donna Lynch is also an accomplished poet and authoress of dark and gothic fiction. Now, she has announced that she will be embarking on a Spoken Word Tour, in which she will be reading from her poetry collections Choking Back the Devil and Girls From the Country, both of which earned her Bram Stoker Award nominations in 2019 and 2022, respectively. Donna will be coming to 926 with her Spoken Word Tour on June 11th and kicking off a Sanctuary Special Edition! Donna will be joined by several local writers to read selections from their works followed by your favorite Sanctuary music with Burger Alert on the decks. JUST ANNOUNCED: There will also be a special music set with DJ Steven Archer! Donna and her husband (and Ego Likeness member) Steven Archer are also producing a documentary of life on the road as touring artists in the US and will be filming at 926 as well.* 7pm/$5/18+
  
• Square Mug at The Plant: Harpy, Mirrored Fatality, Black Sink, Memory Care, and Experimentations in Irritation. 8pm
  
• Fire Bettys: Comedy Show with Mo Alexander . Join us For an amazing one night only live comedy performance featuring some incredible local comedians With the Hilarious 20 year veteran comedian seen on Comedy Centrals Hart of the city Mo Alexander. 8pm
  

WEDNESDAY, 6/12

• Sugar and Spice Tally: Game Night. Join us every Wednesday Night for community game night. Bring your own or use ours! Let me know if you need to reserve space for a large group. Free to attend! 5pm
  
• Goodwood: Wonderful Wednesday. 6pm/$5
  
• Level 8 Rooftop Lounge: Trivia. 6pm
  
• La Florida Coffee & Wine: Trivia Night. 6pm
  
• The Great Games Library: Open Game Night. 6pm/free
  
• American Legion Hall: Sue Boyd Country Western and More Dance Class. Session 2 - Beginner 6:30 to 7:45 pm What: East Coast Swing and Waltz. Cost: $8.00 per person. Wear comfortable shoes you can turn in. 7:45 to 8:15 - Practice dance with paid admission. 8:15 to 9:30: Intermediate - 2 Step and WCS. $8.00 per person or $13.00 for both classes. Vaccines are required. Face masks are optional. Changing partners is optional. 6:30pm
  
• Perry Lynn’s Smokehouse in Quincy: Wed Night Open Mic w/ Steven Ritter and Friends. 6:30pm
  
• Hangar 38: Trivia. 6:45pm
  
• Oyster City Brewing Tallahassee: Trivia. Teams up to 6 players for three rounds with 10 questions and a tie breaker each round. Winners are by round so don’t worry if you need to come late or can’t stay the whole time! Prizes include a round of beer, a 6 pack and a gift card! 7pm
  
• Proof: Trivia. 7pm
  
• Vino Beano: Wine Bingo. 7pm
  
• Fermentation Lounge: Trivia. 7pm
  
• Blue Tavern: Wednesday Open Mic with Doc Russell. The open mic night that has run continuously for almost 20 years, once housed at the Warehouse, lives on at the Blue Tavern. Doc Russell continues as the host with the most. Sign up starts at 7:45pm/free to attend
  
• Fire Betty’s: Karaoke! 8pm/21+/free
  
• Dukes and Dotties: College Night and Line Dancing Lessons. 8pm
  
• Finnegans Wake: Trivia. 8pm
  
• The Sound Bar: Open Mic Night. 8pm
  
• Cap City Video Lounge: Anime Wednesday. 8pm
  
• South Station: Summer Movie Nights. 8:30pm/free
  
• The Bark: Karaoke with DJ Nathan. Best karaoke DJ in town. 9pm
  
• Peppers: Karaoke. 9pm
  
• 926: Dragged Out Wednesday. 10pm
  

• Blue Tavern: Rachel’s Reading Club. Rachel returns to the tavern for a new kind of music experience – sight reading & folk music combined! 5pm

Rating: 7/10
Bingo Hard Modes: Reference Materials, Book Club or Readalong
Sorry if the review seems scattershot, I was only halfway through The Atlas Series when I saw the post about this, and thought it perfect for my Book Club bingo square, so had to make sure I finished the trilogy, read Witch King and got my review in by the end of the week!
Witch King follows the demon prince Kai, who awakes from a waterlogged prison with little memory of his betrayal, death and imprisonment. I won’t spoil any more, as the opening few chapters are definitely the best part of the novel.
The book alternates between the present and the past in a pretty even 50/50 split, we follow Kai and his allies piecing together what has happened to them and the world in the wake of their imprisonment, and the past of how the world was conquered and the subsequently freed itself from the Hierarchy. The plot lines alternate, with the present raising questions and the past providing backstory for the characters and explanations about the world and magic systems.
On the topic of magic systems, I feel like the book as too many. Demons, witches, blessed immortals, hierarchs and expositors all have their own magic, some of which are explained in small detail, others are left to intuit through hints and references. It’s a bit confusing, especially as they all play important roles at various parts the book. A similar problem arises with all the cultures and peoples in what is a very expansive fantasy world of which we only see small parts. The Saredi and the Summer Halls I felt I had a strong connection with, but even important cultures like the Witches and the Arike I don’t think were covered enough. Maybe they will be fleshed out better in any sequels, but not sure that should impact the review of this book by itself.
The ending too is a bit disappointing, ending with a whimper rather than a bang. The big climax of both timelines happens well before the end and the last chunk of the book is just wrapping up loose plot lines (in the present) and setting up for a future book (in the past). I liked some of this, especially the revelation between Kai and Ramad (though I’ve seen people hating on it) and the interactions between Kai and Bashasa, but I feel there must have been a way to move the climax of both timelines (which were great) closer to the end without sacrificing these human moments.
Overall though, it’s a fun read, and the hook I felt in the beginning definitely engendered enough goodwill to keep me engaged through to the end of the book, especially when there are so many small enjoyable moments scattered throughout the novel. The story is good, the characters are pretty good (though Sanja is criminally underutilized in the second half), and the world building has a lot of potential going forward. I’ll be reading the sequel when it comes out and will probably try out Books of the Raksura too!

Does the end of the trip constitute more money?
Reason I ask this. Car was in the shop and older parents had to go to 2 places. My mother was going to the bingo hall which was 1.1 miles from home and my dad was going out to eat at a wing place which was 0.6 miles away. The cost to go to the bingo hall was $7.30 and to the wings place it was $14.99. It was also $14.99 to go to wings from bingo hall which was 0.9 miles. This makes absolutely no sense to me. Any insight?

