This is nothing new that I'm talking about so I'll get to the point.
THE ISSUE
Abyss is getting harder and harder to the point where even whales are having trouble completing it and its pretty much impossible for any F2P account under 1 or even 2 years old to complete. Yes I am well aware that 4 Star character + 4 star weapons clears exist (its not because Bennett had R3 Aquila to help his survival and they are all C6 which is harder to get than a 5* but again don't hate the youtuber. It just proves how stupid Abyss has become.)
And this doesn't even include the myriad of "bugs" or issues that are unfixed since day 1 where if you:

1. Retry the chamber immediately, your skills are still on cooldown.
2. You can't retry the 2nd half chamber without being forced to retry the 1st.
3. Can't reset Chamber 3 once you finish it.

On a different note, they still haven't addressed ANY of the issues with new characters needing the latest ascension materials from an area that often has nothing to do with them. For example Kirara needing Ascension materials from Inquitous Baptist which isn't even Inazuma related but oh its there just because she is the newest character and there needs to be an incentive to farm the new boss.
You could say "Well players can just build the 5*s from the permanent blue wish banner."
Except there is a 2/7 (28.5%) chance that you'll get Tighnari or Dehya so good luck roaming ALL the way to Sumeru on foot just to ascend them past level 20. And the two rate up banners of Yae and Yoimiya? Both from Inazuma which is blocked by the sea of thunders until you complete the Archon quests which will be timegated because all Archon quests relies on your AR and until you opened enough chests or spent enough resin, you can't brute force this easily.
SOLUTION
For abyss, just gate the character levels. Even if you have a lvl 90, put a limiter on all characters who enter there to something reasonable like 50 and lower ALL the enemy levels to at best 60. That way F2P can at least somewhat reasonably build 8 lvl 50 characters. Abyss should be a test of skill, not how much you whaled and how much jacked up Constellation characters you have.
Even better, newer games like Aether gazer has shown what a true completely fair "Abyss" is in the form of Dimensional Variable. Simply put, you are given a select number of characters all at a fixed level and stat and based on the abyss path that you take, you can equip them and build stats as you go. No need to pull any new characters, no need to have the latest greatest R5 weapons. Its pure skill for rogue like mode.
Except Hoyo ALREADY have something like that during their events like Hyakunin Ikki or Vibro Crystal research. Meaning they are fully aware of what they can do and yet chose NOT to do it for Abyss.
As for the ascension material, just add an option into the Crafting Benches where you can convert certain ascension materials into others at a slight loss. Maybe 2:1 or something so that newer players won't be stuck at a huge brick wall with their newly pulled characters. Even better, give them a gift every few levels perhaps through AR rewards a box that allows them to choose ANY Ascension materials enough to level up 1-2 characters up to 90.
​
I've seen sooo many friends who dropped Genshin after a few months because they just can't be bothered to deal with the HUGE wall of requirements they have to complete just because they want to ascend their favourite character they pulled recently. And them being stuck in the very first Abyss 9 (which is the only thing that resets) shows how big of a gap Floor 8 and 9 are. Long gone are the days where you use Anemo characters like Jean to strategically pull and drop enemies from a height to deal % health damage because now every new enemy and their moms will be pull immune until they decide to change it after multiple patches down the line. For instance, do you know that you can easily pull even the big Fatui or the Specters now with Venti's ult? I rest my case.

PART EIGHT HUNDRED AND THIRTY-NINE
[Previous Chapter] [The Beginning] [Patreon+2]
Friday
A few minutes later, the front door to the living apartment opened, and both men slipped inside as if they were wayward teenagers coming home after curfew rather than adult men returning home. Both had their shoes in one hand and, while Boyd cautiously closed the door behind them, Lucas crept into the living area to search for any sign of an ambush from their fellow roommates. Too many of them knew about Lucas’ proposal plans (that is: Robbie would’ve told everyone by now), and they wanted to spend the rest of the night alone instead of facing a detailed inquisition by the name of Charlotte.
The TV was on, and some of the ironing was hanging up, which meant Robbie was around somewhere. Also, Lucas saw Sam’s office door firmly closed with the light illuminating the bottom edge. The rest of that side’s hallway had their lights out. Without looking over his shoulder, Lucas gestured for Boyd to follow him in but to be quiet doing so.
He felt Boyd’s hand slide into his, and the pair snuck down the corridor, pausing at each bedroom on the off-chance that someone was awake on the other side and just about ready to step out. He heard Ben snuffling at the gap under the door and slid his fingers through for the Rottweiler to smell who was there. “It’s just us, boy,” he whispered quietly. “Go back to bed.”
The Rottweiler whined and then padded away.
There was no movement whatsoever from Brock’s room, and once they passed Robbie and Charlotte’s door, it was a straight line to their bedroom, and the pair hurried the short distance with Boyd shutting the door firmly behind them.
Lucas made quick work of his jacket and shirt but caught the hmph of surprise uttered by his fiancé. “What?” he demanded, removing the badge from his belt with one hand while the other worked the buckle.
“Robbie’s upgraded our room,” Boyd answered, stepping aside to point out the sleek metal rectangle that was attached to the door. “I’ve never needed a lock before now, but I guess he’s getting ahead on the inevitability of Sam’s little brothers and sister getting curious.”
“Bullshit!” Lucas snorted, dropping the belt and badge on top of his shirt and jacket on the floor. “That’s not for the kids. That’s to stop Charlotte from busting in here and giving us the third degree.”
“But check this out. The design’s so damned simple.” He flipped the metallic handle until it curled in on itself and locked against the inward swinging door. “That’s it. The only way that door opens now is if we flip this back out like that.” He made a show of pulling it the reverse way so that it tucked flush against the wall. “It’s a super latch.”
“Wonderful,” Lucas grumped, then pushed himself between Boyd and the door and locked it once more without ever looking at it. “Now,” he said, grabbing the hem of his fiancé’s shirt and hauling it over his head. “Where were we?”
* * *
Robbie sat cross-legged in the middle of his bed with a huge smile on his face as the tumbler to the living apartment’s front door barely made a sound, and two of the larger men in the apartment (next to Llyr) tried to slip through the apartment undetected. He’d already heard/felt them in the hallway outside between the studio to the living apartment when he and Sam had been passing the time watching TV (with Charlie passed out on the couch under the fish tank).
After silently shoving Sam’s shoulder, Sam launched himself to his feet and realm stepped away, probably to his room, while he pounced on Charlie.
Despite the lateness of the hour, she’d tried to wait up for her brother, determined to hear how it went. Robbie was just as adamant that that wouldn’t happen, and before she was fully awake, he abandoned his ironing, scooped her out of the couch in a bridal carry, and realm stepped into their bedroom. From there, he dropped his weight into the middle of their bed and positioned her with her back to his front. He grew extra limbs to hold her perfectly still, with another hand over her mouth for silence.
“Ssshhhhh,” he shushed as she squirmed and screeched into his hand, growing in volume when even she heard her brother and his fiancé creeping down the corridor and disappearing into their room. He nuzzled her neck through her hair to distract her. “This is their night, and it went well.”
Charlie nipped his hand, then turned in his arms when he loosened them. “How do you know?” she huffed once he freed her mouth. “What if Lucas is just feeling horribly dejected and not realising that the best thing for him right now is family?”
“Because they didn’t plod their way through the apartment like the world was going to end, and they didn’t go into separate rooms. You know as well as I do that they want privacy, Missy-Mo, and you’re going to give that to them, even if I’ve got to wear you out first before I get back to the ironing.”
Charlie twisted until she faced him. “What a hard life you lead.”
His grin was instantaneous, and he waggled his eyebrows for good measure. “I know, right?”
* * *
Hours later, Boyd searched through his studio’s storage room for the perfect timber options. He himself was leaning heavily into snakewood, but he wanted Lucas to have the final say and brought out both cubes of timber for him to choose from.
Thankfully, he decided the dark brown, nearly black grain of the Lignum Vitae would look too much like a thick O-ring that his sister had plenty of in her garage. By contrast, the snakewood had a rich red base spotted with dark red splotches that gave it its name. As it already had a very high resin content, the challenge to carve something so intricate and personal to Boyd was not insignificant but worth it for a one-of-a-kind engagement ring.
The workbench only had one stool set up for Boyd, but as he tried to push Lucas into the seat, Lucas refused and squirmed until he eventually had the table between them. “You need to be comfortable doing what you do,” he insisted. “So I’ll watch from over here. I spent more than ten hours a day on my feet, so trust me when I say this is no hardship to watch you work.” He looked up at Boyd, then back at the wooden cube gripped in the vice. “Besides, this is not a piece you’re allowed to mess up.”
Boyd nodded and settled himself onto his stool, gathering up the first of several knives that he knew would have to be replaced in the morning due to the hardness of the timber. Normally, people watching him made him nervous, but with Lucas, he found it grounding. As if he could sink further into the project because he didn’t have to look out for ugly opinions designed to tear him down. With Lucas watching over him, he truly had nothing to fear.
And, as his right hand carved away large unnecessary chunks from the block, his left hand reached out and retrieved a sloyd knife to follow his right hand as it creased the wood, preparing it for the next pass of the larger blade. The motion was like a song being played in Boyd’s head, with his hand movements that of a conductor.
Blades were switched out constantly until a smaller sloyd and a hand gouge took their place. With these, he scooped a small ring around the central mass as a guideline and worked his way down while his other hand bevelled the outer edge, using the strength of both hands to offset the work of the other.
Small and smaller, each blade became until he split the barrel into two rings which he then shaped in a slight curve to match the one on his own finger. The final step was a light sanding in pumice to give the surface grain a denser coat as the resin was spread before the first layer of linseed oil could be applied.
Knowing whichever one he varnished would be wet for the next few hours and unable to be worn in the morning, Boyd picked up one of the rings and carried it to Lucas’ side of the table.
“You carved that from memory,” Lucas said, watching the bare ring slide into place on his left ring finger. He then lifted his hand and flicked his thumb against the ring. “How did … it’s a near-perfect fit,” he gasped.
“It still has at least four coats of shellac before it can be brought to a full shine,” Boyd explained. “And I’m going to do both exactly the same, so you’ll never tell them apart just by looking at them. I’ll know, but that means you have a question to answer by tomorrow morning.”
Lucas stopped admiring the wooden ring and looked up at him. “What?”
He pointed at the ring still on the workbench behind them. “That one will have its first coat put on tonight and will be ready to wear by tomorrow night. But the one you have on now will then need to be coated.”
“Still not seeing a question.”
“Which one do you want to wear to work in the morning for all your workmates to see for the first time? The one you’re wearing now that won’t have any extra protection even though it’s already harder than most metals or the one that’ll have a slightly greasy feel until I seal it tomorrow when you get home from work?”
“What difference will the two make?”
“Not a lot. As I said, there’s a ton of resin in snakewood, so it has a good lustre by itself. Someone like me will notice the difference, but no one else. It just depends on which ring you’d like everyone to notice in the morning as your engagement ring.”
Lucas glanced at both rings. “This one,” he said, shaking his left hand to waggle his selection after a few seconds of thought. “This is the real one. It’s the one you gave me first, and it’s the one I’m going to show everyone.”
Boyd nodded, knowing he would never mix them up, despite being carved from the same two-inch cube of timber. “Then tomorrow night, as soon as you get home, we’ll swap them then, and you can wear the spare one to bed. By lunchtime the following day, it’ll have the linseed and shellac coats on that one and protect it for the next eighty years as well.”
Lucas grinned at him. “Eighty years, huh?”
Boyd smirked as well, stealing a quick kiss before returning to his stool and pulling out a small bottle of linseed oil and a soft cloth. “And not a minute less,” he promised, wiping the linseed oil into the ring from all sides before using the dry corner to wipe away the excess. “This one will go in the room overnight to dry, and by the time you get home tomorrow, the shellac will have set.”
He saw the moment he lost Lucas’ interest in the varnishing process and smirked to himself. “This is tiny and easy. Just give me a minute to clean up, and then we can revisit step one of our master plan for coming home.” Utterly wrecking our bed.
“I’d like that.”
* * *
((All comments welcome. Good or bad, I'd love to hear your thoughts 🥰🤗))
I made a family tree/diagram of the Mystallian family that can be found here
For more of my work including WPs: Angel466 or an index of previous WPS here.
FULL INDEX OF BOB THE HOBO TO DATE CAN BE FOUND HERE!!