After the gruesome death of Karla Reyes, her memory still haunted me. I found myself constantly thinking about her, replaying our last moments together, and wishing I could change the outcome. The guilt and grief weighed heavily on my heart, and I knew that attending her funeral was something I needed to do, not just for Karla but for myself as well.
Five days after the discovery of Karla’s death, the day of the funeral arrived, and I made my way to the cathedral Catholic church, my heart heavy with sorrow. My family wasn't particularly religious, but Karla's family was, and I wanted to pay my respects in the way they would have wanted.
I entered the church, the familiar scent of incense and candles filled my nostrils, bringing back memories of Sunday school and holidays spent in these halls. I spotted Karla's family seated in the front pews, their faces etched with grief. My own family was there as well, offering their support and comfort during this difficult time.
My dad approached Karla's father, his eyes filled with sympathy. "I'm so sorry for your loss, Mr. Reyes. Has Karla mentioned anyone who might want to cause her harm? Anyone who wished her ill?"
Karla's father, his eyes red-rimmed and swollen, shook his head. "I can't think of anyone, Sheriff Anderson. Except..." He trailed off, his voice thick with emotion.
"There was a man, part of a pandilla, who wanted to kill my family. He had threatened us, but I never thought he would go after Karlita. I always kept my family protected, but maybe..." Mr. Reyes's voice broke, and he buried his face in his hands, his shoulders shaking with sobs.
My mom, who had been comforting Karla's mother, shot me a worried glance, her eyes filled with tears. Mrs. Reyes clutched my mom's hand, her grief-stricken voice calling out, "Porque a mi niña? Why my little Karla? Why you took her away from me so early?"
I made my way towards the coffin, my heart pounding in my chest. The coffin was made of rosewood, adorned with delicate orchids. It was a closed casket, and I felt a pang of sadness that I wouldn't be able to see Karla one last time, to say a proper goodbye. I placed a white rose on top of the coffin, my fingers trailing over the smooth wood. "Rest in peace, Karla," I mouthed out.
One month later, I remembered being in art class, trying to focus on the painting in front of me—a vibrant blue jay perched on a branch. It was a peaceful scene, but my mind kept wandering, my thoughts drifting back to Karla.
Suddenly, someone brushed past me, and I looked up to see Mandy Lake. She was known for her Gothic attire and multiple piercings. "Oops, sorry," she mumbled, taking a seat next to Hannah, who was jamming to Haley Kiyoko through her headphones.
Brandon returned from his bathroom break and slid into the seat next to me. "Hey, Lily, I might have heard some rumors popping up," he signed, his eyes downcast.
I signed, "What kind of rumors?"
Brandon opened his mouth to respond, but before he could speak, Ryan barged into the art room, his eyes landing on me. "Hey, Lily, I hear you're smoking a juul these days. You got hit this ganja with me?" he said with a smirk, walking towards us.
Brandon snapped, "She doesn't do that, Ryan. Leave her alone."
Ryan laughed, a mocking sound that grated on my nerves. "Maybe it's her twin Billie, then." He pulled out his iPhone 6, displaying a Snapchat video of me and Karla smoking a juul. I tried to make out the poster's handle, but Ryan swiped it away before I could read it.
Our art teacher, Ms. Taylor, appeared at Ryan's side, her eyes narrowed. "Get out of my class, Ryan, or I'm writing you up.”
“Geez, Ms. Tay-Tay. You're a buzzkill,” Ryan groaned and made a squealing sound, trying to mimic me. As he turned to leave, I purposely stuck out my foot, tripping him. He landed on his nose, as small specks of bloody boogers seeped from his nostrils. Getting up from his feet, Ryan stormed off, smearing the door with blood.
Ms. Taylor saw the whole thing and sighed in frustration. "Lily, I know you did that to defend yourself, but it's not the right thing to do," she said, her voice firm but understanding.
I signed angrily, "I don't care, Ms. Taylor. He shouldn't have bothered me in the first place.”
“Fair point,” Ms. Taylor's eyes widened at my response, and she shook her head, clearly at a loss for words.
In a rather abrupt manner, the speakers blared, "Lilibelle Anderson please report to the principal's office."
Everyone in the class turned to look at me, letting out ohss and whispers. Brandon had enough of it, slamming his hands on the table, "Shut the hell up, all of you."
“Don't sweat it,” I signed to Brandon, "I'll meet you after lunch," and left the room, my heart pounding.
Passing by the lockers, I stopped in front of one in particular—Karla's. It was covered in sticky notes, drawings, and pictures, along with flowers, all expressing grief and condolences. There was also a letter written by Mrs. Becker as well. The letter read.
“Dear Karla Reyes,
It is a tragedy to have lost a talented student like you. You were potential, shining bright like a star. Whoever monster did this to you deserves hell. Hope you rest in peace, and forever be singing in the choir of the heavens.
With much love,
Your Choir teacher.”
Alyssa appeared behind me, her voice soft. She towered over me, placing a hand on my shoulder. "It must be tough, losing a friend. But you shouldn't blame yourself, Lily. You were a victim too."
I looked at her, surprised by her kindness. She gave me a small smile and said, "Take care of yourself, okay?" Then she walked away, leaving me alone with my thoughts. At least Alyssa didn't look at me like I was the one who killed Karla. Fiona being one of those people who after Karla's death, looked at me like I was a monster.
I continued on my way to the principal's office, my heart heavy. Principal Kelly was waiting for me, his expression kind but stern. "How are you doing, Lily?" he asked, motioning for me to take a seat.
I signed, "I'm okay."
He nodded, his eyes filled with sympathy. "I'm so sorry about what happened to you, Lily. I wish I could take away your pain. But I'm afraid I have some disappointing news. You've broken a rule, and I have no choice but to give you a week of detention."
I signed, "Am I going to be expelled?”
Principal Kelly shook his head. "No, Lilibelle. I understand you've been through a lot, and I want to give you a chance to make things right. But I can't condone vaping on school property."
I crossed my arms, frustration building inside me. "Who told you about the vape video?”
He hesitated, his hands placed up high on top of his balding head. "I can't tell you that. But I want you to know that I'm on your side.”
I shook my head, my anger rising. "I'll find it out myself," I signed, my eyes flashing.
With that, I left his office, tears pricking at the corners of my eyes. I noticed a group of students huddled together, whispering and glancing in my direction. I recognized Brianne among them, and my heart sank. Whatever rumor was spreading, it was gaining traction.
I quickened my pace, eager to get away from their judgmental stares. As I turned the corner, I collided with someone, sending our books flying. "Oh, I'm so sorry," I signed, bending to pick up the fallen books.
The girl I had bumped into offered me a hand, her eyes warm and sympathetic. "It's okay. Are you alright?”
I recognized her as Sarah Miller, a fellow freshmen from a different homeroom and a member of the Journaling club. She was one of the girls. I always saw them hanging out in the school library, reading newspapers and what not. From word of mouth, Sarah was Alyssa’s cousin and used to be inseparable. Part of me wanted to know more about Alyssa, and maybe just maybe Sarah knew something.
"Yeah, I'm fine," I signed, taking her hand and hoisting myself up. "Thanks."
She smiled at me, her eyes kind. "No problem. Hey, um, I know we don't really know each other that well, but if you ever need someone to talk to, I'm here. I know you've been through a lot lately."
I nodded, my throat tightening with emotion. "Thanks, Sarah. I appreciate it.”
“Mhm. Oh yeah, I was wondering if you had lunch B?”
“Who doesn't have Lunch B. Everyone and their mothers have Lunch B.”
Sarah let out a giggle, tucking one of her honey blonde strands behind her ears. “That's so true. Anyways….you wanna eat together or-”
Seeing how shy Sarah was made me like her a lot. She was endearing in a way, and of course I would want to be friends with a kind individual. “Sure, why not.” I gestured, with a welcoming tone.
After a few classes later, I headed to lunch with Matt and Brandon, my stomach rumbling in anticipation of the school's infamous chicken nuggets. Matt chatted about his plans to go grocery shopping with his mom after school, complaining about having to make the list during Allegra's class.
"I actually find grocery shopping fun," I signed, my eyes lighting up at the thought. "Especially when I get to pick out my favorite peaches."
Matt brows drooped, as he hugged on his gray sleeves. “Groceries can be fun, but try buying groceries in bulk. Mom always says it saves trips, but rolling 6 carts of food kills my back.”
“Oh..”
“Yep. That's one of the downsides of being filthy rich.”
I noticed Brandon's silence, his eyes distant as he lost himself in his thoughts. Matt, ever observant, asked, "You okay, Brandon? Still dealing with what happened the day of Karla's disappearance?”
Brandon lied, forcing a weak smile. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just tired."
Matt's concerned gaze didn't waver. "Are you sure? You know you can talk to me about anything."
Brandon nodded, his eyes flicking to me. "Actually, there's something I wanted to tell you both, but... it can wait."
Matt's brow furrowed, but he let it go, changing the subject. "Why don't you two find a table? I'll go grab our lunches."
As we made our way to secure a spot, Brandon blurted out, "I know who posted the video.”
I froze, my eyes widening. "What?"
Brandon took a deep breath, his eyes fixed on the ground. "I confronted Ryan in the bathroom. Pinned him against the wall and interrogated him."
I could sort of imagine that happening; out of our trio, Brandon was the most developed and could even pass for a sophomore. Some kids are early bloomers, others such as Matt and myself were late bloomers.
"And?" I prompted, my heart pounding.
"Matt suddenly appeared out of nowhere, and Ryan freaked out, blurting out the poster's name," Brandon continued, his voice tight. "Matt was confused as to why Ryan freaked out, but I knew it was because he was guilty.”
"Was it someone we know?" I asked, my fingers discreetly moved, mimicking a whisper.
Brandon nodded, his eyes meeting mine. "It's Mandy Lake."
I looked down at my lap, sadness washing over me. I knew it would be one of the choir girls, but to find out it was Mandy….I was surprised. She had always seemed so nice, but I guessed appearances could be deceiving.
Just then, Sarah appeared, her face lighting up when she spotted me. "Hey, Lily! How's it going?"
I smiled, my mood instantly lifting at the sight of my friend. "Good! Sarah, this is Brandon. Brandon, Sarah.”
Brandon shook Sarah's hand, a nervous smile on his face. "Nice to meet you. I'm a fan of your newspaper column, 'Unsolved Cases of Meadows Dale.' It's my favorite read."
Sarah laughed, her eyes sparkling with delight. "Oh, wow! I'm super into mysteries, so I guess it makes sense."
Matt appeared with three trays, placing them in front of us with a flourish. "Here you go, my friends. Wish I could be buff like Arnold Schwarzenegger so I could carry six plates at once."
He turned to Sarah, a teasing glint in his eye. "Have you adopted another stray, Lily?”
I signed, "Yes we did. We're a band of four strays, surrounded by purebred pups."
“Sweet!” Matt grinned, popping a fry into his mouth. "Anyways, well, I heard Brianne Becker started dating Ryan. Talk about the unholy couple."
Brandon groaned, rolling his eyes. "Ugh, I heard about that. They are perfect for each other."
“What? They are dating?” My mouth agape, It was sorta surprising that Brianne and Ryan were a thing, although such a concept wasn't out of reach.
"It's true. I saw them together yesterday, they were sharing a cone together.” Sarah chimed in, as she pulled out some books from her light pink backpack. She then added, "Also, before Brianne, Ryan tried to date Alyssa once, and she refused him."
“Oh really?” Matt nodded, taking a bite of his burger. "Obviously, if I were Alyssa, I'd do the same. Good call.”
I nodded, my eyes dropping to the book she picked up to read. "What are you reading?"
She held up the book, a copy of The Perks of Being a Wallflower. "It's one of my favorites. It's about this shy, introverted freshman and his journey through high school. It's a beautiful story about friendship and self-discovery."
I smiled, recognizing the title. "I've heard great things about it. Maybe I'll give it a read."
Sarah's eyes lit up. "You should! And if you ever want to talk about it, I'm here. I love discussing books.”
Brandon raised one of his brows, while he took glimpses of the book. “Wait, was there a movie version with Emma Watson in it?”
“Mhm. That's the one. Emma Watson was so pretty in that movie!” Sarah confirmed, her eyes glued to her book. Brandon looked at me, I could tell his face was flushed in bright pink.
I took a sip of my chocolate milk, my eyes flitting between my friends. "You know, I've been meaning to ask... what exactly happened that day? The day of Karla's disappearance and mine?"
“Lily..”
“Tell me what I want to know.”
“Okay fine,” Brandon cleared his throat, his eyes flicking to Matt. "Do you want us to take you there? To the abandoned shed?"
I nodded, my heart pounding in my chest. "Yes. I think I need to see it."
Curious, while sliding a Harry Potter book mark inside her book, Sarah spoke, “What shed? You mean the one by the woods located near the Skating Rink?”
Matt winked “Bingo!”
“So you guys want to go there? Today, right?”
Brandon and I nodded, “Pretty much.”
I could hear Sarah darting her hand inside her backpack, loud rustling sounds indicated that she was searching for something. Her mouth formed into a smile, digging out a Polaroid camera out of her now disorganized backpack. “Here! Unfortunately I can't join you guys for your adventure, cuz of Journalism club. I hope this helps.” Sarah plopped the camera in my hands, it weighed a bit in my hands.
“Thanks, Sarah!” I signed in gratitude, fascinated by how it felt in my hands.
“No problem. Just be careful with it. My grandma got it for me on my birthday, okay?”
“Deal. If somehow my fat ass breaks it, you can definitely press charges.” Matt held up his hand as he made an oath. I couldn't help but laugh, while Sarah let out a worrisome whine.
Sarah shook her head with a defeated smile, placing her pink colored nail finger on her teeth. “Ah, I love you guys already.”
“Same-uh I mean nice,” Brandon exchanged a glance with me, sweat dripping in his temple. "Okay," he said, his voice gentle. "Let's go after school.”
We finished our lunches in comfortable silence, my mind racing with anticipation and trepidation. I knew visiting the shed would bring back painful memories, but I needed to face them head-on.
After school, around 6pm we made our way to the shed, located in a secluded area near the skating rink. The sun was low in the sky, casting long shadows that danced eerily in the breeze. We approached the dilapidated structure, my heart began to pound in my chest. This was the place where I had been held captive, where I had endured unimaginable horrors. Where I saw that video of Karla.
Matt placed a gentle hand on my shoulder. "You don't have to go in if you don't want to, Lily. We can just show you the outside."
I shook my head, steeling myself. "No, I want to see it all. I need to."
Brandon opened the creaking door, and we stepped inside, the musty air thick with memories. The shed was empty now, but I could still feel the weight of the past lingering in the air. With Sarah's polaroid camera, I snapped a few photos. Matt grabbed the photos, shaking them up and down to see if the film developed.
I took a shaky breath, my eyes scanning the space. "This is where he kept me…” I trailed off, unable to continue. Brandon's arm slipped around my shoulders, offering silent support.
Matt's face was grim as he surveyed the shed. "We searched this place after you were found, but there was no sign of the kidnapper. It was like he vanished into thin air."
I nodded, my eyes fixed on the dusty floor. "He was careful. He always wore gloves, a mask... I never saw his face."
Brandon's voice was gentle. "But you heard his voice. Anything distinctive about it?"
I shook my head, my eyes stinging with unshed tears. "Just that it was deep and distorted, like he was using a voice changer or something.”
Brandon's jaw clenched, his fists balling at his sides. "We'll find him, Lily. I just know our dad's are going to do something about this."
I nodded, grateful for their determination. "Thank you, both. I know it's not easy for you either."
We stood in silence for a few moments, each of us lost in our thoughts. Finally, I took a deep breath, steeling myself. "Let's go. Being here brings back too many memories."
Matt squeezed my shoulder, his eyes understanding. "Of course, Lily. We can come back another time if you want, but for now, let's get the heck out of here.”
We stepped back into the fading light, the shed's creaking door closing behind us with a soft thud. I took a deep breath of the fresh air, grateful to be away from the suffocating confines of that place. Just to only feel a set of eyes watching me from the woods.
As we walked back towards town, Matt asked, "So, what's the plan for tonight? Movie night? We could do a horror flick, maybe something with Arnold Schwarzenegger."
I shook my head, signing, "No horror movies for me. I've had enough scares in real life."
Brandon laughed, punching Matt's arm playfully. "Come on, man, Lily's right. Let's go for a comedy or an action flick.”
Matt feigned hurt, his hand over his heart. "Fine, fine. No horror. But we're definitely watching 'Predator' next week. It's a classic."
I rolled my eyes, signing, "Fine. But only if we get pizza and ice cream."
Brandon grinned, rubbing his hands together. "Deal! Extra cheese and pepperoni for me."
That night, as we settled in for our movie night in my house. It was much closer, so I asked my Mom if Brandon and Matt could sleep over for the night. Mom was setting the pepperoni topped lasagna inside of the oven, as she said, “Sure they can stay! Just make sure you make them call their parents for permission, okay?”
“I will.” I assured my mother, before running back to the living. I hopped on one of the sofas, catching Brandon off guard.
“So…” Brandon and Matt asked.
“What happened?”
Matt brought up the topic of The Masked Man once again. "Lily, is there anything else you can remember about him? Any small detail could help us track him down."
I shook my head, my eyes fixed on the TV screen. "I've told you everything, Matt. I never saw his face, and his voice was distorted. I'm sorry."
Brandon spoke up, his eyes thoughtful. "What about his scent? Did he wear cologne or anything distinctive?"
I furrowed my brow, trying to recall. "I... I think he might have worn cologne. Something woody and musky. It was faint, but I remember catching a whiff of it a few times."
Matt's eyes lit up. "That's something! We can ask around, see if anyone recognizes that scent. It could be a crucial piece of the puzzle."
I nodded, a glimmer of hope sparking within me. "Okay. I'll try to remember more details. Maybe there's something else I've missed.”
The movie began, and we settled in, our bowls of popcorn and soda within reach. Funny enough after watching Forrest Gump, we had fallen asleep on top of each other. About three hours later, I woke up, disoriented, and realized I had fallen asleep on the couch with Brandon and Matt. Brandon was sleeping on the edge, his limbs dangling off the couch, while Matt was hugging me in his sleep. I carefully slipped out of Matt's arms, not wanting to wake him, and groggily walked towards the darkness of the kitchen.
The glass back door loomed in front of me, and I remembered the night before, my dad had recently started to put his deputies to watch over our house every night. I had felt safe with them, and that was the reason I wanted to invite Matt and Brandon to have a sleepover in my house.
I yawned and stretched, my eyes adjusting to the dim light. The kitchen was quiet, the only sound the ticking of the clock. I made my way to the back door, my heart pounding. I knew I shouldn't open it, but something compelled me to do so.
With trembling hands, I unlocked the door and stepped outside into the cool night air. The backyard was bathed in moonlight, and I felt a sense of peace wash over me. I took a deep breath, the scent of freshly cut grass filling my lungs.
Suddenly, I heard a noise. It sounded like a twig snapping. My heart raced, and I froze, my eyes scanning the yard. I couldn't see anyone, but I knew I wasn't alone.
"Who's there?” Signing cautiously, I wait for a response. It could have been a cat or dog walking around. However it sounded like a hard boot walking.
No answer. I took a cautious step backward, my heart pounding in my chest. Then, from the shadows, a figure emerged. It was tall and broad, dressed in black from head to toe. That same mask covered their face, obscuring their identity. It was him again.
I backed away, my heart pounding. "Stay away from me, please.” I tried to communicate with the figure, my fingers becoming slippery with sweat.
He didn't respond, but continued to advance, their steps slow and deliberate. I turned to run back inside, but the door was locked. I frantically tried the handle, my heart pounding in my ears.
"Let me in!" I frantically waved my hands and screamed an awful ear piercing screech. My fists furiously banging on the door.
The Masked Man was getting closer, and I knew I had to act fast. I searched for a weapon, my eyes landing on a garden rake leaning against the wall. I grabbed it and swung it at the figure, connecting with their arm. They let out a pained grunt, but didn't stop. I swung again, this time hitting their leg. They stumbled, but quickly recovered, their eyes fixed on me.
I backed away, my heart pounding. "Stay back!" I tried to shout, my voice scratchy and whistling. None of the words that came out of my mouth were incoherent. It was horrible, that even my own voice betrayed me.
The Masked Man lunged at me, and I swung the rake again, this time hitting them in the chest. They fell to the ground, and I took the opportunity to run back inside, locking the door behind me. I leaned against it, my breath coming in ragged gasps.
Brandon and Matt rushed into the kitchen, their eyes wide. "What happened? We heard you scream," Brandon said, his voice full of concern.
I signed, my hands shaking, "There was someone in the backyard. They tried to get in."
Matt looked out the window, his face pale. "I don't see anyone out there now. Are you sure it wasn't just a dream?"
I shook my head, my heart still pounding. "I'm sure. I hit them with the rake. They fell, but then they got back up and kept coming."
Brandon's eyes widened. "We need to call the police. This is serious, Lily."
I nodded, my hands still shaking. "Okay. But first, let's make sure all the doors and windows are locked. I don't want them getting in."
We spent the next few minutes checking every door and window in the house, making sure they were securely locked. My Dad and police arrived soon after, and we explained what had happened. They searched the backyard but found no sign of the intruder.
The officer took my statement, his face grim. He informed my Dad with instructions. "We'll increase patrols in the area, but in the meantime, stay vigilant. Keep your doors and windows locked, and be aware of your surroundings, Sheriff.”
“Thank you, Officer Devins,” My dad thanked the officer, before heading in my way. He looked at me with concern, before rubbing his eyes in a worried manner. “Hey Lilibee. You should go to sleep. Daddy's going to be staying awake for the night. It's to keep you safe.”
“Okay,” I hugged my father, my heart was still pounding from the encounter. That night, I had trouble sleeping, my mind replaying the events over and over. The Masked Man had found me again that night. I didn't know how or when, but he was back. I had a good feeling this wasn't his last appearance.
I hurried down the hallway, my heart pounding in my chest. It had been a long day, and I was eager to get this detention over with and go home. When I approached the office, I saw the old secretary, Mrs. Miller, gossiping on the phone, her eyes glued to her screen. I took the opportunity to slip past her unnoticed and make my way towards Dr. Wells' office.
The door was slightly ajar, and I knocked gently before pushing it open. Dr. Wells looked up from his laptop, a soft smile spreading across his face when he saw me.
"Lily, what a pleasant surprise," he signed, motioning for me to come in. "How are your painting classes going?"
I signed back, while sitting down on the couch. "They're going really well, thank you. I'm enjoying it a lot."
Dr. Wells laughed, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "That's wonderful to hear. And how are you doing otherwise? Still dealing with the aftermath of what happened that day?"
I kicked my feet awkwardly, feeling a rush of emotions as I thought about the kidnapping. "I went back to the spot where he held me," I confessed. "I thought it would give me closure, but then I started having nightmares about him again."
Dr. Wells tilted his head, his expression concerned. "And how did that make you feel?" he asked gently.
I nervously averted my eyes to the paintings hanging on his walls, beautiful landscapes and abstracts in rich colors. "I thought I was doing better," I signed. "But then he came back again, and I realized I'm still scared. My dad is the sheriff, though, and he has cops outside my house, so I know I'm safe."
Dr. Wells' expression remained neutral, almost pensive. "It's good that you're taking precautions and seeking support," he said slowly, his lips twitching slightly as he formed the words. "I'm always here if you need to talk, Lily."
I nodded, feeling a wave of gratitude for this kind man. "Thank you, Dr. Wells," I signed. "By the way, why do they call you 'doctor'? I thought you were just the school counselor."
A soft laugh escaped his lips. "Well, I do have my doctorate degree in forensic psychology," he explained. "I often work with the police on cases, especially those involving youth. It can be quite fascinating, although it keeps me busy at night."
"No wonder you always look so tired," I teased, a smile playing at my lips. "Did you get the degree to impress all the ladies?"
Dr. Wells laughed heartily, his eyes sparkling with amusement. "Maybe," he joked. "Or maybe I just wanted to pay off my student loans someday."
Changing the subject, he stood up and opened a small fridge behind his desk. "Speaking of which, are you hungry? I have some bacon-chicken salads here if you'd like one."
"Sure," I signed, my stomach rumbling at the mention of food.
Dr. Wells pulled out two plates, each with a generous serving of salad. He handed one to me and took a seat across from me at the small table in the corner of his office. I dug into the salad, and it was delicious—the perfect combination of crispy bacon, tender chicken, and fresh greens. I savored every bite, feeling grateful for this unexpected meal.
As I popped a slice of hard-boiled egg into my mouth, Dr. Wells asked, "So, Lily, do you have detention today?"
I nodded, signing, "Yes, I do. I got into a bit of trouble for vaping, so I have to serve an hour of detention with Ms. Asinley."
Dr. Wells' expression softened. "I'm sorry to hear that," he said sincerely. "I hope it goes well. Just remember that I'm here if you need any support or if you want to talk about anything."
"Thanks, Dr. Wells," I said, feeling a warm blush spread across my cheeks. "You're so sweet."
Before I knew it, an hour had passed, and it was time for me to head to my detention. I stood up, stretching my legs, and bid Dr. Wells goodbye, feeling a sense of warmth and contentment in my heart.
"Take care, Lily," Dr. Wells signed, his eyes warm and friendly. "Remember, I'll always keep an eye out for you."
I smiled and waved as I left his office, feeling a boost of confidence. Dr. Wells had a way of making me feel like everything was going to be alright. Making my way down the hallway towards the U.S. history room, I spotted Ms. Asinley, the pregnant teacher who was overseeing my detention. She smiled at me gently and motioned for me to take a seat wherever I liked.
The room was quiet, with only a few other students serving detention that day. I chose a desk by the window, the afternoon sunlight streaming in and warming my face. I pulled out my algebra homework and began to work, grateful for the peaceful atmosphere.
Ms. Asinley walked over to my desk, her hands resting gently on her swollen belly. "How are you doing today, Lily?" she asked softly, her eyes kind. "Is there anything I can help you with?"
I shook my head, signing, "No, thank you, Ms. Asinley. I'm just working on my algebra homework. It's nice to have a quiet place to focus."
She smiled and patted my shoulder gently. "You know where to find me if you need anything," she said, before moving on to check on the other students.
I settled into my work, grateful for this unexpected moment of calmness. As I worked through the equations, I felt a sense of satisfaction and peace wash over me. Detention didn't seem so bad as I thought, and I was making good progress on my missing assignments. That was until the door burst open, and two figures stormed in, bringing with them a gust of fresh air and the scent of grass and sweat.
Alyssa and Emma, dressed in their red and black soccer uniforms, strode into the room, their faces flushed from practice. "Hey, Ms. Asinley," Emma called out, waving a paper assignment in her hand. "Sorry this is late. I completely forgot about it."
Ms. Asinley, her hands resting comfortably on her pregnant belly, smiled brightly at the girls. "It's quite alright, Emma. No need to apologize." She took the assignment from Emma and made a note in her book.
Alyssa, her eyes sparkling with curiosity, turned to Ms. Asinley and asked, "So, when's the baby coming? You must be getting close, right?"
Ms. Asinley's face lit up, and she placed a gentle hand on her belly. "I'm due in about four months," she replied, her voice warm and happy. "I might start planning the baby shower soon, although I think I'll wait until I'm closer to seven months."
"Ooh, a baby shower!" Alyssa exclaimed, her eyes shining with excitement. "I can't wait! I love babies."
Emma smiled at her friend's enthusiasm and added, "We'll definitely be there. Just let us know when and where."
Ms. Asinley thanked them, and the two girls were heading to the door, still chatting excitedly about the upcoming baby shower. Alyssa caught my eye and waved before leaving the class. I waved back, feeling a sense of warmth despite my earlier envy. Alyssa had always been surprisingly friendly to me, and I never quite understood why. Honestly, I was just an asshole as a kid, and I wished I didn't need to be this way.
As I shifted in my seat, I realized I needed to use the bathroom. I raised my hand and caught Ms. Asinley's attention. "May I please be excused to go to the restroom?" I signed, feeling a bit self-conscious.
Ms. Asinley nodded and signed, "Of course, Lily. Take your time."
I gathered my things and headed out of the classroom, grateful for the opportunity to stretch my legs. As I walked down the empty hallway, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was being watched. I told myself it was just my imagination running wild after last night's incident, but the atmosphere felt off.
I quickened my pace, eager to reach the girl's bathroom at the end of the hall. As I pushed open the door, I spotted a familiar figure—Mandy, one of the popular girls from my grade. She was taking a drag from a raspberry lemonade Juul, the sweet-smelling vapor hanging in the air.
"So, you're the one who showed the video to Principal Kelly," I signed, my eyes narrowing.
Mandy froze, her eyes widening in surprise. "Who told you that?" she demanded, her voice shaking.
I shrugged, signing, "Does it matter? You should be careful, Mandy. Maybe it's your turn to face the consequences now."
Mandy's face paled, and she took a step towards me, her voice urgent. "You can't tell Principal Kelly about this, Lily. You just can't."
I crossed my arms, a challenge in my eyes. "Why not?" I asked.
Before Mandy could respond, a bloodcurdling scream tore through the bathroom, causing us both to jump. Mandy grabbed my hand, her eyes wild with fear. She dragged me out of the bathroom, our footsteps echoed through the halls. “Come with me! Now!"
I followed her, my heart pounding in my chest. We ran down the hall, Mandy's grip tight on my hand. "What happened?" I frantically signed.
"There's a man—a masked man. He was peeking at us through the gap in the stall door," she whispered, her voice shaking.
My heart hammered in my chest as I frantically signed, "What? Are you serious?"
Mandy nodded, her eyes darting around the bathroom nervously. "We have to tell an adult," I signed, taking a step towards the door.
"No!" Mandy hissed, pulling me back. "We can't. He could still be out there. We need to hide."
I felt a rush of fear as I realized the gravity of the situation. "Where can we go?" I asked, my eyes scanning the bathroom for a possible hiding place.
Mandy grabbed my hand and pulled me towards the door. "Come on, we have to get out of here. We'll find a teacher and alert them, but we can't stay here."
I followed Mandy, my heart pounding in my chest. We rushed down the hallway, our eyes darting around, searching for any sign of the masked man. The school felt eerily quiet, the afternoon sun casting long shadows on the walls.
Mandy led me towards the gymnasium, her eyes darting around nervously. "In here," she whispered, pushing open the door. "Hide in the storage closet near the mats. I'll try to find a teacher and come back for you."
I nodded, my heart racing as I stepped into the dimly lit gymnasium. The large space felt oppressive in the fading light, the rumble of the air conditioning adding to the eerie atmosphere. I hurried over to the storage closet and slipped inside, pulling the door shut behind me.
The closet was small and cramped, filled with stacks of mats and sports equipment. I sat down, hugging my knees to my chest, and tried to calm my racing heart. The darkness and the constant rumbling noise made me feel on edge, and I found myself straining to listen for any signs of Mandy's return.
As the minutes ticked by, I became increasingly aware of the need to use the bathroom. The urge to pee was plaguing me, and I shifted uncomfortably, willing my bladder to cooperate. The darkness and the silence, broken only by the hum of the air conditioning, made the time feel endless. Just as I thought I couldn't take it anymore, I heard the door to the gymnasium open. I perked up, my heart racing as I waited for Mandy to enter. But it wasn't Mandy who stepped into the room.
The Masked Man stood in the doorway, his blood-smeared mask sending a chill down my spine. He crouched down, his eyes locking with mine, and placed something metal on the ground—Mandy's brow piercing.
Just as he walked away, almost like a cat dropping off a dead mouse, I felt a warm release between my legs. I had lost control of my bladder, the warm liquid spreading across my pants and soaking through to the floor. I felt a wave of embarrassment wash over me, and I could do nothing to stop it. However, I was scared shit less to even react, and there I knew Mandy was gone.
Soon enough, the next day, the gym teacher, Mr. Woods, and his male gymnastics students were checking on the mats when they made a gruesome discovery. One of the gymnasts unfolded a mat, and there, wrapped up like a present, was fifteen-year-old Mandy Lake. Her jaw was ripped open, her ribs shattered, and her nails were peeling off, almost as if she had been clawing at a hard surface. Similar to Karla, Mandy's larynx was missing, ripped out of her throat.
Just like Karla Reyes….
I later found out why Mandy hadn't wanted me to tell the principal about her situation. You see, Mandy came from a single-mother household, and her mother worked at an adult-themed diner. Some busybody neighbors thought this wasn't a good influence on the children and called Child Protective Services, or CPS, on Ms. Lake.
Thankfully, CPS saw no issue with the situation. However, if Mandy were to cause any trouble or draw negative attention, it could risk not only her but also her siblings being taken away. Mandy was like a second mother to those kids, and her death hit Ms. Lake hard. Last time I heard of Ms. Lake was about a year ago. She was battling with a methamphetamine addiction, and that resulted in her death. All because of me. All because of him.
In the end, Mandy Lake was the second victim, but wasn't the last one. They're are 6 Choir Girls left.

Please, feel free to add any events below! Check out the Visitor's Guide for more things to do around town!
Looking to meet up with people? Check out Meetup St. Louis.
Be sure to continue scrolling past the Weekly Events for Trivia Nights, Live Music, Sporting Events, Local Comedy, and more!
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• Central West End Cocktail Party
  • June 8, 2024
  • The CWE is home to what many have claimed as the first cocktail party on record — held in 1917 by Mrs. Julius S. Walsh Jr. in her home at 4510 Lindell Boulevard. Each year, the CWE pays tribute to this very important anniversary and celebrates the neighborhood history in style!
  • There will be cotton candy, street performers, fire dancers, aerial performers and stilt walkers throughout the event all evening!
• Chess at the Brewery
  • Every Wednesday
  • Local meetup group of chess players that meet at breweries on Wednesday nights. They rotate locations each week.
  • See their Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/chessatthebrewery/) for the location this week.
• Circus Flora presents: Marooned
  • June 6 - 23, 2024
  • Circus Flora, a theater company that performs at The Big Top in the Grand Center Arts District, will celebrate its 38th season with Marooned, a thrilling tale of survival.
  • Inspired by the allure and mystery of deserted islands, Marooned will transport audiences to a world of adventure, discovery and enchantment.
  • In this production, you’ll witness the resilience and ingenuity of Circus Flora performers as they navigate the challenges of the unknown.
• Dracula at The Marcelle Theater
  • May 30 - June 22, 2024
  • Broadway songwriter Frank Wildhorn (Bonnie & Clyde, Wonderland, Jekyll & Hyde) delivers his most epic score for this riveting, fast-paced, Gothic rock opera, faithful to the iconic novel but with some unexpected twists and turns.
  • As much a tragic love story as a thriller, this terrifying and passionate retelling of the famous story dives deep into the powerful, shattering emotions of these characters and these complicated relationships, as only musical theatre can. For Dracula, Wildhorn reunites with his Bonnie & Clyde lyricist Don Black, for one of the wildest and most emotional rides you’ve had in the theatre in a long time.
• Family Night with Fredbird
  • Wednesdays
  • Join others at Cardinals Nation Restaurant & Bar for Family Night with Fredbird on select Wednesday evenings this off-season! Bring your family down for games, prizes, and meet Fredbird from 6:30-7:30pm.
• Finally Friday at Laumeier Sculpture Park
  • Fridays until August 30, 2024
  • Kick off your summer weekends at Laumeier Sculpture Park with our Finally Friday Series. Each Friday this summer, you’ll find food and beverage vendors onsite at the Park from 4-8 p.m. So grab a drink and a bite and celebrate that it is finally Friday with us!
• Karaoke Wednesdays at HandleBar
  • Every Wednesday
  • Browse the catalog and find your favorite songs to sing! Songbookslive.com/stlredcarpet
• Karaoke Wednesdays at Mack's Bar & Grill
  • Every Wednesday
• Landmarks Downtown Walking Tours
  • Every Saturday
  • Landmarks Downtown St. Louis Walking Tours: History, Culture, Architecture, and Exercise: What could be better on a Saturday morning.
• MJ at The Fabulous Fox Theatre
  • May 28 - June 9, 2024
  • The music. The moves. The icon.
  • Now, the unparalleled artistry of the greatest entertainer of all time comes to St. Louis as MJ, the Tony Award-winning new musical centered on the making of the 1992 Dangerous World Tour.
  • Created by Tony Award-winning director and choreographer Christopher Wheeldon and two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage, MJ goes beyond the singular moves and signature sound of the star, offering a rare look at the creative mind and collaborative spirit that catapulted Michael Jackson to legendary status.
• Native American Art of the 20th Century: The William P. Healey Collection at St. Louis Art Museum
  • February 23 - July 14, 2024
  • Native American Art of the 20th Century: The William P. Healey Collection celebrates a transformative gift of outstanding works by Native American artists active across the 20th century. The promised gift of 100 works establishes a critical junction between the Saint Louis Art Museum’s deep collection of pre-1920 Indigenous art and a growing emphasis on the contemporary.
• Open Mic Night at Schlafly Bottleworks (Maplewood)
  • Every Wednesday
  • Join others every Wednesday evening and showcase your talents with our Open Mic Night! Open sign up begins at 6:30PM with music starting at 7:00PM. They welcome original material, covers and spoken word! Grab a beer, then play and listen every Wednesday! There are no cover charges and no drink minimums to attend.
• Picnic in Your Park at Gateway Arch Park
  • June 9, 2024
  • Join Gateway Arch Park Foundation for the fourth annual Picnic in Your Park on Sunday, June 9, 2024, hosted by their Friends Advisory Board at the Gateway Arch Park Foundation. Gateway Arch Park Foundation serves as the official philanthropic partner for Gateway Arch National Park.
  • Funds raised for Gateway Arch Park Foundation at the event will support conservation, preservation, education and community programs.
  • Enjoy a catered picnic lunch at your leisure in our hometown national park while listening to live entertainment and taking in iconic views of the Gateway Arch.
• Soulard Farmer's Market
  • Wednesdays - Saturdays
  • Soulard Farmers Market is located at 730 Carroll Street in St. Louis, Missouri, a half mile north of the Anheuser-Busch Brewery. The market is open Wednesday through Saturday, year round. They feature locally grown and shipped in goods, including: produce, meats, cheeses, spices, gourmet kettle corn, flowers, baked goods, and general merchandise. There are also several different eateries that have many food options, which allows customers the convenience to grab a quick bite to eat and a drink while shopping.
• Sue: The T. Rex Experience at St. Louis Science Center
  • June 8 - September 15, 2024
  • The Saint Louis Science Center will welcome SUE: The T. rex Experience from June into September. SUE is the most complete, best-preserved Tyrannosaurus rex specimen ever discovered, and this special exhibition features the latest scientific discoveries about the species as a whole and this incredible fossil. Guests will get to explore the sights, sounds, and smells of SUE's world. Learn all about this fearsome fossil this summer!
  • Tickets required.
• St. Louis CITY SC Block Party
  • June 8, 2024
  • Before St. Louis CITY SC takes on Portland Timbers at CITYPARK, get the party started early with live music and food and drinks on Lou Fusz Plaza!
  • CITY SC presents the free CITY Block Party featuring performances from EMELINE, Leah Kate and Mitch Marku, as well as local food and beverage vendors, a glitter and tattoo bar, the Purina Incredible Dog Challenge, giveaways, and games and activities for all ages.
  • The block party is free and open to all ages. No tickets to the match? Then stay to catch CITY take on Portland Timbers on the big screen at the free Watch Party on the plaza (7:30 pm kickoff).
• St. Louis CITY SC Street Party at Schlafly Tap Room
  • June 8, 2024
  • In celebration of ALL home soccer games, they close down "Louligan Street" and support our team the only way they know how: great food, drinks, and fun. There are beer tents, food trucks, special (game day and late night) menus, and more. Get here early and park!
• St. Louis Shakespeare Festival: As You Like It
  • May 29 - June 23, 2024
  • The 2024 season of the St. Louis Shakespeare Festival brings a funny, lusty production of As You Like It to Forest Park for Shakespeare in the Park from May 29 to June 23.
  • In this spontaneous romp, the brilliantly resourceful heroine, Rosalind, and her friends are exiled from the confines of city life to the Forest of Arden, giving them the freedom to explore new identities, friendships and, of course, love. Featuring new songs from St. Louis indie singer-songwriter Beth Bombara – plus, a lavish gilded age setting – this Shakespearean story will warm your heart and leave you longing for a sweeter life.
  • The St. Louis Shakespeare Festival is “free forever to everyone always.” Performances take place in Shakespeare Glen, beginning at 8 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday No reservations are required.
• Sunday Bingo at Tim's Chrome Bar
  • Every Sunday
  • Get in the mood for some fun with an afternoon of BINGO at Tim’s. They'll supply the cards and daubers. Just bring yourself and your BINGO loving friends. Play for some good laughs and a variety prizes. Bar opens at 12 p.m., they'll start BINGO at 3 p.m. Cheers!
• Susan G. Komen's More Than Pink Walk in Tower Grove Park
  • June 8, 2024
  • The MORE THAN PINK Walk is Komen's signature fundraising event. It's a day where we can all can put aside everything else in our lives and share our space, our stories, our laughter, and our tears to raise money that saves lives. When we come together, we’re more than one person living with breast cancer, and instead, part of a community of people ready to take action.
• Thursday Nights at the Museum
  • Every Thursday
  • Kick off your weekend at the Missouri History Museum in Forest Park! Each Thursday Night at the Museum will be the most fun, engaging, uplifting, thought-provoking, perspective-shaping night of your week. And there are drinks.
  • Join others starting at 5:30pm for happy hour and pop-up activities, such as brief tours, games, and performances. The main stage comes to life at 6:30pm, light appetizers and drinks are available for purchase until 7:00pm, and the Museum’s exhibits are open until 8:00pm for you to explore!
• Tower Grove Farmer's Market
  • Every Tuesday & Saturday
  • Join others every Saturday of the 2023 Tower Grove Farmers Market Season. They'll have over 100 vendors with local produce, meat, flowers, eggs, honey, prepared foods, art, jewelry, live music, and so much more.
• Whitaker Music Festival at Missouri Botanical Garden
  • Wednesdays until July 31, 2024
  • The Missouri Botanical Garden is an idyllic place to listen to live music, and on Wednesday evenings throughout the summer, the garden hosts free, open-air concerts as part of the annual Whitaker Music Festival.