Earlier today, I made this comment on the Connecticut Sun vs. Minnesota Lynx game discussion thread and it read as follows:
"If the Lynx want to have a shot at winning this game, I think they absolutely need to give its bench forwards, Juhasz and Milic, more minutes this game. The issue with the Lynx is that its coaching staff is adamant on running a small ball lineup and rarely gives meaningful minutes to Juhasz and Milic, in certain matchups who have clear height advantages. I've made a post in the past on this subreddit regarding this and a perfect example which I mentioned was the Lynx vs. Mercury game. The Mercury very clearly had a height advantage with Griner who is 6'9 and despite this, the Lynx played their tallest player in Juhasz (6'5) for only 7 minutes. Griner proceeded to have a 19 point + 8 rebound game with 3 blocks. The best way, which I stated in my post, to counter a height / rebounding advantage that a team might have is to stack the paint with the tallest players that your team has as this requires the opposing players to rely more on their talent than their height advantage. With DeWanna Bonner (6'4), Brionna Jones (6'3), Olivia Nelson-Ododa (6'5), and Alyssa Thomas (6'2 and terrific rebounder), the Sun have a favorable matchup and clear height / rebounding advantage against the undersized Lynx today. Furthermore while Diamond Miller's absence will hurt the Lynx on the offense today, it will also be a big impact on the defense today as she was the Lynx's second tallest player in the starting lineup a 6'3, an inch shorter than Jessica Shepard at 6'4 and who is their starting center. Aside from the bench, Napheesa Collier is the next tallest at only 6'1 while the rest of the Lynx starting lineup is under 6'0. In my opinion, the Lynx are going to need to give meaningful minutes to both Juhasz and Milic today if they want to win this game."
​
Game Strategy: Unless someone from the Minnesota Lynx coaching staff read this comment of mine from above and changed their game strategy today against the Lynx (would be funny if they actually did) , I correctly called out what exactly the Minnesota Lynx needed to do if they wanted a shot to win this game. As stated in my comment above from the game's discussion thread, the biggest thing the Minnesota Lynx needed today was to have height and size in their rotation today. The Connecticut Sun had a huge height advantage with Jones, Thomas, Bonner, and Nelson-Ododa. For the Lynx, Jessica Shepard would have been the only one in the starting lineup who could handle these players defensively and height wise. Therefore, I suggested that the Lynx needed to play players like Juhasz and Milic more this game. Furthermore, I referenced how the lack of doing this against the Phoenix Mercury game is what led Griner to have a great game against the Lynx and get the win for the Mercury. Especially in the WNBA, stacking the paint with height and size is the best way to stop opponents who have a great height advantage to do well in the game.
​
As the game started, I noticed that the Lynx did in fact end up going big in their lineup. For the first time this season, the Lynx started Juhasz, who is 6'5, and played her for a season high 37 minutes. I didn't expect the Lynx to actually change their lineup since the Lynx coaching staff are very adamant on not changing their lineups, especially to put in another big. I thought Juhasz did fine this game going for 7 points and 9 rebounds with 2 blocks this game as a rookie. She stepped up when she was needed and that was a good sign for her. Now, we can check how she impacted the game. With Juhasz and Shepard in the starting lineup, there were two bigs in the paint listed at both 6'5 and 6'4. This is a good combination of height when stacking the paint as defenders will have a tougher time getting easy baskets than if Napheesa Collier (6'1) was playing Juhasz's role this game. While the Lynx did have some trouble adjusting to a new lineup in the first half of the game allowing for easy buckets in the paint, they figured out the pace in the second half. With Shepard and Juhasz in the paint, both Jones and Bonner (the Suns's two main bigs) went for a combined 3-8 inside the paint in the second half. Furthermore as Bonner wasn't able to get easy shots in the paint as she is used to, she was forced to play beyond the perimeter for this game and went 2-7 from beyond the arc. By the end of the game, Jones had 12 points, four which came from free throws, and Bonner had 13 points, one which came from the free throw. Both Jones and Bonner were held under their season averages this game and weren't really able to dominate the paint like they are used to in terms of both points and rebounds. Furthermore, Juhasz ended up with the highest +/- score among the Lynx starters. At the end of the day, the Lynx came close this game to beating the Sun, even tied the game in the late 4th quarter at 79-79, but ended up losing by only 5. Had the Lynx ended up playing with a small ball lineup like they were used to this game, they might have lost by even more. Hopefully, this lineup isn't a one time show and the Lynx continue to use this big lineup in matchups where they have a clear height disadvantage.

My partner and I recently bought a house, which was sold to us with some of the previous belongings still in it! After sifting through it and removing garbage and recycling, we have now narrowed it down and are excited to host a buy nothing garage "sale".
We will be open from 9:30am - 5pm on Saturday June 3rd at 2694 SE Meadowlark Drive Hillsboro, OR 97123.
There are a variety of items available, but I'll try to list some categories and specific larger items.
Furniture: kitchen tables, a few wooden chairs, bookshelves, some old TVs, some organizing/display pieces as well.
Tons of crafting goods including wrapping paper, instruction booklets from the 80s/90s, an embroidery loom, and more.
Assorted glassware, candles, decorative pieces, office supplies,
Yard equipment (unsure what works): Craftsman tiller, yard wood chipper (less than 1/2 inch intake), hedge trimmer and weed eater.
There's also a hot tub in the backyard, free to anyone who can come and take it away. We are happy to help load, but cannot deliver. You will need to bring people with you to get it loaded.
Everything will be displayed out on the driveway on tables. Please ask to confirm before taking items, as we also have some personal items on the property, like some of the tables for display.
EDIT: Here is a list of additional items: Crutches Mirrors Holiday decorations (wreaths, tree decor, etc) Umbrellas Yard decor Clothes Hard hats Christmas tree stand Standing freezer (needs to be cleaned but still works) Wooden chess/checkers board White board Corkboard Art work Plastic patio chairs (8) Outdoor wooden bench Plastic patio table Plastic patio stool/side table Heat dishes Dog crate Treadmill (unsure if it works) Wooden kitchen chairs Fabric cutting mat Microwave Vintage skis (cool decor!) Hiking poles Cooler Lots of glassware of all kinds Some dishware

Check out our full Durham events calendar.
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 weekend!