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Sporting Events This Week	Attractions Around the Area	Comedy This Week
St. Louis Cardinals schedule	Anheuser-Busch Brewery	Funny Bone Comedy Club
St. Louis Blues schedule	City Museum	Helium Comedy Club
St. Louis City SC schedule	Gateway Arch	The Improv Shop
St. Louis Battlehawks schedule	Missouri History Museum
St. Louis Billikens schedule	National Blues Museum

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Trivia Nights
Location	Date/Time	More Information
Anheuser-Busch Biergarten	Tuesdays 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm	Trivia Details
Bar K	Tuesdays at 7:00 pm
City Foundry	Thursdays 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Crack Fox	Mondays 6:00 pm - 10:00 pm	They host a weekly free tournament and game night. Emphasis on Non Alcoholic refreshments and camaraderie.
Joey B's on the Hill	Mondays 8:30 pm - 10:30 pm	Trivia Details
Nick's Pub	Mondays
Felix's Pizza Pub	Tuesdays at 8:00 pm	Trivia Details
ITAP (Delmar Loop)	Wednesdays at 7:00 pm
ITAP (Soulard)	Tuesdays at 7:00 pm
Schlafly Brewpubs (Any Location)	Tuesdays 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm	Trivia Details
Rockwell Beer Co	Tuesdays	Trivia Details (Reservations required)
The Mack	Tuesdays at 8:00 pm	Trivia Details
The Pat Connolly Tavern	Wednesdays at 7:00 pm
The Post	Wednesdays 8:00 pm - 10:00 pm	Trivia Details
Pieces Board Game Bar & Cafe	Wednesdays	Trivia Details
HandleBar	Thursdays at 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm	Trivia Details
Steve's Hot Dogs	Tuesdays 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm	Trivia Details
Wellspent Brewing	Thursdays at 7:00 pm

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Live Music This Week
Music Venues	Live Music Around Town
Blueberry Hill Duck Room	1860 Saloon
Chesterfield Amphitheater	BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups
Delmar Hall	Broadway Oyster Bar
Enterprise Center	City Foundry
The Fabulous Fox Theatre	Gallery Pub
The Factory	Game 6 Honky Tonk
Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre	Gaslight Lounge
Off Broadway	The Heavy Anchor
Old Rock House	Jazz St. Louis
The Pageant	Joe's Cafe
Red Flag	The Lot on the Landing
The Sheldon	Tim's Chrome Bar
St. Louis Music Park	McGurk's
St. Louis Symphony Concert Calendar	SoFar St. Louis Secret performances around town
Stifel Theatre	Venice Cafe
	Yaquis on Cherokee

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Recurring Outdoor Activities
Big Muddy Adventures – STL Riverfront Adventure	Big Muddy Adventures was established in 2002. They are the first professional outfitteguiding company providing access to the wild wonders of the Middle Mississippi and Lower Missouri Rivers.
Gateway Arch Events	There are a variety of things to do along the Mississippi River.
Hidden Valley Ski Resort	Ziplining, scenic chairlift rides, and hiking trails opened during the summer. Skiing, snowboarding during the winter.

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If you’d like to add an event to our calendar, submit an event here. Please check with the event organizers to see if events change due to weather. Have a great week!

Noteworthy Events

The Lion King at DPAC

• Winner of six Tony Awards®, including Best Musical, this landmark musical event brings together one of the most imaginative creative teams on Broadway.
• Wed, May 15 - Sun, June 9
• $29.50+

Durham Bulls vs Gwinnett at Durham Bulls Athletic Park

• Tue, June 4 - Sun, June 9
• $10+

Music in the Gardens: Charly Lowry & The Lowrie Gang at Sarah P. Duke Gardens

• Lumbee-Tuscarora singer-songwriter Charly Lowry, along with special guests Mark McKinney & Co. and Rob Cole, plays her electrifying originals and explores indigenous contributions to the roots music landscape by paying tribute to legendary Lumbee musician Willie French Lowery and the iconic Redbone, the first indigenous rock band to reach the US Billboard Hot 100.
• Lawn chairs, picnics, and blankets are encouraged. Pets are not allowed. Outside food and beverages, including beer and wine, are permitted and will also be available for purchase on-site from The Palace International.
• Wed, June 5
• 7 p.m.
• Free admission

North Carolina Official Juneteenth Flag-Raising Ceremony at Durham County Courthouse

• Buffalo Soldiers historical re-enactors will hoist the Juneteenth flag alongside Durham County Sheriff’s Honor Guards, a symbolic act that carries the weight of our history.
• Wed, June 5
• 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Flashback Flicks: 2024 Summer Outdoor Movie Series at JB Duke Hotel

• JB Duke Hotel and Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club, are hosting a summer outdoor movie series that celebrates classic feature films, ranging from beloved romantic comedies to thrilling tales of adventure.
• Every Wednesday at 8 p.m., May 29 - Aug 28
• Free admission

PLAYlist Concert Series: The Magic of African Rhythm at Durham Central Park

• Meaningful stories are told in both authentic song and original dance choreography. In the midst of the drama, skilled dancers appear to fly, leaving onlookers in an awe of swirling raffia skirts and headdresses. Drums, dance, costumes, song and story carry audiences across the colorful spectrum of the entire continent.
• Fri, June 7
• 7:30 p.m.
• Free admission

Food Truck Rodeo at Durham Central Park

• The DCP Rodeo will feature over 35 trucks with cuisines from around the world as well as local, craft drink vendors of all types for you to enjoy in the park or as you’re passing through.
• Sun, June 9
• 12-4 p.m.
• Free admission

Multi-Day Events

Historic Buildings Open House at West Point on the Eno Park

• Enjoy a look inside the historic McCown-Mangum House, Photography Museum, and Mill.
• Sat, June 8 and Sun, June 9
• 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
• Free admission

2024 Southern Documentary Convening at The Fruit

• The Southern Documentary Convening is an annual three-day conference for first-time, emerging and experienced documentary makers taking place this year in Durham, NC.
• Attendees will benefit from workshops, panel discussions, and networking opportunities with industry professionals.
• Fri, June 7 - Sun, June 9
• $135

Movies at The Carolina Theatre

• Cookie
• Event Horizon & Lifeforce
• Sundance Film Festival Short Film Tour 2024

Monday, June 3

5 p.m.
Arts & Drafts at Fullsteam Brewery
6 p.m.
Disc Golf Putting League at The Glass Jug in RTP
6:30 p.m.
Trivia Night at Ponysaurus Brewing Company
7 p.m.
Singles Night at Durty Bull Brewing Brewing Company
Community Board Game Night at Moon Dog Meadery
7:30 p.m.
Movie Mondays: Ferris Buller's Day Off at The Glass Jug in Downtown Durham
8:30 p.m.
Karaoke at The House

Tuesday, June 4

Events at Boxyard RTP

• 5:30-6:30 p.m. - Boxyard Run Club
• 6-8 p.m. - Trivia Night

Events at Durty Bull Brewing Brewing Company

• 12-8 p.m. - Food Truck: Mike's Vegan Cookout
• 7-9 p.m. - Bull City Beer Runners Run Club

Events at The Glass Jug Beer Lab in Downtown Durham

• 5:45-6:30 p.m. - Community Fitness Classes with YMCA
• 6-8 p.m. - Music Bingo
• 6-8 p.m. - Taylor Party & "All Too Well" Beer Release

Events at The Glass Jug Beer Lab in RTP

• 6-8 p.m. - The Glass Jog Run Club
• 6-9 p.m. - Stitch & Sip

6 p.m.
"An Artful Summer" Artist in Residence Series at JB Duke Hotel
Bring Your Own Vinyl with Jaffar at Rubies on Five Points
Women on the Wall at Triangle Rock Club - Durham
6:30 p.m.
Trivia at Durham Food Hall
6:35 p.m.
Durham Bulls vs Gwinnett at Durham Bulls Athletic Park
7 p.m.
Trivia at Beer Study Durham
King Trivia Tuesdays at Boxcar Bar + Arcade
Live Piano Karaoke at Congress Social Bar
Not Rocket Science Trivia at DSSOLVR Durham
TBS 1st Tuesday Blues Jam at The Blue Note Grill
8 p.m.
Jeremy 'Bean' Clemons Trio at Kingfisher
8:30 p.m.
Karaoke at The House

Wednesday, June 5

Events at Boxyard RTP

• 12-2 p.m. - Hear & There: Sheila Casalett
• 5:30-8:30 p.m. - Game Night
• 6-7 p.m. - Forever Young Book Club

Events at ZincHouse Winery & Brewery

• 7-8 p.m. - Signature Wine Tasting
• 7-8:30 p.m. - Laughs Comedy Night

11:30 a.m.
North Carolina Official Juneteenth Flag-Raising Ceremony at Durham County Courthouse
3 p.m.
Durham Farmers’ Market at Durham Central Park
Career Fair & Symposium at North Carolina Biotechnology Center
5 p.m.
Free Wednesday Wine Tasting at Beer Study Durham
6 p.m.
Triangle Area Pagan Alliance Meet Up and Tarot with Heiltje at Arcana
Hike at Horton Grove Preserve
6:30 p.m.
Trivia Night with Pickle at The Glass Jug Beer Lab in RTP
6:35 p.m.
Durham Bulls vs Gwinnett at Durham Bulls Athletic Park
7 p.m.
Hammered Trivia at Hi-Wire Brewing
Karaoke Night at Mavericks Smokehouse
Music Bingo at Ponysaurus Brewing Company
Music in the Gardens: Charly Lowry & The Lowrie Gang at Sarah P. Duke Gardens
Brett Chambers Open Mic at The Blue Note Grill
7:30 p.m.
Ally J on the Roof at The Durham Hotel
8 p.m.
Air Hockey Tournament at Boxcar Bar + Arcade
Trivia Night at Bull McCabe's
Flashback Flicks: 2024 Summer Outdoor Movie Series at JB Duke Hotel
Karaoke at Moon Dog Meadery

Thursday, June 6

Events at Atomic Empire

• 6 p.m. - Game Designers of North Carolina Meetup
• 7 p.m. - Triangle Comic Creators' Network

Events at Durty Bull Brewing Brewing Company

• 12-8 p.m. -Food Truck: Mike's Vegan Cookout
• 7-9 p.m. - Thursday Trivia with Nick

11 a.m.
Walk on the Wild Side: Native Trees at Sarah P. Duke Gardens
12 p.m.
Taking Back Thursday: A Different Thread at Boxyard RTP
3 p.m.
Guided Museum Tour at 21c Museum Hotels Durham
5 p.m.
Thirsty Thursdays at Dashi
5:30 p.m.
Walking Club with Bull City Strollers at The Glass Jug Beer Lab in Downtown Durham
6 p.m.
FM Snow w/ Kate Blvd and Tarot with Virginia at Arcana
Vinyl Night with DJ Deckades at Gizmo Brew Works
“Swing in Style” Dance Class at Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club
6:15 p.m.
Pony Run at Ponysaurus Brewing Company
6:30 p.m.
Pop Art Paint Your Pet at DSSOLVR
Stepbrothers with Tripp & Richie Fontane (Live Podcast) at Missy Lane's Assembly Room
Line Dance Classes at Mystic Farm and Distillery
Boulders & Brews Meetup at Triangle Rock Club - Durham
6:35 p.m.
Durham Bulls vs Gwinnett at Durham Bulls Athletic Park
7 p.m.
Trivia Night at Beer Tooth Taproom
Bring Your Own Vinyl Night at Congress Social Bar
Community Board Game Night at Moon Dog Meadery
Comedy Improv with Stolen Identity & Friends at Succotash Southern & Creole Kitchen
7:30 p.m.
Trivia Night with Big Slow Tom at Clouds Brewing Brightleaf Square
Bulldog Ensemble Theater Presents: Redwood at Mettlesome
Murder By Death at Motorco Music Hall
8 p.m.
Weekly Single Mingle at Boxcar Bar + Arcade
Trivia at Fullsteam Brewery
Blab School Record Release w/ Tercel at The Pinhook
9 p.m.
Stepbrothers with Tripp & Richie Fontane (Live Podcast) at Missy Lane's Assembly Room
9:30 p.m.
Karaoke Night at The Tavern
10 p.m.
Miss B Haven Presents: Midnight Remedies at Rubies on Five Points

Friday, June 7

Events at Atomic Empire

• 6:30 p.m. - Magic: Modern Horizons III
• 7 p.m. - First Friday Lorcana

Events at Durty Bull Brewing Company

• 5-9 p.m. - Food Truck: Chesa Pika Empanadas
• 8-11 p.m. - Open Mic Stand-up Comedy

Events at Mettlesome

• 7:30-8:30 p.m. - Bulldog Ensemble Theater Presents: Redwood
• 9-10 p.m. - Hush Hush

Events at Moon Dog Meadery

• 7:15-10 p.m. - Lindy Hop Lesson + Dance
• 8-10 p.m. - Djam

Events at The Glass Jug Beer Lab in RTP

• 5-8 p.m. - Food Truck Friday
• 8-10 p.m. - Beer Garden Comedy Showcase

9 a.m.
Propagation Promenade at Sarah P. Duke Gardens
9:30 a.m.
Introduction to Standup Paddleboarding at Falls Lake
10 a.m.
Tasting at Ten at Counter Culture Coffee
11 a.m.
TGIF Summer Break Party at Lakewood Social
12 p.m.
Co-Working Social at The Glass Jug Beer Lab in Downtown Durham
5:30 p.m.
LOJO: Log Off, Jam On at Boxyard RTP
Summer Nights at ZincHouse Winery and Brewery
6 p.m.
Daniel DeLorenzo Trio and Tarot with Joy at Arcana
Natty Wine Night at Guglhupf
The Duke Street Dogs at The Blue Note Grill
The Patio Dance Parties : Clueless Fridays at Unscripted Durham
6:30 p.m.
Theo Croker presented by WUNC MUSIC at Missy Lane's Assembly Room
6:35 p.m.
Durham Bulls vs Gwinnett at Durham Bulls Athletic Park
7 p.m.
Live Vinyl Spinning by PhDJ at Beer Study Durham
Diggin in the Crates at Boricua Soul
Stand Up Comedy at Mystic Farm and Distillery
7:30 p.m.
PLAYlist Concert Series: The Magic of African Rhythm at Durham Central Park
Southern Documentary Convening: Night One at Motorco Music Hall
Lovell Bradford Qt w/ Sean Jones & Stacy Dillard at Sharp 9 Gallery
8 p.m.
Stereo Reveries at DSSOLVR
Karaoke! at Fullsteam Brewery
Robert Earl Keen at The Carolina Theatre
9 p.m.
Theo Croker presented by WUNC MUSIC at Missy Lane's Assembly Room
Sneaky Link Fridays at The House
Latin Nights at The Velvet Hippo Bar & Lounge
10 p.m.
Moodboard at Rubies on Five Points
Prince Dance Party + Birthday Bash at The Pinhook

Saturday, June 8

Events at Atomic Empire

• 11 a.m. - Star Wars Unlimited TCG Store Showdown
• 1 p.m. - Magic: Modern Horizons III

Events at Boxcar Bar + Arcade

• 12-5 p.m. - Saturday Morning Cartoon Party
• 9 p.m. - 12 a.m. - Boxcar Slumber Party

Events at Boxyard RTP

• 11:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. - Saturdaze: DJ Baptiste
• 6-9 p.m. - Live DJ: DJ John Jay
• 7-9 p.m. - SoapBox: Comedy

Events at Durty Bull Brewing Company

• 1-8 p.m. - Food Truck: Weizzie's Country Kitchen
• 1-5 p.m. - Handcrafted DURM Father's Day Market
• 4-6 p.m. - Live Music: Late Night Lowlights

Events at Fullsteam Brewery

• 1-3 p.m. - Sip and Solder Stained Glass Workshop
• 2-3 p.m. - Durham "Bullpen" Treasure Hunt

Distillery Tours and Tastings at Liberty & Plenty

• Every Saturday, 10-10:30 a.m. and 11-11:30 a.m.

Events at Mettlesome

• 4-5 p.m. - Lab: Improv 101 Class Showcase
• 5-6:30 p.m. - Secret Society Showcase
• 7:30-8:30 p.m. - Bulldog Ensemble Theater Presents: Redwood
• 9-10:15 p.m. - The Setup

Events at Rubies on Five Points

• 7 p.m. - Adulting: An Early Dance Party
• 10 p.m. - Shallow Cuts: WANNABE!