June Featured Events

53rd Annual Bimbé Cultural Arts Festival at Rock Quarry Park

• This family-oriented event is a celebration of African and African American history, culture, arts, and traditions.
• Headlined by Intro, Mr. Cheeks, Petey Pablo, and KRS-One
• Free admission

1776 at DPAC

• The show is based on the events leading up to the signing of the Declaration of Independence, telling a story of the efforts of John Adams to persuade his colleagues to vote for American independence and to sign the document.
• This Tony Award-winning Best Musical is tuneful, witty, and constantly surprising, especially in this revolutionary new production from directors Jeffrey L. Page (Violet) and Diane Paulus (Waitress) with a cast that reflects multiple representations of race, gender, and ethnicity.
• Jun 1-4
• $15+

PLAYlist Concert Series: Raíces, Rutas, y Ritmos at Durham Central Park

• Raíces, Rutas, y Ritmos highlights the importance of music-making among Latin American migrants in North Carolina, as well as the prominence of Latin American-derived music in the Triangle area.
• 6:30 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
• Free admission

Venue Weekend Schedules

Events at The Carolina Theatre

• Fri, Jun 2 at 7:00 p.m. - Leslie Jones: Live
• Sun, Jun 4 at at 4:15 p.m. - The Empower Experience 2023

Events at The Pinhook

• Thu, Jun 1 at 8:00 p.m. - Dead Fox No Groove / Julia. / Dylan Innes
• Fri, Jun 2 at 7:00 p.m. - OCRCC’s 12th Annual Punk Cuts To End Rape
• Fri, Jun 2 at 9:00 p.m. - Yolo Karaoke!
• Sat, Jun 3 at 6:00 p.m. - Teia Elaine Presents: What Would Eve Do?
• Sat, Jun 3 at 10:00 p.m. - House Of Coxx Drag Show!
• Sat, Jun 3 at 11:55 p.m. - Rent Due Dance Party!!!
• Sun, Jun 4 at 4:00 p.m. - (Early Show) The Lover Boyz W/ Phil Cook + Kym Register And Friends
• Sun, Jun 4 at 8:00 p.m. - (Late Show) The Lover Boyz W/ Phil Cook + Kym Register And Friends

Events at Motorco Music hall

• Fri, Jun 2 at 8:00 p.m. - Halocene With Lauren Babic / Alphamega
• Sat, Jun 3 at 9:00 p.m. - Gimme Gimme Disco
• Sun, Jun 4 at 7:00 p.m. - Mike’s Dead with The Haunt

Events at The Fruit

• Fri, Jun 2 at 11:00 p.m. - Job Fruit Residency: IN2IT
• Sat, Jun 3 at 10:00 p.m. - Paradox: A 90s Rave Experience
• Sun, Jun 4 at 12:00 p.m. - The Fruit Flea: Monthly Flea Market

Live Music at Blue Note Grill

• Thu, Jun 1 at 7:30 p.m. - Curtis Salgado Band
• Fri, Jun 2 at 6:00 p.m. - The Duke Street Dogs
• Fri, Jun 2 at 9:15 p.m. - Adam Ezra Group
• Sat, Jun 3 at 7:30 p.m. - JIVES

Events at Moon Dog Meadery

• Thursdays - Free Board Games
• Thu, Jun 1 at 7:00 p.m. - Trivia
• Fri, Jun 2 at 8:00 p.m. - First Friday Swing Dance Night with Nitelife Boogie!
  • Free dance lesson at 7:30 p.m.
• Sun, Jun 4 at 6:30 p.m. - Moon Dog Open Mic

Live Music at Sharp 9 Gallery

• Sat, Jun 3 at 8:00 p.m. - Eric Williams Quintet

Events at Arcana

• Thu, Jun 1 - Jay Hammond & Andy Stack with Joe Westerlund and Tarot with Virginia
• Fri, Jun 2 - Russell Favret and Tarot with Heiltje
• Sat, Jun 3 - Bardo Bloom and Tarot with Rene
• Sun, Jun 4 - Matty Famartino and Tarot with Joy

Events at Rubies on Five Points

• Thu, Jun 1 at 10:00 p.m. - Miss B Haven Presents: Midnight Remedies
• Fri, Jun 2 at 10:00 p.m. - Mamis & The Papis And Party Illegal Present: Moodboard
• Sat, Jun 3 at 9:00 p.m. - Star People Gang Presents: Freaks And Beats

Events at Durty Bull Brewing Company

• Thu, Jun 1
  • 5:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. - Food Truck: Safari Eatz
  • 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. - Thursday Trivia with Nick
• Fri, Jun 2
  • 5:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. - Food Truck: Tacos Paradise
  • 8:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m. - Open Mic Stand-up Comedy
• Sat, Jun 3
  • 12:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. - Food Truck: Chop House BBQ
  • 12:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. - DJ Jack Bonney
  • 4:00 p.m - 6:00 p.m. - Taxicab Preacher
• Sun, Jun 4
  • 1:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. - Food Truck: Charlie C's Hotdogs On Wheels
  • 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. - Hammered Trivia with Thor

Live Comedy at Mettlesome

• Fri, Jun 2 at 8:00 p.m. - The Racket
• Fri, Jun 2 26 at 9:00 p.m. - Hush Hush
• Sat, Jun 3 at 8:00 p.m. - Bull City Press Presents…
• Sat, Jun 3 at 9:00 p.m. - House Party

Events at Boxyard RTP

• Thu, Jun 1 at 5:30 p.m. - Songstories Live at Boxyard RTP
• Fri, Jun 2 from 8:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. - Boxyard Bucks
  • First 100 people on site receive $10 to spend at any vendor
• Fri, Jun 2 at 5:30 p.m. - LOJO: Log Off, Jam On
• Sat, Jun 3 from 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. - Turns 2 Family Friendly Celebration
• Sat, Jun 3 from 11:30 a.m. 2:30 p.m. - Saturdaze: Uno Dose
• Sat, Jun 3 from 5:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. - Wonderbop

Events at Glass Jug Beer Lab in RTP

• Thu, Jun 1 from 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. - Beer Garden Jam Sessions
• Fr, Jun 2 from 5:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. - RTP Food Truck Fridays
• Sat, Jun 3 from 5:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. - Beer Garden Jam Sessions

Events at Glass Jug Beer Lab in Downtown Durham

• Thu, Jun 1 from 7:00 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. - Live Music in the Taproom
• Jun 1-4 from 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. - Weekend Food Trucks

Local Sports

Durham Bulls Home Stand at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park

• vs Jacksonville
• Thu, Jun 1 - Pride Night
• Fri, Jun 2 - Friday Night Fireworks
• Sat, Jun 3 - Saturday Night Fireworks
• Sun, Jun 4 - Kids Run the Bases
• $10+

Running of the Bulls 8K at Historic Durham Athletic Park

• The 15th running of Durham’s premiere community road race! This scenic course will wind through the historic and revitalized neighborhoods of downtown Durham, American Tobacco Campus, Trinity Park and Old North Durham neighborhoods, and finish with a lap of the warning track inside the historic Old Durham Athletic Park!
• Sat, Jun 3 at 7:00 a.m.
• $10-45

Thursday, Jun 1

Thirsty Thursdays at Dashi

• Each month Dashi's Thirsty Thursday drink specials revolve around a monthly theme – spirits, cocktails, special ingredients, brand, location, etc. – with new sips every Thursday. Learn more about upcoming themes on their website or visit them in person – there's always something new to try from their expansive bar!
• 5:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.