Guided Walking Tours with Triangle Adventures

• 2 p.m. - Downtown Durham Walking Tour
• 4 p.m. - Durham African American History Tour
• 6 p.m. - Downtown Durham True Crime Tour

8 a.m.
Durham Farmers' Market at Durham Central Park
parkrun Durham at Southern Boundaries Park
9 a.m.
South Durham Farmers' Market at Greenwood Commons Shopping Center
Candyland at The Carolina Theatre
10 a.m.
Restoration Awareness Ceremony at Geer Cemetery
Tour at James S. Manning House
Roots and Soul: Walking at Pauli Murray Center for History and Social Justice
12 p.m.
Library Summer Reading Kickoff at Durham County East Regional Library
Piedmont Farm Animal Rescue Bake Sale at Fullsteam Brewery
Crafternoons at Gizmo Brew Works
Candyland at The Carolina Theatre
1 p.m.
Board Game Market at Moon Dog Meadery
The Great Lakewood Make-Off at The Scrap Exchange
2 p.m.
Dating Mixer at DSSOLVR
3 p.m.
Why Local History Matters: Honoring Jean Bradley Anderson at Durham County Main Library Auditorium
Candyland at The Carolina Theatre
4:30 p.m.
Dreamscape Student Fashion Expo at Hillside High School
5 p.m.
Pride Night Market at The Glass Jug Beer Lab in RTP
6 p.m.
Tarot with Heiltje at Arcana
Rhythm & Reels Concert — Party Vibez Band at Forest Hills Park
Candyland at The Carolina Theatre
6:30 p.m.
Theo Croker presented by WUNC MUSIC at Missy Lane's Assembly Room
6:35 p.m.
Durham Bulls vs Gwinnett at Durham Bulls Athletic Park
7 p.m.
Carolina Flyers Ultimate Disc vs. Austin Sol at Durham County Memorial Stadium
Southern Documentary Convening: Night Two at Motorco Music Hall
Cait West and Anna Gazmarian at St. Joseph's Episcopal Church
Tea Cup Gin at Succotash Southern & Creole Kitchen
7:30 p.m.
The Fabulous Nite-Life Boogie at The Blue Note Grill
9 p.m.
Theo Croker presented by WUNC MUSIC at Missy Lane's Assembly Room
Gabriel & Dresden at The Fruit
10 p.m.
The Velvet Rodeo Drag + Dance Party! at The Pinhook

Sunday, June 9

Events at Atomic Empire

• 11:30 a.m. - Netrunner: Standard Tournament
• 12 p.m. - Magic: Modern Horizons III
• 12 p.m. - 7th Sea: City of Five Sails Salon Event

Events at Fullsteam Brewery

• 10:30 a.m. - 12 p.m. - Yoga on Tap
• 12-4 p.m. - Food Truck Rodeo
• 2-3 p.m. - Calligraphy Class

Events at The Carolina Theatre

• 4:15 p.m. - Oh The Places You’ll Go
• 7 p.m. - Red Whiteville and Blue

9 a.m.
Family Fun Paddle at Falls Lake
10 a.m.
Illuminate Durham Mind-Body-Spirit-Arts Festival at Durham Armory
Jazz Brunch at Lula & Sadie's
Gender Affirming Clothing Swap at Rumors
10:30 a.m.
Al Strong Presents Jazz Brunch at Alley Twenty Six
12 p.m.
Food Truck Rodeo at Durham Central Park
Sunday Dollar Bin Sale for Charity at Rumors
Farmers Market at ZincHouse Winery & Brewery
12:15 p.m.
Public Tour at Duke Chapel
2 p.m.
Hammered Trivia with Casey at Durty Bull Brewing Company
Golf Beginner Clinic at Hillandale Golf Course
5 p.m.
Blues & Roots — Black American Music Series at Hayti Heritage Center
The Setup at Mettlesome
BBQ, Brews & Bluegrass at The Durham Exchange
5:05 p.m.
Durham Bulls vs Gwinnett at Durham Bulls Athletic Park
6 p.m.
DJ Parkside and Tarot with Virginia at Arcana
6:30 p.m.
Open Mic Night at Moon Dog Meadery
7 p.m.
Marisa Anderson at The Pinhook
9 p.m.
Raggae Sundayz at The House

Running Art Exhibits

María Magdalena Campos-Pons: Behold at Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University

• María Magdalena Campos-Pons: Behold is a monographic exhibition of a visionary voice in photography, immersive installation, painting and performance.
• Thu, Feb 15 - Sun, Jun 9
• Every week, Tue-Sat 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sun 12-5 p.m.
• Free admission

Ley Killeya: Solitary Women at 5 Points Gallery

• 5 Points Gallery in downtown Durham invites you to appreciate Chapel Hill artist Ley Killeya's engaging exhibition featuring vibrant and thought-provoking paintings, exploring themes of identity, belonging, vulnerability, and acceptance, particularly for people from marginalized communities.
• Fri, May 17 - Sat, June 15
• Free admission

Counterpoints at Durham Bottling Co.

• Counterpoints is a curated showcase of local AAPI (Asian American Pacific Islander) artists, delving into the convergence of AAPI identity and mental health. Inspired by the intricate layers of musical counterpoint, its purpose is to weave together diverse narratives and confront the stigma surrounding mental health within our communities.
• Wed, May 1 - Sun, June 16
• Mon - Fri, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Cameron Elyse's Divine Nine Legacy Memoir Exhibition at Lyda Moore Merrick Gallery at the Hayti Heritage Center

• The Divine Nine Legacy Memoir delves deep into the history of the National Panhellenic Council (NPHC) or "Divine Nine," a collective of nine Greek Letter organizations founded on May 10th, 1930.
• Thu, May 30 - Sat, June 22
• Free admission

Message in a Bottle: The art of Christopher Philips Haile, 1947–1998 at Horse & Buggy Press and Friends

• This exhibit, curated by the artist's brother Roger Haile, includes over 60 artworks archived for the past 26 years.
• Sat, May 25 - Sat, July 13
• Free admission