Vinyl Night with DJ Deckades at Gizmo Brew Works

• Enjoy fresh vibes on the patio with DJ Deckades. Bring your own vinyl to share or just listen to what the DJ is spinning.
• 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
• Free admission

Boulders & Brews Meetup at Triangle Rock Club - Durham

• Show up and climb at TRC Durham, then head over to Hi-Wire for some brews. Don't worry if it's your first time or haven't bouldered before; everyone's welcome.
• Your first visit to the gym with the Meetup includes free admission and gear rental, and subsequent visits with the meetup are $15 and include harness rental (outside of meetups, day pass rates of $19 apply and do not include rentals).
• 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

Trivia Night w/Big Slow Tom at Clouds Brewing Brightleaf Square

• Join Clouds Durham for Big Slow Tom's Trivia Night, every Thursday. Win some prizes, drink some beer, and show your smarts.
• Enjoy $4 select draft and $5 rotating bartender's choice all night.
• 7:30 p.m.
• Free admission

Friday, Jun 2

Tasting at Ten at Counter Culture Coffee

• Every Friday morning at 10 am, Counter Culture Coffee opens their Training Centers to coffee lovers who want to learn more about Counter Culture Coffee’s high-quality, sustainably sourced menu.
• 10:00 a.m.
• Free, but donations accepted

Garden Printing: Cyanotypes and Hammered Flower Prints on Fabric at Duke Campus Farm

• Visitors to Duke Campus Farm can come take a tour of the space, learn more about what is grown and why, and choose from a number of plants from the garden to experiment with two printing techniques that highlight the shape and color of fresh produce and flowers. With cyanotype printing, we will use either the plant as a silhouette to make sun prints using UV light, or make use of parts of the plants to create a composition on the blue-tinted paper.
• 3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
• Free admission (registration encouraged)

Saturday, Jun 3

Durham Farmers’ Market at Durham Central Park

• The Durham Farmers’ Market offers locally grown fruits and vegetables, meats, eggs, cut flowers, artisanal cheeses and breads, home-baked pies, honey, handmade chocolates, preserves, local wines, handmade soaps, fresh pasta, and artwork of all sorts!
• 8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
• Free admission

South Durham Farmers' Market at Greenwood Commons Shopping Center

• The market strives to support new and growing farms and vendors in the greater Durham area, and they are also home to some of the most iconic Durham brands around.
• 8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
• Free admission

parkrun Durham at Southern Boundaries Park

• A free, fun, and friendly weekly 5k community event. Walk, jog, run, volunteer, or spectate. It's up to you!
• 8:00 a.m.
• Free admission

Hayti Walking History Tour at Hayti Heritage Center

• So, how do you pronounce H-A-Y-T-I ? What are the Hayti Neighborhood's connections to the island of Haiti? ...to Black Wall St.? ...to the city of Durham at large? These questions are answered while many more are raised in this 75-minute tour of Fayetteville St., the commercial center of Durham’s largest African American residential neighborhood. Stops include the neighborhood’s founding institutions: St. Joseph’s AME church, The Carolina Times, Stanford L. Warren Library and more!
• Stories include: Women of Hayti, Power of Black Churches and Urban Renewal. The tour begins and ends at the Hayti Heritage Center.
• 10:00 a.m.
• $20+

Nasher Community Celebration at the Nasher Museum of Art

• An outdoor party featuring GRAMMY Award-winning producer 9th Wonder and friends. Celebrate Spirit in the Land with pop-up children’s book readings in the galleries. At 2 p.m., Alberto Barrantes, an author visiting from Costa Rica, will give a reading from his new bilingual book Arts for Diversity. Art activities will be inspired by artists María Berrío and Andrea Chung.
• The Museum of Life and Science will join us with StarLab to view the night sky—and insects to study up close. Piedmont Wildlife Center will also bring several animals. Everyone can sample free cotton candy by Wonderpuff. Also fun to try: temporary tattoos inspired by the natural world. Assorted sandwiches and beverages from the Nasher Museum Cafe will be available for purchase. Cash bar.
• 12:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
• Free admission

MAKRS Pop-up at Durham Central Park

• Shop from 55+ local artists and makers, plus food trucks and coffee.
• 4:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
• Free admission

Crafternoons at Gizmo Brew Works

• Free pint with purchase of craft box. Choose from a variety of craft packages available for all ages.
• 12:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.

Beaver Queen Pageant — Once Upon a Wetland... at Duke Park

• The Beaver Queen Pageant is the Triangle’s own special mix of folly, pageantry, and humor. Contestants take on beaver personalities and compete for the title of Beaver Queen with their fashion, talent, and personality. There will be music, a kid's art activity station, food trucks, and much more!
• Enjoy the fun at this family-friendly and free event which raises funds for the Ellerbe Creek Watershed Association. Vote for your favorite contestants - or bribe a judge - at www.beaverqueen.org. You are not going to want to miss this truly weird and delightful Durham experience.
• 4:00 p.m.
• Free admission

Sunday, Jun 4

Al Strong Presents Jazz Brunch at Alley Twenty Six

• Al Strong, the Grammy-nominated jazz trumpeter, composer and recording artist, will bring a rotating lineup of musicians to perform during Sunday brunch at Durham's Alley Twenty Six. Weather permitting the band will perform in the bar’s namesake alley.
• Brunch from 10:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
• Music 12:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Art-n-Soul Market at Mystic Farm & Distillery

• Shop handmade in this special setting. Mystic Farm & Distillery in Durham offers a unique place to gather and enjoy local spirits. The Art-n-Soul Market brings the best local artisans, food trucks and live music out to the farm for bourbon tastings, craft cocktails, food trucks and distinctive gifts you won't find anywhere else. Bring your friends and meet us at the bourbon farm! Dogs welcome.
• 12:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
• Free admission

Public Tour at Duke Chapel

• Learn about the history, architecture, and life of Duke Chapel in this tour, which is free and open to the public. The tour begins at 12:15 p.m., or immediately following the conclusion of the Sunday morning service, and lasts approximately forty-five minutes.
• No reservation is required but if you plan to bring a large group please notify us in advance. Meet the docent on the front steps of the Chapel.
• Paid parking is available on a first come, first served basis in the Bryan Center Parking Lot at 125 Science Drive. ADA parking is available in the Bryan Center Surface Lot at the same address.
• 12:15 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Trivia at Navigator Beverage Co.

• Hosted by the Triangle’s Trivia team, Hammered Trivia, gather your team and post up to compete for prizes and enjoy an afternoon of great drinks, great friends, and great games.
• 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
• Free admission

Running Art Exhibits

upstART Gallery: A Jim Lee Project at Pop Box Gallery

• upstART Gallery will host its first group show at Pop Box Gallery & The Art Chose Me’s residency in Old East Durham. The show features 27 artists who were selected through an open call review process. Artists were challenged to create work especially for this unique space, scaled 1:12 (one inch = one foot).
• Wed-Sat from 12:00 p.m - 6:00 p.m.
• Runs through Jul 1

Exhibit at 21c Museum Hotel

• Truth or Dare: A Reality Show
  • Runs through March 2024
• Open 24 hours
• Free admission

“Extra-Spectral” at the Durham Art Guild Truist Gallery

• This exhibit highlights several NC-based artists that, on the surface, use colors that are “extra” (which is where their commonality ends) to evoke their intent through a combination of this color with forms and imagery as well as the concepts embedded in color’s many identities. Artists Jane Cheek, Jerstin Crosby, Zach Storm, Tonya Solley Thornton and Leif Zikade all require color to play a primary role in their work and their relationship to an audience.
• Mon–Sat from 9:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. and Sun from 1:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
• Runs through June 4
• Free admission

Donna Stubbs, Featured Artist at 5 Points Gallery

• 5 Points Gallery in downtown Durham introduces a new exhibit featuring the work of our member artist, Donna Stubbs. Donna uses an archaeological approach to painting, as she lovingly photographs her surroundings and unearths discarded items in thrift stores to create abstract mixed media works.
• Free admission

Chieko Murasugi & Renzo Ortega at Craven Allen Gallery

• An exhibition featuring both abstract and figurative works by two artists with international backgrounds. The SEQUENTIAL exhibition invites the observer on a visual journey, generating an organic relationship between the artworks and the gallery's visitors. Through the dynamics of color, form, ideas, and narratives, Chieko Murasugi and Renzo Ortega seek to generate a dialogue and the experience of art appreciation with the audience.
• Sat, May 20 at 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. - opening reception
• Runs through July 8

Spirit in the Land at the Nasher

• Spirit in the Land is a contemporary art exhibition that examines today’s urgent ecological concerns from a cultural perspective, demonstrating how intricately our identities and natural environments are intertwined. Through their artwork, 30 artists show us how rooted in the earth our most cherished cultural traditions are, how our relationship to land and water shapes us as individuals and communities
• Tue-Fri from 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Sun from 12:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
• Runs through Jul 9
• Free admission

Andy Warhol: You Look Good in Pictures at the Nasher

• Andy Warhol: You Look Good in Pictures explores the breadth of the artist’s relationship with photography through several distinct bodies of work including screenprints of celebrities, all of which were taken from photographs, a group of Polaroids and black and white snapshots illustrating his social circles, and an early silent film of the curator Henry Geldzahler from 1964.
• Tue-Fri from 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Sun from 12:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
• Runs through Aug 27
• Free admission

Art of Peru at the Nasher

• This gallery features ceramics, textiles, metalwork and carvings produced by ancient cultures across what is known as present-day Peru.
• Tue-Fri from 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Sun from 12:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
• Runs through Dec 2
• Free admission