The Injustice Initiative and Megaverse Council did not grieve with their former leader for too long, due to the combined forces of Venessa and Velocity making swift progress in uniting dozens of Omniverses under their heroic banner. Velocity used her direct and demanding demeanor to influence the defenders of each Omniverse to join the Council and was brutally honest in her meetings with the current situation. She stressed that if they refuse to join then they will face extinction and the Council will not help them when they are attacked due to them only having priorities for attacking the demons head on. Venessa on the other hand focused her attention in strengthening the Injustice Initiative with rigorous training and firing incompetent people in leadership positions and swiftly replacing them with those that were far more competent and understood the severity of the situation. In the span of 16 days, the combined efforts of these two feminine leaders made great leaps in progress that equaled or surpassed Diamond's own work in the past three months.
While these two were on a mission together, The Researcher contacted them regarding a very important matter. When the two heroines arrived at the Council's headquarters The Researcher revealed to them two enormous discoveries. "We finally found them. The place where our foes call home, Omniverse 6,666,666. We do not know much of this Omniverse other than the Diamond from Omniverse 8 being aware of its potential and became paranoid of its existence leading him nearly wiping all traces of it from the Council's database. I happen to uncover the last fragments of his report that failed to be deleted. Furthermore, the Core of that Omniverse is deeply fractured, completely drained of all power. We can deduce with sound reasoning that the landscape of that Omniverse is something out of an apocalypse with everything that could have gone wrong, definitely went wrong. In addition, it is a very wide and vast Omniverse similar to the Main Omniverse. In fact, before its current miserable state, it was a near copy of the Main Omniverse. We are trying to scout and analyze the area as best as we can, but it is blocking all of our scanners. Our supernatural sensors can barely last four seconds before frying when they sense the amount of dark negative energy that shrouds that Omniverse." Velocity, "And the other news?" "We also found a very promising Omniverse that was elusive to our map, but just appeared and is surging with radiant energy from the Light." Venessa abruptly, "Light? Like The Light......... not just colorful lights?" "Correct. Would you care to guess what this Omniverse's number is?" "I would assume it would be the polar opposite of the other, so Omniverse 7,777,777?" "Bingo. Apparently, they have a hierarchy over there and their King requests your presence. His words not mine were King Alexander humbly requests the presence of Empress Venessa of the Main Omniverse and any companions she wishes to bring for a formal meeting in regards to the future protection of the Megaverse."
"Alright, message King Alexander and tell him I will adhere to his request. She accessed her communication com and ordered Tray and Cross to join her on the mission. She then turned to Velocity. I would have you join me on this mission, but I do not want to delay the progress you are making in convincing more Omniverses to join our cause." A short time passed as the three members arrived for their briefing with Venessa. After their meeting, they used their watches and traveled to Omniverse 7,777,777. Their eyes were blinded by the bright rays of the sun, before they could tell where they were at. At last, their eyes adjusted to their environment, which resulted in them being astonished at the shining city that was before them. They observed trains similar to bullet trains zipping back and forth through wind tubes and the residents there in very intricate clothing. The residents either had high collar jackets, dazzling shirts, and most importantly, Venessa could sense all of them having unusual levels of the Light inside of them. A loud voice could be heard behind them. "Are these the people who the King wishes to speak with?" The group turns around and sees two men standing a few feet behind them. One appears six foot and a few inches, he did not wear a shirt but was surrounded with gold and red armor, a long red cape, black pants, and long flowing blonde hair. The other was a little shorter around five feet and possibly 11 inches with black and purple hair, a black and purple cape, purple pants, and purple armor in the exact areas as the first man. The second one responded to his companion in a soft-spoken manner,"Yes, these are the three we were assigned to escort back to the castle." Venessa, "Hey, are you two like siblings or something? You two kind of look alike." The purple one, "That assumption is correct. I am Lucrest and this is my older obnoxious brother Leoped." Leoped, "We are two in a handful of select individuals, who serve the King by carrying out special assignments and investigations." Lucrest, "If you will please follow us, the King is eager to greet you."
The three heroes followed the two guards to the castle, during their walk Venessa teased her sibling, Tray. "It appears those two brothers have larger swords than you. I think they are far superior swordsmen if they can handle large blades like that. It fails to even compare your toothpick of a sword." "Shush! I don't want to hear it. I choose elegance and gracefulness over something flashy." The group finally reached the castle as several guards in colorful shining full body armor saluted the group as they stepped inside the large white crystal doors of the castle. Leoped and Lucrest led the trio right towards the throne room; no sooner than when the doors opened, King Alexander leaped from his throne and welcomed his guests. The King's outfit was composed of expensive black cloth with silver and blue crystals creating his unique armor with gold outlining around the edges and his crown. His hair was white as snow with a cape flowing from his waist with two metallic angelic wings attached to his back. He appeared as someone who was no older than their early 20's, much less muscular than Leoped, while possessing a staggering height of 6,7. "Greetings Empress Venessa, first adopted child of Diamond! A pleasure to finally meet you. Greetings to you Tray, second adopted child of Diamond! And a very warm welcome to Cross, the last member and headmaster of the Royal Guard!" Cross' attitude changed from being standoffish to one of utter shock. No one has addressed him as headmaster since the days of the Clone War. Tray whispered to Venessa, "Headmaster of the Royal Guard? I never knew that about Cross." "Yes, many years in Cross' realm he was headmaster of the Royal Guard, an elite group of warriors who protected his realm from malevolent threats under the orders of a man named the Keeper. This was brought to an end when.........Alastor manipulated him to massacre all of his fellow friends and the Keeper towards the end of the Clone War, mere days before order Kingdom Come was initiated."
King Alexander, "Empress Venessa please accept these gifts as a sign of good will. He signaled for four servants to step forward with bundles of technology and scrolls. The Alphaverse is more than ready to work closely alongside the Megaverse Council to defeat the fallen angels and corrupted souls of the Demonic Council! Please follow me to our war chambers." King Alexander led the heroes down several steps to a room that was protected by several guards. They were granted access and upon entering, the heroes were stunned to see holographic displays of plans and projects that were scattered as two male figures were debating with a female. The figures turned to the doors and quickly turned off the scattered plans and pulled up a file that said, "Propositions and explanation for the Megaverse Council." One unique hologram Venessa saw before it disappeared was a hologram of the Matrix of Eternity with a subject line under it labeled "Restore the Matrix to its former power?" As Venessa was deep in thought, King Alexander spoke to his guests who the other three figures were, "The lanky one with grey hair and a gas mask is our lead chemist, Lorenzo. The other one with him with the crimson operator hat, black and red hair, and basically black and red from his natural wings to his armor adored with many medals is our head of homeland security, Viciate. Last but not least is our lead scientist of technology, and weapons, whose brilliance I cannot put into words, Malissia." Malissia had medium length jet black hair that only left her left eye visible, yet it appeared she had unique facial marks that were long black lines leading up to her eyelids. She wore a long black coat that went just above her ankles with boots in the shape of heels. Nearly everything she wore was black except her shirt which was white with print that resembles computer chips. Malissia, "I prefer to go by M." Tray in a playful manner, "A little gothic in your appearance compared to everyone we've seen today!" "Simply a matter of taste and perception." Tray then noticed Malissia had white irises as the rest of her eyes were black, which created a sense of mystery behind them.
Lorenzo, "The disgraced Royal Guard is here......." King Alexander disappointingly, "Lorenzo......we talked about this." Venessa, "Hey what was that project regarding the Matrix of Eternity about? How would any of you be able to reload it?" King Alexander, "We have the source that originally fueled the Matrix. We were the ones who originally created it." Cross and Tray were shocked to hear such a revelation. Was the king bluffing or legitimately telling the truth? Malissia, "The reason you saw so many other projects scattered was due to these two knuckleheads trying to push these loose ideas my way, knowing full well we had a meeting today." Viciate, "Then Lorenzo and I should be going." Viciate and Lorenzo leave the room as King Alexander and Malissia start speaking with Venessa, Tray, and Cross. Lorenzo and Viciate journeyed far from the castle's boundaries and into the outskirts of the gorgeous city into a dark alleyway where a female was waiting for them. "Have you two finally reached a decision?" Lorenzo, "Yes, we have, Paradox." Paradox in a feminine form smiled while twirling their hair, with a snap of their fingers a contract appeared before Lorenzo and Viciate. "Both of you sign there. Viciate tried to sign with a pen, but Paradox stopped him. Nuh uh uh, in blood!" Viciate pulled a dagger and cut a piece of flesh off him and Lorenzo as they signed the contract that bonded them to Black Hat. See that wasn't so hard. Now I sense you have something to tell me?" Viciate, "The Empress, playboy, and ex-harbinger of darkness are here. They learned of the plans to restore the Matrix of Eternity." A sadistic smile appeared on Paradox's face, "Wonderful! Wonderful! Things could not be better! With your help we can kill those three now and you two will rule this Omniverse as the new kings only in service to Black Hat and the Council. Let them retrieve the remains of the Matrix, and we can either strike before or after they restore the Matrix, then steal it and place it within the treasury with the other dangerous objects that could pose a threat to our reign. Run along now and continue to play your parts like good little errand boys." Paradox gave them a wink. Lorenzo, "Freak! When it comes to your services, we work with you, not for you!" The two then leave as Paradox continues to smile in the shadows.
Back in the war chamber. Venessa, "Impressive. All that you are proposing will greatly benefit us. I can see your offers are sincere, but I must ask, why it took you this long to reveal yourselves?" King Alexander, "That is........simply because of an old law......that had been in effect for thousands of years. I wanted to honor my father and his father, but eventually my consciousness allowed me to overturn that old silly law." Loud footsteps could be running through the halls as a young teenage girl open the doors to the room with pieces of paper in her arms. She began to speak clearly out of breath, "I'm here sister. The documents you wanted." Mallisa, "A few minutes late like usual, Joan." "It's not my fault, military class went on longer than normal! Gosh, how many times do I have to tell you I hate it that mom and dad forced me to become a soldier!" "Everyone, this is my younger sister, Joan. Joan this is Empress Venessa and her two colleagues, Tray and Cross." Everyone exchanged friendly greetings except for Tray who stared at Joan. There was something about Joan that captivated him, it was either the childish way she speaks or the fact she had navy hair like he did. Instead of a handshake, he wrapped both his hands around hers and knelt down, "My fair lady, it is with great honor to meet you. I pray that you will accept my greeting as one of humbleness and may good health and prosperity follow you all the days of your life, my dearest madam." Everyone in the room stared dumbfounded at Tray's speech. Cross, "Where the crap did that come from Shakespeare?" Joan stood there blushing as she stuttered while addressing Tray, "Th....thank y...yo.....you." King Alexander, "Well this meeting is nearing its end, so why don't Tray and Joan spend some time with each other while the rest of us handle the closing logistics?" Mallisa, "WHAT THE?" "Alright it's settled then. Tray and Joan, you two are dismissed."
Joan and Tray stared at each other before she offered Tray some lunch, which he readily agreed to. Alexander turned back to Venessa, "Venessa, if you don't mind, I will like you and your party to stay here the next four days. The first two can be used to handle business regarding our technology and battle tactics as I introduce you to our greatest soldiers, warriors, and fighters. The last two days can be a sort of mini vacation." "Well..........I don't think such an offer will hurt. You have yourself a deal King Alexander!" At lunch Tray and Joan were deep in conversation. Tray, "You look much different than your sister. Your eyes are normal, you are much more cheerful, and just overall livelier." "My sister takes all the stress and responsibilities of the family upon her. That and her role in the kingdom just adds more stress to her. As for her eyes and facial markings, those came when she felt called to the Spring of Restoration." "What now?" "The Spring of Restoration grants those worthy unique properties or powers. Only a select few experience a change from the spring. It is not heavily protected because the spring prevents anyone unworthy from stepping foot in its waters." "Radical." "Mhm!" "So, I heard you fighting with your sister about you hating being trained as a soldier. Why is that?" "It freaking sucks! My parents do not want me to be an astronomer or engineer! They want me to become a Celestial Crusader. On top of that, I don't even get to choose what I want to do or what I want to eat a majority of the time! Eating lunch with you right now is a rare occurrence." "Have you brought your problems to the king?" "Yes, but I don't know if he is hearing my pleas or not. If he's not, I don't blame him, he has a lot on his mind and considering my parents are very influential in terms of politics, if the king makes a brash move, my parents will give him political turmoil." Tray abruptly received a message from Venessa stating their four day stay. He was excited and already made up his mind that he will spend these four days showing Joan the freedom she is missing out on.
The next two days, King Alexander did everything he said he would to Venessa and Cross. Among the strongest warriors and fighters were Ezekiel with his four angelic wings and star saber, Phonix with his ability to control time and fire, Ian with the ability to create things out of metal at will and his large sword in the shape of a key, Vivi with her ability of harnessing animal souls and acquiring their powers and abilities to her disposal, and with several other notable fighters. Yet, the group was slowly stalked by Lorenzo who reported all of their movements to Paradox. The next two days arrived where Venessa and Cross briefly parted ways in order to find some way to relax before returning to base. On the fourth day, Venessa contacted her adoptive mother, Selena, for a special request. She wanted Selena to travel to the Alphaverse with the Matrix of Eternity in order to restore it with wisdom capable of changing the tide of the war. As for Joan and Tray, the two traveled all across the kingdom from going to the beach, kayaking, visiting the aquarium, and art museum. Tray taught Joan how to properly duel and was deeply proud when she complimented him on his elegant sword. Unknown to them Viciate was also reporting their activities to Paradox. On one of their stops, Joan brought Tray to the Spring of Restoration just for them to sight see. Yet, she was startled when Tray stopped responding to her. His eyes were affixed at the spring as he slowly started to step towards it. Joan tried to stop him, but her petite body could not stop him.
Suddenly, he stopped on the edge of the spring and bent down scooping up the water as he started to drink it from his hands. Joan was confused at Tray's behavior, "Are you......alright?" Before Tray could turn around, he collapsed on the ground. "TRAY!" She ran to him, but when she arrived, his eyes opened wildly as his body started to glow with an unearthly light. Tray's body started to transform with his pupils becoming white similar to Mallisa but instead of the other part of his eye becoming black, it became a bright cyan color. His navy hair became white with a few streaks of cyan along with his olive skin changing to being white as quartz. His outfit even started to change around him with his clothes glowing with a clear like cyan substance with a hood gently resting on his hair. Gold embroidered his collar as a unique glowing cyan halo appearing over his head. "Joan.....please tell me I'm not dead." "I uhhhh you mmmmmmm I guess not? Here let me show you what you look like." Joan opened her camera and took a photo of him in order for Tray to see the photo. "Oh my gosh I became even more handsome." "Seriously, that's what you think about after looking like you just died on me!" "Hey, I'm sorry for zoning out on you like that. I just heard a soothing voice calling me from the Spring and I could not help but follow it." "The voice was more than soothing than mine?!" "Well yes...CRAP NO NOT LIKE THAT I SWEAR!" Joan started punching Tray as he let out a hearty laugh. From the shadows Viciate contacted Paradox on what happened and for Paradox to arrive swiftly to exterminate the couple.
The two continued on their walk after having their emotions die down. Yet, there was a sort of tension in the air between the two as one waited for the other to speak first. At last, Tray was the one to break the tension as he stopped Joan and decided to finally reveal to her the thoughts that had been plaguing his mind the past few days. "Joan, I don't know how to say this but, whenever I am around you, I just feel warm inside and what I could only describe as butterflies, erupt in my stomach." Joan blushed deeply before responding, "Oh Tray!" "Joan, if you do not want to enlist in the Celestial Crusaders, you don't have to. I'm offering you a choice. I see how much you care for your older sister and your eagerness for freedom. I encourage you to follow your heart and join me. I promise with every fiber in my being that my family and I will protect you and support you with whatever decision you make." Joan with tears in her eyes. "Oh Tray! Thank you! I want to briefly stay here so I can help my sister with any last assignments and join you on exploring the Megaverse and you taking me back to the Omniverse you call home! Thank you, thank you for being such a wonderful person to me these past four days. Truthfully, I can say I feel the same when I am around you. Your outgoing free-spirited nature is very cute and contagious." Tray extends his hand towards Joan, "Then what are we waiting for? Take my hand and I will show you all the wonderful places in my Omniverse! Obviously after you are done helping your sister of course." He gave her a big comforting smile as he waited for her to wipe the tears of gratitude off her face. However, just before she could place her hand in his, a gunshot went off as a singular bullet went through the right side of Joan's head and exited out of the left. Tray opened his eyes and was horrified at the pool of blood emerging from Joan's body as she lay lifeless on the ground. He was shaken as he heard a sickening laugh. He hastily turned his head to the direction of the laughter.
Tray's eyes widened in confusion as he saw Gadget Bandito emerge from the shadows. "What.....what are you doing here? How did you get here? Why have you done this after being a loyal member of the Initiative for many years?!" "Doesn't matter. Any last words kid?" Tray thought inwardly, "Wait......no......there is no way he is the real Gadget Bandito. The real one does not even know a lot of the Megaverse, much less keep up with any news from the Initiative." He finally spoke out loud. "My powers and senses are telling me you are Gadget Bandito. But my heart, mind, and soul tell me otherwise! WHO ARE YOU?" Paradox finally revealed himself to Tray as he morphed into his mechanical appearance. Tray finally spoke after being at a loss for words, "I know you. I know who you are. No, you are not even a person anymore. You have turned yourself into something unrecognizable. I KNOW WHAT YOU ARE! YOU ARE THE CREATURE WHO MURDERED MY FATHER'S PARENTS ON THE NIGHT OF HOLY THURSDAY!" Paradox had a twisted malicious grin on his mechanical face as he spoke, "Aren't you a smart one." Tray began to channel his new powers granted to him from the Spring of Restoration. "I WILL NOT ONLY AVENGE THE DEATH OF DIAMOND'S PARENTS! BUT FOR JOAN WHO YOU SHOT IN COLD BLOOD! DIE YOU BODY MORPHING BASTARD!"
Filled with pure rage, Tray could not control his powers as Paradox merely toyed with him before using Tray's disorientation to his advantage. Paradox was able to overpower the young hero, but briefly underestimated his new power buff when Tray's halo pierced itself into Paradox's chest. This comeback was shortly lived due to the intervention of Viciate who incapacitated Tray and tied him up. Elsewhere, Venessa felt a disturbance in her gut and thus gathered Cross and met with King Alexander to ask where Tray and Joan were at. The King did not know of their location much to the dismay of Venessa, but suddenly in the throne room a thick green mist entered the room which knocked the guards and the heroes unconscious. Lorenzo did his best to pick up the bodies of the heroes and tie them up, "Now we just wait for the Queen of Asteria to arrive and snatch the Matrix from her by ransoming these hostages."
Meanwhile Selena took care of Diamond and would not allow him out of her sight. If he had to leave her house, she would go with him wherever he went, due to the public opinion on him fiercely divided. There were some who believed the attacks were caused by him while others knew that he would never do such a thing and it had to be an imposter. She would fiercely criticize any bystander who booed or tried to assault Diamond. Diamond on the other hand did not like how Selena was being overprotective of him, and her reasoning was that his mental state was not in a good place. Truthfully, it felt like he was on house arrest. One day the two of them took a nap on Selena's couch, when Selena was notified to embark on the mission to Omniverse 7,777,777. She did not have Diamond know what mission it was, but said it was important. "Don't do anything stupid or silly while I'm gone. And do not go on any adventures either! If I find out you left the town, you won't hear the end of it!" "Alright sheesh I got it."
Selena traveled to Sanctuary and entered one of the passwords a few of the elite members possessed in order to gain access to the broken remains of the Matrix of Eternity. She grabbed the pieces and created a portal to the Alphaverse. Once Selena teleported off to her mission, Diamond took advantage of this opportunity and decided to venture into town. He grabbed his Bluetooth earbuds and walked outside to his favorite coffee shop. While walking, he played Have You Ever Seen The Rain, by Creedence Clearwater Revival, one of his father's favorite bands. He could not resist but sing along with the lyrics, "When it's over so they say it'll rain a sunny day, I know, shining down like water. I wanna know, have you ever seen the rain? I wanna know, have you ever seen the rain? Coming down on a sunny day." During his stroll a handful of protestors spotted him and began to yell, "Murderer! Thief! Crook! Liar!" One such protestor threw a pot of hot water at him, which nearly resulted in Diamond retaliated, but he bore these wrongs patiently and continued on his way. He turned a corner into an alleyway and started to dance and jump in the puddles. On the other side were a set of stairs where he slowly danced his way down each step to the closing parts of the song still singing with raw emotion. "Yeaaaaahhhhhhhh I wanna know have you seen the rain? I wanna know have you ever seen the rain? Coming down on a sunny day."
He turned off his music when he entered the doors of the small shop and waited patiently in line. After he finished placing his order and pulled out his wallet to pay, the cashier whispered to him, "It's on the house. You are still a hero to us who work here." "Are you sure ma'am?" "Yes. It'll be out shortly." He took a seat near a window and started reading the local newspaper in silence. Just then a little boy who was with his parents came to his side and started to speak with him. "Excuse me sir, but are you, Diamond?" Diamond chuckled to himself, "Well there is no use in hiding my identity. Yes, I am." "Can you tell me what it was like during the year I was born?" "Uh, odd request but yeah I can tell you, first I have to ask how old are you?" "I just turned four!" "Well happy birthday! Let's see four years ago was 2016.....wait no it was 2020. Gosh was 2020 four years ago? Man, all these adventures all start flowing together kid. So, around this time an old enemy of mine named......" Diamond abruptly stopped speaking as he felt a disturbance. "Named who, sir?" Diamond stood up and slowly walked to the doors as a giant explosion went off in the center of town. Everyone started screaming, running in all directions from the blast, as Diamond signaled his AI using his nanotech vision glasses. "HONEY what are we looking at? HONEY? Crap I never turned you back on." Diamond hastily had his nanotech grow on his left arm as he turned on the setting to activate HONEY. "I'm back! Are you ok boss, did you do anything brash when I was gone?" "We can catch up later HONEY, right now I need you to prevent traffic from entering this street and alert the local authorities." "Yes sir!"
While all of this was happening on Earth, Selena's portal finally brought her to the Alphaverse. She begins to mutter to herself, "Alright Venessa I'm here. Hopefully we can get this done quickly, because I don't trust Diamond being by himself." Selena was cautious of her surroundings, due to being greeted with an eerie vacant throne room. She suddenly heard a quiet "help me," this prompted her to locate the source of the voice which resulted in her finding Lorenzo lying next to a pillar. "Please help me." "Who did this to you, where are they now, and have you seen a young girl with pink and blue hair go by?" Selena used her powers to silently read the injured person's mind, but before her powers could alert her of it being a trap, she heard another voice which caused her pupils to shrink with fear. "Hello my precious doll." Selena turned to face the new voice and to her horror, she saw Paradox standing behind her, appearing the same way he looked the day before he died. The trauma from the mistreatment and terror she received from him overridden her senses and caused her to stand completely motionless. Behind her Lorenzo leaped and took off his mask expelling a strong toxin into her lungs causing her to faint and drop the pieces of the Matrix. Lorenzo, "Why did you change the plan to capture her instead of bargaining with her?" Paradox, "Because I want the last thing, they see is me holding the reloaded Matrix and handing it over to my masters." Paradox then switched back to his mechanical body and wrapped Selena in thick pairs of chains. He then took her body along with the rest of the heroes to the depths of the castle.
Simultaneously on Earth, Diamond slowly made his way to the source of the blast as he yelled at the pedestrians to head southbound. When he reached the center of the blast three figures emerged. A hulking lizard creature, a humanoid squid, and a tall figure wrapped in black cloth with piercing red goggles. "HEY! THIS TOWN IS CLOSED TO THUGS LIKE YOU TODAY!" The man in black cloth responded back, "We were wishing for a fight with Selena, but facing you is even better!" "I suggest you stand down before I rip a tentacle from your friend Squidward!" "Grok shut his mouth." The hulking creature lifted his axe from his back and started charging at Diamond. Diamond tapped his chest as his nanotech started to form around him as he created several large blasters from his back and fired at Grok. The blasts sent Grok flying backwards to his two other companions, but the man in black simply waved his hand to the right which sent Grok crashing into a local store. Diamond flew towards the humanoid squid and started punching him with unrelenting force that caused the squid to vomit quantities of ink. The man in black teleported behind Diamond and used his mystic powers to gain the upper hand by distorting the reality around them. The squid shaped his head into a spear and tried to pierce Diamond with his poison, but Diamond dodged it and sent him hurdling towards the man in black, breaking the reality illusion. He then had his suit create a sticky net which he shot to capture both the man in black and squid. Grok finally managed to get back up, but upon seeing his comrades captured, he clicked a button on his belt that resulted in him exploding creating a blast deadlier than the first. Diamond noticed there were a few people that were in the blast radius of this second explosion and flew towards them using his strength to hold the falling debris from the tall business building. The debris piled the streets with dust and papers, until the sound of sirens broke the silence. Law enforcement arrested the two other villains while Diamond was barely holding large portions of fallen walls, glass, and stone from crushing him and the civilians under him. The leading officer noticed Diamond struggling in the debris, but decided not to help him, he thought to himself, "Let's see if he can truly save others and be the hero the weak minded believe him to be." The crushing weight began to take a toll on Diamond as he slowly began to lose his footing until he was on his knees holding the debris up.
"I promise.....I will get all of you out alive!" Negative thoughts began to enter his mind as various voices began to call out. "You are not good enough. You couldn't save your own parents; how can you save these unfortunate souls? You are playing a fool's game. See how the law enforcement refuses to acknowledge your existence. Face it your story is over. Finished. You are nothing but a weak boy who thought he could have been a great hero." Diamond tried to block out these voices, but they began to take a toll on him, nearly causing him to give up, but then a quiet voice entered his mind. A voice smooth like honey but strong as thunder echoed in his mind. "You are something more. Look inside yourself, you are something far more than when you started all those years ago as a small-town hero. Do not listen to their empty words, listen to me. Do you renounce sin?" "I do." "Do you renounce the Devil, the sin whisperer, and all his empty promises?" "I do!" "Do you believe in the Faith of your fathers, the Resurrection, and life everlasting?" "I do!" "Arise my child." At that very moment Diamond felt the power of the Light course through him at greater quantities than before as his body began to glow with gold and white light. With a newfound access to the Light, Diamond felt it was only natural to change the wording when harnessing its power, "Through the power of Heaven's Light.......All things are possible!" Diamond effortlessly lifted the debris away from him as the civilians under his care ran to the rest of the crowd. The onlookers stared at Diamond's glowing gold and white body. They were baffled in amazement as a few murmured amongst themselves, "Truly this is the act of a selfless hero."
Diamond did not hear the crowd's cheers, whistles, and praises as he stood deep in contemplation. Deep within his soul, he was able to sense his family was in grave danger. With his connection to the Light restored, he made it his new mission to travel to the Omniverse where he sensed the disturbance. He quietly spoke to himself, "Oh yeah I'm ready to whip the person who is so bent on ruining my life! But first, I have to do it in style. He allowed his suit to create two large speakers; HONEY make sure the volume is on max. Time for us to go back into the Megaverse!"
To Be Continued In The Alphaverse Part 2