Foundations of Humanity 27 (New Horizons) - an NoP fanfic
​
Thank you u/SpacePaladin15 for establishing the Nature of Predators Universe, and for allowing Fanfics to flourish!Thank you again, u/Braquen, u/Acceptable_Egg5560, u/BiasMushroom721, and last but not least u/Liberty-Prime76 for proofreading! Also, thank you u/Frostborne for your blessing on my Gojid City name! This is my side of the Nature of a Giant crossover)!
Also Star Tours is a Disney copyright which I use in good faith and humor under fair use please don’t hurt me capitalist mouse daddy.
First -- Previous -- Next
Memory transcription subject: Valek, Venlil tourist
Date [standardized human time]: Sept 11th, 2136. Middle of 3rd Claw
I watched Maeve find an open station and investigate the helmet while I asked, “Do Humans have Visor arcades?”
“Oh, absolutely! There’s an entire League for VR!” Maeve awkwardly slipped into the seat and found the controls; after a moment the seat started to adjust itself to size, the sudden movement causing Maeve to jump.
Alvi spoke up beside me, “Maeve has a book that talks about it. It talked about headsets and digital worlds like what we have, over a hundred years ago!”
“A hundred years ago?” I couldn’t help but be skeptical. “Are you really saying that our tech is a hundred years behind yours with VR?”
“Eh, not exactly,” Maeve tilted her head as she thought, “with things like visors, there was an upper limit to how to design them. Most of the innovations were on how realistic the visors could make the media. We got video down pretty quickly, and surround-sound was pretty much figured out by then. We experimented with scent and that did not go well. Really most of the progress has been in processing, and you guys still have us beat on that!”
She picked up the viewing device. There were three kinds of stations with different sized helmets for each. The first she investigated were Dossur to Zurulian sized, but it only took a moment to find a Sivkit to Gojid size. “Looks like these could fit me. Can you two wait long enough to see if this works with humans?”
I flicked my ears in amusement and posed myself overdramatically. “I’m sure that I, your poor starving mate, can continue starving while you enjoy yourself.” I giggled while Alvi slapped me with her tail. “Go on, have fun! I’m also curious to see if the program would work with your eyes.”
With a look around to ensure no one was watching, Maeve switched her veil for the helmet, after only a few moments of effort. The collar thickness was adjustable to help the foam complete a clean seal against the jaw. I touched my pre-paid band to the tap pad, and the machine shifted colors to show it was occupied. The helmet was designed for snouted species, and so hung somewhat past Maeve’s chin, allowing us to see light reflected off her skin.
A screen beside her lit up with the mask, and we could see what she saw while she played. Alvi and I walked her through the tutorial and calibrator, and Maeve chose Jewels of the Federation at my suggestion; a simple walking simulator showcasing highlights of Federation homeworlds.
The simulator starts us in the same arcade, in the same booth! A well-groomed Venlil stands beside her and reminds Maeve of her private tour. Maeve ‘walks’ while still seated and lifts her virtual self from the digital booth, following the guide to a launch pad that didn’t previously exist. Alvi and I stopped in shock for a moment when a noticeably younger Captain Sovlin walked down the gangway of our destination shuttle; though judging by Maeve’s lack of reaction, she seemed not to recognize him; Alvi met my eye and pointedly flicked her ears. The simulated Gojid pilot wags their ears genially as they throw their arms wide in welcome.
“Good waking, citizen of the Federation! Star Tours has invited me to escort you on an introduction to the astounding marvels of our great peoples! Every species has made wondrous contributions to the enlightenment of the Federation, but the strayu is in the oven, so we’ll only get the time to visit your own Venlil Prime, The Cradle, and Nishtal today. Follow me and we can begin!”
Maeve followed Sovlin into the cockpit of the stylized shuttle and took the copilot seat; Maeve’s head was on a swivel and she took in everything around her. “Wow, this is so cool! Your whole helmet is a screen! Our VR is only in front of our eyes, tricking our brains into seeing three dimensionally.” Her voice echoed around the helmet, muffling her words before they could reach us..
The shuttle lifted gently and Maeve’s chair tilted back with it. Coming up, we could see that this arcade was in the Capitol, and they did a flying pass to show its glass spires and bustling spaceport. Sovlin spoke up beside Maeve, “The Venlil Homeworld is in a strategic position within the Federation, and you make your people proud by fulfilling your duty to the Herd; in spite of your weakness and timidity!!”
The shuttle started to pitch to the open center of the city, and a large park came into view. “But, as I-” Sovlin’s voice caught in his throat, before he cleared it and spoke with firm authority, “As we all know: Duty sometimes comes with Sacrifice. And we honor and remember that… sacrifice with the beautiful Cattle Memorial!”
The vines of Morning Light catch the sun, and I feel my ears fall as I remember my own family’s sacrifices. Alvi caught my distress, and curled her tail around me as the simulation continued, “Here we remember the lives lost from the ruthless barbarity of the Greys. We hope that this Shining Beacon may guide their bodies and souls back to the Herd.” The shuttle kept flying straight toward the ground, but the shuttle surroundings started to disappear as Sovlin and Maeve joined the mourners and wellwishers. The breeze played gently with unopened letters and fresh bouquets. Sovlin spoke softly, in respect for visitors, “It is open all claws, and many leave their remembrances. Make sure to show your support, next time you’re in the Capitol.”
After several moments of contemplative silence, the shuttle pulled up into the upper atmosphere, and Maeve’s seat began to shudder. I spoke up a little louder so she could hear me through the helmet, “Set your head back. The next part might make you a little queasy.”
Maeve did as bidden just before Sovlin hit the warp jump, and the screen was awash with a rainbow of colors streaking to the outer border.
We fall out of Warp just above The Cradle, its capital continent in view surrounded by great oceans, while other landmasses curve around the planet and out of sight. The camera quickly descends through the atmosphere and we pull into the great city of Vala’s Embrace, with its shining spires and sprawling seaports. We fly down through the airspace busy with cargo freighters and I see Maeve involuntary flinch after a close miss. “The Gojid are a proud and fierce people, but also industrious! Our Cradle and Colonies are a major food source for the rest of the Federation, in addition to the significant extractions performed by our colonies and outposts.”
The camera flies into the center of the city where stands a grand Cathedral to the Protector, Her robed form guiding believers to the grand entryway. “But my People are renowned for our stalwart loyalty to our faith and to the Federation. Our great houses of worship are monuments of our devotion to protecting the Herd from the Predator Menace!”
After a pass around the building highlighting its traditional stonework and heraldry, the camera joins the throng of worshippers, coming in low like a child beside their parent, and we see the full glory of The Church.
Our view pans up from the crowd to a ceiling decorated with murals of inlaid wood and metals. Vibrant colors, textures, and shining light tell the story of Vala driving out the Predators and forming the first Herd. Stained glass windows cover the congregation in pools of color almost as varied as the congregants themselves. A silver Gojid passes from behind us, towering tall with the kind eyes of one who knows their faith, and is safe in its love. They lay a paw on Maeve’s shoulder and guide her to a bench only a few rows from the front, with a seat on the aisle. The Priest stands before their podium and begins a sermon of service to the Herd, and one’s role within it.
The priest’s voice fades into the background as we fly backward out of an open window like a bird; words of Predators at our doorstep fading on the wind. We rise to re-exit the atmosphere, Maeve’s chair buzzing as the hyperdrive spins up.
We warp into a field of defensive space stations, glittering proudly in the Nishtalian Sun. Below, we see a planet with a great many islands, webbed with weaving waterways and small seas. Maeve pressed herself further into the seat as we entered their thicker atmosphere, the seat vibrations causing the helmet to rattle against it.
“And here we have the vibrant marshes of Nishtal!” We broke through the clouds to see massive arbors climbing back into them. We approached the Nishtal Capital sprawled across dozens of kilometers of archipelago, held above the water by meta-material supports.
“Nishtal is well known for its punishing environments, which helped to mold the Krakotl into Pan-Galactic Heroes! From Captain Kalsim, to Merchant Captain Malins, to Chief Exterminator Estela. Each renowned for holding the line against the predator taint, through fire or rail! And this is where their mettle was tested!”
The shuttle flies around a flat paved area, surrounded by landing pads as warships lift and land. In the center was a platoon of Krakotl performing training exercises. The shuttle again falls away as we start walking behind a Commander, Sovlin walking beside him as he speaks over his shoulder, “The Krakotl have been an instrumental force in maintaining our peaceful way of life. If you think you have what it takes, be sure to register for the JEOTC so you can help make the galaxy a better place!”
Sovlin met the eye of the Krakotl commander beside him, “Thank you for your service, Sir.”
We split off from the commander, and our walking transitioned back to our shuttle before firing off back into the sky.Through the vibrating chair, Maeve stuttered out, “M-M-Man Y-You-u-u Guys-z-z-z’re R-R-Real-l-ly into this-s-s W-W-War, huh??”
Suddenly the chair threw Maeve forward, almost unseating her as she suddenly fell out of warp, “We have Grey contacts! Time to turn tail and get out of here! I’ll stay on the guns and when I say Go, you push that throttle as hard as you can! OK…!” A Metallic handle started to glow in front of her, and Maeve reached out with her controller to grab it. It took her a moment, but Sovlin never gave the signal… Until she grabbed on. “GO!” Maeve rocked her body forward and slammed the throttle to its limiter, the seat beneath her rumbling with renewed vigor.
After only a moment, a Kolshian Capital Ship dropped from subspace in front of us and fired a volley of Everything in the direction behind us. Our ship slowed and Sovlin cheered from the pilot’s chair, “HaHa! The Vanguard has arrived! Thank you for your help gentlemen!”
A portrait feed popped up on and above the control panel, showing General Kalsim’s distinct banding on his beak. “This is General Kalsim, Commander of the Federation Vessel Inatala’s Will. Star tours, have you suffered any damage?” The portrait squawked as the General’s feathers puffed with pride.
“Negative General, thank you for the save!”
“Understood, let’s get you home, Star Tours.”
“We would be very grateful, General! Protector guides you.”
The chair beneath Maeve vibrates and tilts back as the hyper-drive charges up again, the screen flashing to show the sprawling oceans of Aafa, glittering brilliantly in the shining sun, dotted by its giant floating cities and lush tropical islands. A flock of broad chirping seabirds adorned with vibrant colors gliding on the calm ocean breeze flanking the shuttle. The capital of Aafa grew on the viewscreen, the sprawling Governance Center of the Federation dominating the city, swooping lines and a singular towering dome marked the chambers of the Federation senate.
“Isn’t that a beautiful view? This is what we fight for, this is the Cradle of the Federation, the very heart of our enlightened civilization. This is what we protect.”
The camera pans low, the shuttle falling away, sweeping along the streets of the capital.
The dome grew ever larger in the background until the camera began to soar over busy diplomats entering the senate floor, the camera like a very lost Flowerbird. Chief Nikonus was delivering an impassioned speech to the gathered representatives, declaring the grand aims and lofty goals of the Federation to spread peace and safety to all Prey peoples. The camera panned around the room, showing representatives listening to the speech with focused ears and attentive eyes, pausing on the Venlil Representative, swaying their tail in pride and determination. As the camera finished its rotation it exited through the rooms wide glass panes, rising up and over the city as the shuttle reformed once again, breaching through the atmosphere and up into the stars.
Maeve’s seat rumbled as the hyperdrive spooled again, the screen clearing to show the Capital of Venlil Prime once more, soaring down to the arcade the adventure had started in. Captain Sovlin’s voice echoed from the speakers.
“Thank you for joining me today on Star Tours! Be sure to visit your nearest Federation recruitment center today and do your part!”
With fading fanfare, the seat returned to a neutral position and Maeve took off her helmet to meet our eyes. “That… was definitely a thing. It had a lot of… uh… ho boy.”
“Yeah, uh.” I shifted my weight awkwardly, “Watching that as an adult is… Stars, I remember wanting so badly to sign up. But my mom stopped me.”
“I’ll have to thank her when we get home.” Alvi sighed with exaggerated relief.
“You and me, both.” Maeve said through a relieved chuckle, “You guys want a turn? I’d like to do something more chill; cleanse the palate.”
Alvi and I politely declined, before I offered, “Actually I wanted to show you something. I don’t know how you guys have fun, but Shipper is really good.”
I guided Maeve to the catalog and pointed out the correct one. As the game started up and Maeve got the ship moving, she snorted and muttered to herself, “Of course you have Trucking Simulator In Space. Why am I even surprised.”
---
Maeve was making great progress, and had made two deliveries before the low fuel warning began trilling at her.
“Nah, see, you gotta watch your fuel too! The more you haul the more fuel you use, and you still gotta make it to your drop-off.”
“Wow, you guys do not mess around with these work simulators. We actually had a whole era of these a wh- Hey!”The screen locked up, telling us our 30 minutes were up.
“W-What does it say?”
“It says it's time to stop and get some food!”
“Ahh, man I was just getting the hang of it.”
“And I would like to get a hang of some Mel Root wedges. Come on!” Alvi chimed with a playful whine.Maeve rolled out of the station, and after a moment for her legs to remember what walking was, donned her veil and we continued to the food court. Pushing the doors open we saw a veritable swarm of Venlil of all ages, though many of the younger were already sitting while their parents fetched their meal. A child near the door caught sight of us and squeaked in surprise, alerting their parents to our presence.
Conversation died like a wave across the open expanse. Maeve stood stock still, and so did we, trying very very hard to avoid a panic and stampede.
I spoke in barely a whisper, “Maeve?”
She returned my quietness, “Yes, Valek?”
“I don’t want to do this to you, but I think it is best if we find a seat first… Then Alvi or I can get the food.” My tail began to sway in slow caution while my ears kept on a swivel.
“Yeah. Yeah, I think you’re right. Can you see any open tables?”Alvi flicked her tail at the balcony, “I see stairs there, and the balcony looks pretty clear.”
Maeve started to nod reflexively before catching herself, then back to keeping her head low and unfocused.
Alvi and I guided her gently around the outer perimeter of the court, slowly working our way to the stairwell while all eyes and ears were locked on us the whole journey. We stepped up the stairs and conversation slowly built up again, though not to the same exuberancy as before. We found our seat just outside the stairwell on the 2nd floor. We tried to avoid scaring what few families remained on the balcony, but despite our efforts, those few almost immediately grabbed their belongings and moved. It was almost comical how little they tried to hide it. Yet also surprising in that there hadn’t been any screams or stampeding. It left a strange feeling in the air. One that felt somehow both better and worse than if they had screamed.
This tension was not lost on Maeve, as she muttered to herself, “Plague bearer, or horrific monster. Decisions, decisions.”
I took her hand in my paw in a feeble attempt to offer what comfort I could. Alvi was the first to speak, “Well, Valek you got the Gravity room and Visor game, so I’ll handle food. Anything the two of you desperately want?”
We gave her our orders and she stepped down the stairs, leaving Maeve and I alone on the balcony.
I hoped to loosen the tangle of this horrid tension. “Sooo…. Biblical?”
As I had hoped, the sudden change snapped Maeve out of her stormcloud and laughter bubbled from her like the Sun! “UUh… That’s uh. Complicated. There’s a good thousand years of linguistic context that makes that word mean what it meant the way I used it. The Bible is a book of faith for a significant portion of people on earth. Not all, and not even a majority; hell, even that is fragmented because no one can agree on what it really means. This Bible teaches a great many things, some good some bad, but one of its teachings is how to… legitimize relationships. Get married, basically.”
Maeve leaned closer to me on the off chance the balcony was less empty than we believed, “And one of the more serious ways to officiate these pairings was with sex; or ‘mating’. As this faith quickly became one of the more influential faiths on our planet, most of humanity learned and still has complicated feelings about sex and intimacy. So, we talk around it. ‘Sleeping together’ ‘Do the nasty’ ‘The beast with two backs’ and more to the point: ‘To know someone biblically’.”
“So when you said…”“I was saying I had sex with one of you, yes.”
I focused my ears in feigned shock, while my tail swished with mischief, “I was that one, right?”
Maeve lightly shoved my shoulder while she straightened to her normal posture, but I stayed low. “Hey,” I whispered, nodding my head for Maeve to come closer, and she did so. I reached my paws up to her white veil, and brought it up and over her face, revealing her brightly blooming face which my lips eagerly met. Pulling away, I asked, “Perhaps once we get back to the hotel, we could… know each other biblically?”
She pulled my face back to hers, returning my affections with equal vigor, “Only if we can get Alvi out of the room. I want you all to myself.”
Alvi. Right. She’s… she’s here. Staying with us. And we would be… kicking her out. The one she admitted feeling for would be kicking her out to mate with someone else. But she understands! Right?
“Oh, looks like Alvi got us some food!”
My ears snapped behind me as Maeve looked over my shoulder.
---
Memory transcription subject: Alvi, Venlil tourist
Date [standardized human time]: Sept 11th, 2136. Middle of 3rd Claw
I stepped lightly up the stairs while balancing the trays within my arms. There were so many options! Cresting the top of the stairs, Valek stood to assist. While I covered the menu.“Ok we got all of our favorite fruit, I know how much you love starberries, Maeve.” Who smiled broadly under her now-open veil. “I was able to get us some Sunbreeze, but most of the food stands had long waits and I was hungry, so I just got a plate of fried veg and called it good. This one is the fried Deeproot, and powdered lakeseed dough balls, and some mel root wedges. The arcade’s mel root is a little heavy on the firefruit.”
“Thank you, Alvi!” Maeve picked up one of the larger wedges and broke it in half with me. We lifted our pieces in celebration and bit down at the same time. Immediately my mouth was alight with bright heat and my lips stung blissfully, but after only a moment the sweet and full flavor of the mel root complimented perfectly with the cleansing fire.
Maeve beside me scrunched her face and gasped, “Whoo!” She hooted, “That is spicy! Mm! That potato is really good though. What do you call this?”
I wagged my tail, happy to see that she appreciated the- wait. “Potato? That’s Mel Root. What’s a Potato?”
Maeve licked her fingers before taking another wedge, “It’s a root tuber; a staple food from earth. Mel root, or, well, cooked mel root, has a really similar consistency to potato! Makes sense since they’re both roots.” She took a bite of her wedge and immediately made that same face, “Ooo that was a mistake, I should have finished talking.” a few quick breaths through her mouth before she continued, “Your mel root is denser, closer to a carrot, but still really starchy. The fry really brings out a lot of sweetness; I’ll admit, it goes really well with the firefruit. Good choice Alvi!”
The praise set my tail to wagging as I bit into my food. So spicy! So good! I am so glad we came to this food court!
Speaking of, “I haven’t seen Tarlim or his human. I hope they haven’t changed their minds on meeting here.” I spoke through a masticated root.
“Wouldn’t blame them if they did,” Valek grumbled, tail curling between his legs, “I was just like everyone who’s been running from us…” He trailed off sinking into his chair.
“You could have handled it better, but so could he.” I sighed, remembering that chair. “From what I’ve heard of those places though, I can’t say I blame him.”
Maeve set down a piece of deeproot and looked at Valek. “What are those places? You guys got really scared when he said he got out of one.”
Valek was the first to speak, “They are places where we put people who are a danger to themselves or the Herd; people with Predator Disease.”
My fur flared at the mention of my almost-diagnosis. Maeve noticed and flattened the fur along my spine, “You’re not a predator Alvi. There is nothing wrong with you.”
She says while you continue stuffing your face like a hun--SHUT UP!! I AM NOT!! I AM LOVED!! I AM IN A HERD! THAT KNOWS AND STAYS! SHUT UP!
Maeve watched Valek while she continued to comfort me “And… how does one get predator disease?”
Valek continued his lesson, while I tried desperately to slow my spinning mind.
“Well… the federation tells us it can be spread by ‘predator taint’, or spending too much time around or with predators. I’m… I’m not sure I believe that. But we know it can be inherent. Sometimes symptoms begin as early as an infant. As well, it can appear randomly or be carried within family lines.”“And how does one get diagnosed?”
I thought about when my teacher first called the Exterminators. I remembered the Exterminators coming to my foster family. They talked them down, but it wasn’t long after that that they ‘couldn't take care of me’.
My voice left my mouth unbidden, “Well those born with it… they tend to get diagnosed early, but sometimes Predator Disease can come out later in life. If someone is reported for Predator Behavior, they have a chance to argue their case to the exterminator on duty. If the exterminator confirms the case, they are taken in to be diagnosed. And if it’s a yes, they are taken to a Correctional Facility to be taught how to be in a herd.”
Valek tapped his claws against the table as his tail shook with desperate hope. “See? There’s several checks on the way to a diagnosis. The system is designed to avoid false positives. If Tarlim was diagnosed, I am sure it was with good cause.”
Maeve shook her head, “I’m not so sure. By my count, there were only two people in that chain, three if you count the person reporting it, and at best only one of them was a medical professional, unless I’m misunderstanding the concept of exterminators. Setting that aside, I think I’m missing something. What is Predator Disease?”
“It’s when someone is a Predator in the body of a Prey. We can see them when they don’t work within a herd, or they don't understand our tail signals. These people are a danger to the herd, both passively and, if left unchecked, directly, so we try to teach them how to be Prey.” Valek looked desperately at Maeve after spouting the information, almost as if by rote. Like he was quoting an exterminator textbook.
“Wait, wait… so it’s a behavioral disease? They can’t grasp body language, or other people’s feelings?” Maeve was appearing more confused, more… afraid. Was predator disease so terrible among humans? Then why would she want me around?
Because she doesn’t know, stupid! But she's about to! They never stick around once they find out!
Valek was adamant. Maeve needed to know this, I know she did. “It’s not just that, they can’t even get themselves to be part of a herd! They always sit or move with nobody around them!” but once she did…
“Well then. What would that make me?”
My eyes froze in their sockets and my legs refused to flee.
The Night called us.
First -- Previous -- Next