Shayna Baszler lifts her belt high over the broken form of Reah Ripley, who lays over blood spatter,
painting the ring like a Jackson Pollock painting. Shayna, her blood dried in the Cleveland heat into a dull, flaky mask, slides out of the ring as the next matches promos start.
…
“Y’know, a year ago I thought I’d never actually hold this thing…” Baszler states in the SummerSlam post show presser, Triple H at her side. “... But it feels pretty damn good that it’s actually mine. No disrespect to Reah, of course.” Shayna slides her hands over her hair, catching specks of dried blood, sending them to the floor. “But I think it really speaks to how stale this division got under the previous… administration. Like I’m one of the best damn grapplers in this industry, It’s about damn time I get my due.”
-Monday Night Raw
Reah Ripley sits in Gorilla, fuming. At the top of the hour, Mami enters the arena, not even waiting for her music to cue. Her shoulder still sore and not moving quite right sings out in pain as she slips into the ring, mic in her hand. The former champion says the first thing that comes to her mind.
“Shit.” The crowd oohs and ahs at a swear word, but Reah doesn’t have time to wait. “I mean, really Shayna? I gave you the opportunity to hold this. I GAVE you your opportunity, your ‘due’ as you called it. And when I came back from injury, instead of giving me back what you were BORROWING, you stab me in the back?” Reah’s voice cracks a bit. The WWE universe is eerily quiet, giving Reah the space she needs to get this out.
“YOU WERE MY FRIEND, SHAYNA. But now, now that you’ve gone from fighting nobodies in bingo halls to holding the greatest prize in this company, you’re too good for me?” Reah lashes out, Michael Cole correcting her by stating “Masha Slamovich isn’t a nobody, Reah” on commentary. This is when Shayna’s music hits, and the Queen of Spades enters the ring with her new hardware. The two stare down, clearly teasing their next match.
The next few weeks go by with very little change between the two. Reah and Shayna trade barbs on the mic, one particular instance being after Shayna’s first defense of her belt, being against Natalya at a house show, with Shayna calling Reah a “Dollar Tree Chyna Knockoff”. Reah responds to this by spiking Shayna in the head with a chair. At Bash in Berlin, their blowoff match is set as a Submissions Count Anywhere match by Adam Pearce a couple weeks before the PPV. The week before the PPV, the two are set to sign contracts to make it official and sanctioned.
-Monday Night Raw: Go Home before Bash in Berlin
Shayna and Reah sit across from each other in the ring for their official contract signing. Accompanied by Zoey Stark, Shayna sits cool and almost aloof. Reah, however, untethered from Dominik Mysterio, fumes with her singular goal to regain her crown and her trust in herself.
“Yknow, Reah, it’s funny. You piss and moan about doing all this work but every time we’ve met in the ring recently, you’ve had to use chairs and shit to put me down.” Shayna gets booed here, as Reah lifts the mic to her lips. “Baszler, you think you got where you are with hard work? I've been here for years on the top. Hell, didn’t you get here before me?” The crowd pops as Shayna is visibly flustered. Shayna, instead of letting this get to the best of her, puts pen to paper, as does Reah. The two lock eyes before Raw goes off the air.
-Bash in Berlin
Shayna Baszler(c) vs Reah Ripley (Submissions Count Anywhere)
As Shayna enters the arena, she is immediately blasted in the spine with a chair by Reah, and the bell is rung. Shayna tanks this hit and turns with a quick thrust kick as Reah lifts her chair. Shayna, the former pro fighter she is, grabs Reah by the back of her neck and throws her into the barricade, sending Mami tumbling.
The match goes on, spilling into the ring, where we get our first submission attempt, being an armbar applied by Shayna Baszler. Reah powers out of the Queen of Spades’ grasp and launches a stiff lariat to the now sitting champion, quickly turning that into a rear naked choke. Shayna stands up and drives Reah’s Tailbone into the mat, slipping out of the hold and the ring.
Reah rolls out to follow, but is quickly thwacked directly on the head with a kendo stick, courtesy of the champion. A small trickle of blood drips down Mami’s forehead as she feels away from the champion, who promptly tackles Reah to the ground to attempt at a kneebar, but Reah rolls away, clipping and splitting Shayna’s lip, adding a bit more crimson to the mix.
Reah turns the corner and scrambles under the apron, to produce a chair, but instead tangles herself in the spare camera cords left under the ring in case of a wire malfunction. She does, however, use the heavy metal ends of these cords to whip the champion, eventually working her way to locking in a dirty STF, using the mic cables to try and choke the champion out. The sweat on the challengers palms, however, make her lose her grip on the cables, allowing Shayna to escape and slip away, behind the challenger.
Reah, in her hubris, doesn’t disentangle herself from the spare camera and microphone cords that were strewn about after the scramble for chairs, and as Shayna pulls her prey in like a spider, Reah, for the first time in a long time, yelps out in fear as Shayna locks in The Kirifuda Clutch. Reah fights, but succumbs to the pain and lack of bloodflow.
Shayna lets go, raises her hand in victory, and is immediately interrupted by Women’s Money in the Bank winner, Chelsea Green, who decides to cash in.
Do I even need to say it?
Chelsea Green -Fucking Dies- gets rocked be a Queens Suplex, hereby losing her Money in the Bank cash-in, resulting in two victories in Berlin for the Queen of Spades, Shayna Baszler.
Backstage, however, a new challenger lies in wait. Lurking in the shadows, a disgraced hero, reborn in the ashes of irrelevance.
Nobody a sane champion dares to Cross.
…

I had to deliver to a bingo hall last night and I walked in and the doors led me right into the main hall. It had to have 100 people in it who all suddenly stared at me. The speaker was calling out a number and said “oh my food!” I waved like a dumbass as if I’m a special guest to the entire room which was like size of freaking Walmart. What was weird is it was so quiet in there. I mean, can’t they at least have music playing low? Then I tried to go out the door that is LOCKED and then laughed and snorted and left out of the other side.

I (15f),my brother(12m),my dad (44m),his gf(38f) and her two sons (5m & 12m) were togheter on a trip on Sylvester.
We got a small house for a few days and stayed there togheter to get away from all the stress at home. My mother and the ex husband of my dad's gf were (and still are) huge topics in our everyday life. I havent been living and havent had contact with my mother since november 2022. There was alot with abuse and neglect when i was younger,mostly towards me,my dad and older brother (18m).
The first days (29th-31st December)we were at that house my father and his gf started fighting already,they had already broken up around 6 times but kept getting back togheter.
The mood around the house was tense because of this. No matter how happy and fun the day was,it always ended in fighting.
On the 30th we decided to go to a bingo night because just sitting at home was boring,so we went out. At that bingo hall there also was a big playground for kids under 14yrs so i didnt go. I was also too tall for it and my pants made my knees hurt whenever i had to go under something or such.
My dad and his gf were just joking with eachother,i got a ice cream with his gf and everything was fine. Then my brother (lets call him colin) and the older son of my dad's gf (lets say his name is tyler) came from the playground to the table.
The two were mad at the 5yr old (lenny) since he was known to be a bit of a brat and act out. Colin and Tyler were told a bit ago to just come to the adults when lenny acts up again. That way they wouldnt get in trouble.
Then lenny came to the table,crying like god knows what,and said that the two had pushed and hit him.
Colin immediately said that they came to the table again because lenny was hitting them and they didnt want to get in trouble by defending themselves.
My dad's gf immediately put lenny on her lap and tried consoling him. Then she said something along the lines of "Yeah well you two boys should be more careful,he is five. Act according your age and dont hit the younger one"
My father then got mad at her and asked her what was wrong with her and why she was mad at them now since they did as they were told and came to the adults.
His gf then said that my brother(colin) already has a history of violence and that he still is a violent individual. At that moment I leaned over the table,looked her straight in the eyes and said "You have no right to talk to my brother that way,understood?"
She seemed a bit taken off guard or even slightly shocked since i am usually quiet and avoid confrontations. I shook with anger and knew i'll probably pass out soon,since that is something my body decides to do when i feel mad. 😐
My father then had enough and stood up,of course me and my brother followed. I had to hold on to my father so i wouldnt fall over infront of all those people.
As we were outside i sat down and took a few deep breaths.
This whole situation escalated even more later on and the next day too,but thats not the point. The two are broken up again now but have been togheter 4 times again since Sylvester.
Till now i have been thinking about it and cant help but feel a bit bad..

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