We often hear the question: "Is Player X good enough to be the best player on a championship team?"
Less often, you hear: "Is Player Y good enough to be the second best player on a championship team?"
It's time to give these second bananas their due. We're going through the 2000s and ranking each SECOND best player on the title teams. Their values vary -- some were merely good starters, some were All-Stars, and some were arguably top 5 players in the entire league.
Ranking them isn't easy, but we're going to keep a few caveats in mind.
--- We're ranking based on the second banana's play during the course of THAT SEASON -- not their careers overall.
--- Statistics will be important, but not the be-all and end-all. After all, there's a big difference between stats from 2003 and stats from 2023. As a result, we may often defer to season accolades like "All-Star" or "All-NBA."
With all that said, here are my rankings, but feel free to disagree and explain your own ranks below.

THE BEST (title-winning) SECOND BANANAS of the 2000s

(23) Tyson Chandler, 2011 Dallas Mavericks
The 2010-11 Dallas Mavericks were probably the most unlikely champion of the 2000s, with Dirk Nowitzki and a cast of older veterans who were seemingly on the decline. At the time, Jason Kidd was 37, Caron Butler was 30, Shawn Marion was 32, and Peja Stojakovic was 33.
You can make the case for Jason Terry to be the second banana here. Terry averaged 15.8 points off the bench for the Mavs that year, which is more impressive when you consider the context. (teams averaged 99.6 PPG then, 114.7 PPG now). Terry also pumped his numbers up to 18.0 PPG in their stunning upset over Miami in the Finals.
Still, we'll give the slight nod to Tyson Chandler as the teams' second most impactful player overall. Chandler finished 2nd team All-Defense and his strong playoff showing helped spearhead his DPOY campaign the following season (for the Knicks). Either way -- whether you give the nod to Chandler, Terry, or Kidd -- this would rank at the bottom of our list. None of those players was flirting with All-Star status.
(22) Tony Parker, 2003 San Antonio Spurs
The Parisian Torpedo will be a frequent contributor to this list -- logging a record-setting 3 "second banana" awards for his contributions to the Spurs' incredible run.
Naturally, his first would be his least impactful. Back in 2002-03, Tony Parker was still only 20 years old and in his second season in the league. Still, he was probably their second best player after a prime Tim Duncan. He averaged 15.5 points and 5.3 assists (solid numbers for the era) and held his own against Jason Kidd in the Finals. Parker wouldn't be considered a star yet though -- his first All-Star appearance came three years later.
(21) Andrew Wiggins, 2022 Golden State Warriors
Golden State's title last year was their biggest surprise run, fueled by Steph Curry and a solid-but-unspectacular supporting cast. Among them, you could debate the virtues and flaws of the second bananas -- Draymond Green struggled offensively, Jordan Poole struggled defensively, Klay Thompson missed significant time coming back from injury.
Of that group, I'd suggest Andrew Wiggins was their most well-rounded and consistent second banana. He averaged 17.2 PPG and even made the All-Star team. Better yet, he became a "winning player." He scored more efficiently (39.3% from 3) and played better defense -- particularly in the Finals. That said, Wiggins was probably on the level of a "good starter" more than a typical All-Star. For that reason, we'll rank him below a few others who didn't make the All-Star team.
(20) Tony Parker, 2005 San Antonio Spurs
Tony Parker re-emerges on our list and climbs even higher now in his age-22 season. He still didn't make the All-Star team, but he upped his numbers to 16.6 points and 6.1 assists per game. Again, we have to remember that these averages look better when you factor in the points "inflation" of today. Overall, we'll give him a slight edge over rising Manu Ginobili (who averaged 16.0 PPG off the bench that year), although it's debatable. Of the two, Ginobili played better in the Finals against Detroit. Still, whether it's Parker or Ginobili, the second banana would rank around this same range.
(19) Kyle Lowry, 2019 Toronto Raptors
The Toronto Raptors finally broke through when they rented mercenary Kawhi Leonard for the year, but Leonard was backed up by a very strong supporting cast overall.
Among them, we're giving a slight nod to the old dog Kyle Lowry (then 32) over the rising star Pascal Siakam. Lowry felt like more of the heartbeat to the team. The numbers don't jump off the page (14.2 PPG), but he was a strong two-way player who averaged 8.7 assists and 1.4 steals per game.
(18) Khris Middleton, 2021 Milwaukee Bucks
We have another second banana debate here, although we're leaning to Khris Middleton over Jrue Holiday. It's easy for our memory to get foggy now that Middleton has struggled post injury, but he was a very good starter before that. He averaged 20.4 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per game (not far behind Jrue Holiday's 6.1).
While the 29-year-old Middleton didn't make the All-Star team this season, he was an All-Star caliber player; in fact, he made the team both the prior year and the year after.
(17) Chauncey Billups, 2004 Detroit Pistons
We're giving the primary "star" designation to Ben Wallace here. While "Big Ben" only averaged 9.5 PPG, his defense was the Pistons' biggest differentiator. In 2003-04, Wallace won Defensive Player of the Year and even finished 7th in MVP voting.
Among the other starters, we're giving the nod to Chauncey Billups over Rip Hamilton and Rasheed Wallace. Hamilton had the slight edge in scoring (17.6 PPG to 16.9 PPG), but Billups led the team with 5.7 assists per game and tended to be their go-to guy offensively when need be. Sure enough, "Mr. Big Shot" would go on to win Finals MVP.
(16) Tony Parker, 2007 San Antonio Spurs
As Tim Duncan aged, Tony Parker got better and better. His best second banana season would come in 2006-07. Now age 24, Parker averaged 18.6 points and 5.5 assists per game and made the All-Star team. He shot less threes and relied more on his ability to drive and convert in the paint. He shot 52.0% from the field overall.
In the Finals, the Cleveland Cavaliers had no answer for Parker's scoring. He whipped them to the tune of 24.5 points per game (shooting 56.8% from the field in the process). Parker would win Finals MVP for his part in the sweep.
(15) Kawhi Leonard, 2014 San Antonio Spurs
For their last title, the San Antonio Spurs were more the sum of their parts than any one true star. Tim Duncan was 37, Manu Ginobili was 36. Tony Parker had probably graduated from second banana to their marquee player -- he was their leading scorer and lone All-Star that season.
After him, we'll call Kawhi Leonard their next best player. While Leonard wasn't a big name or big scorer yet (averaging 12.8 PPG), he still had a massive impact on winning. He was an efficient offensive player (shooting 52.2% from the field) and an excellent defender. The raw stats suggest that Leonard should be lower than this, but the advanced stats suggest he was already an elite player. Overall, his BPM of +5.0 led the team. We'll make the playoffs the tiebreaker, where Leonard stepped up his scoring and won Finals MVP. If you want to consider him the team's best player this year (which feels like a bit of revisionist history), Parker would rank around this same range.
(14) Kyrie Irving, 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers
Young Kyrie Irving (then 23) also gets a boost for his excellent playoff performance. In the Finals, Irving exploded for 27.1 points per game and helped the Cavs defeat the 73-win Golden State Warriors.
If you look at his 2015-16 as a whole, it gets harder to rank Irving much higher than this. He didn't play that great in the regular season; in fact, it may have been the worst of his career. He only played 53 games, only shot 32.1% from 3 (a career low), and only averaged 4.7 assists (also a career low). He also missed the All-Star game. In terms of peak performance, Irving was an excellent second banana (particularly for LeBron James), but if we gauge this exercise season-by-season he'd rank around middle of the pack.
(13) Pau Gasol, 2009 Los Angeles Lakers
Kobe Bryant rightfully gets the lion's share of credit for the Lakers' repeat from 2009-10, but history may forget how good Pau Gasol was when he arrived from Memphis to help out the cause.
Right in the thick of his prime at age 28, Gasol averaged 18.9 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 3.5 assists. His size, skill, and basketball IQ made him the perfect mind meld with Bryant. All in all, Gasol made the All-Star team and even cracked 3rd team All-NBA. He's the first "All-NBA" sidekick we've registered so far, which explains his lofty ranking.
(12) Pau Gasol, 2010 Los Angeles Lakers
The following year, Pau Gasol was arguably even better. He started to control the paint even more, registering 11.3 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game. Once again, he made the All-Star team and 3rd team All-NBA. Between Gasol, Andrew Bynum, and Lamar Odom off the bench -- this Lakers unit may have had the best frontcourt depth in the 2000s.
(11) Shaquille O'Neal, 2006 Miami Heat
When Shaquille O'Neal first arrived from L.A., he immediately assumed the mantle of the star of the Miami Heat. That first year, he even finished 2nd in MVP voting.
However, by the next year (2005-06), Dwyane Wade had usurped that mantle. Now 33, O'Neal shifted into more of a supporting role. He still had a major impact -- averaging 20.0 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks -- but became more of a second option as Wade tore up the playoffs. He appeared to slow down as the season wore on -- averaging just 13.7 PPG in the Finals.
Still, O'Neal's accolades this season rank highly -- he was an All-Star and 1st team All-NBA performer. For that reason, we're going to put him above some of the 3rd team All-NBA sidekicks. Still, you can argue against that as O'Neal was more on the level of a Pau Gasol than a true superstar at this point.
(10) Klay Thompson, 2015 Golden State Warriors
When we think about "sidekicks," you immediately think of someone with the skill set of Klay Thompson (then age 24). He took "3 and D" to the extreme -- nailing 43.9% from deep and contributing 1.9 "stocks" on the other end (1.1 steals, 0.8 blocks).
Like Pau Gasol, Klay Thompson made the All-Star and made 3rd team All-NBA that season. In fact, he even made an appearance on an MVP ballot and finished 10th overall in the voting. For a clear "sidekick," that's an impressive feat.
(9) Paul Pierce, 2008 Boston Celtics
Back in 2007-08, Danny Ainge wasn't cobbling together a team of a star + supporting sidekicks -- he was combining three stars who had gotten used to being "the man" in their previous stops. New arrival Kevin Garnett assumed the role as the alpha dog -- averaging 18.8 PPG, playing excellent defense, and finishing third in MVP voting.
Meanwhile, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen played the role of overqualified "Robins." Pierce averaged 19.6 points to lead the team, shooting 39.2% from three. Like our previous second bananas, he made the All-Star team and the 3rd team All-NBA. You also got the sense there was more in the tank when need be, as illustrated by his averaging 21.8 points and 6.3 assists in the Finals en route to Finals MVP.
(8) Dwyane Wade, 2013 Miami Heat
As we jump back and forth through time like a Chris Nolan movie, it may be hard to keep track of the ups and downs of these superstars. For this spot, we're talking about the Dwyane Wade of the "Heatles" days. In 2013, Wade was 31 years old, maybe a step past his prime, and a clear second banana to LeBron James.
Still, even in that role, Wade had a massive impact. In the regular season, he averaged 21.2 points, 5.1 assists, 1.9 steals, and 0.8 blocks. While he may have to take a backseat to LeBron James offensively, he utilized his athleticism to be a wrecking ball on the defensive end. Overall, he finished as an All-Star, 3rd team All-NBA, and even landed in 10th place in MVP voting.
(7) Kobe Bryant, 2000 Los Angeles Lakers
Again, let's pay attention to the timeline here. In the first three-peat of the Shaq and Kobe days, Kobe Bryant was only 21 years old and not at the peak of his powers. Make no mistake -- this was the Shaq Show early on. In the Finals, O'Neal averaged 38.0 points and 16.7 rebounds (more boards than Bryant had points with 15.6 PPG).
Despite that, Bryant was clearly a star player in his own right. He averaged numbers similar to 2013 Wade -- 22.5 points and 1.6 steals per game. He made the All-Star game, 1st team All-Defense, and 2nd team All-NBA, accolades that put him in this lofty spot on our rankings.
(6) Dwyane Wade, 2012 Miami Heat
We're toggling back to Dwyane Wade now -- in the year prior to our 8th place spot. In the Heatles' first title (and Wade's second overall), he was still 30 years old and arguably still in his prime. He averaged 22.1 points, 4.6 assists, and even better defensive numbers -- 1.7 steals and 1.3 blocks per game.
For his efforts, he was named to the All-Star team and to the 3rd team All-NBA. He also cracked the MVP voting again, finishing in 10th place once more. We're going to give him a slight edge on Kobe's first title year, but the two would be razor tight; they were both clearly top 10 players in the league at the time.
(5) Anthony Davis, 2020 Los Angeles Lakers
Say what you want about the COVID year, the bubble, and the "Mickey Mouse" championship, but Anthony Davis was a friggin' beast back in 2019-20. He averaged 26.1 points per game, keyed by his ability to get to the line and convert (84.6% shooting on 8.5 FTA per game). He caught fire in the playoffs, averaging a team-high 27.7 PPG with a 66.5% true shooting percentage.
Davis's defensive impact is what sets him apart from most other second bananas. He averaged 1.5 steals and 2.3 blocks per game, earning 1st team All-Defense and nearly winning DPOY. Overall, he made the All-Star team, 1st team All-NBA, and finished 6th in MVP voting. In terms of season accolades, that would be the best on our list so far.
(4) Kobe Bryant, 2001 Los Angeles Lakers
If 1999-2000 Kobe Bryant was still developing, he looked like a finished product by 2000-01. Now age 22, he was a dominant player on both ends. He averaged 28.5 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 5.0 assists, and made 2nd team All-Defense. Overall, this version of Bryant finished 2nd team All-NBA and finished 9th in MVP voting. That ranking would have probably been even higher had he not missed some time in the regular season (only 68 games played).
Looking back, you could see where some of the tension between Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal may have stemmed from. After all, it's not easy for a kid who put up 29-7-6 in the playoffs to accept being second banana forever.
(3) Kobe Bryant, 2002 Los Angeles Lakers
In the final year of the Lakers' three-peat, the 23-year-old Kobe Bryant had not only established himself as a superstar, but as one of the best players in the entire league. The numbers don't jump off the page -- 25.2 points, 5.5 rebounds, 5.5 assists -- but we have to adjust for the era and the role he played.
The league clearly knew his value. He made the All-Star team, 2nd team All-Defense, 1st team All-NBA, and finished 5th in MVP voting (two spots behind Shaquille O'Neal). He'd jump even higher the next year, overtaking O'Neal as the leading scorer (30.0 PPG) and the leading MVP candidate (3rd overall).
(2) Steph Curry, 2018 Golden State Warriors
Finally, we answered the question that had stumped basketball analysts for years: what would happen if you added a superstar to a team that won 73 games the year prior? Turns out, they'd be pretty good.
For our exercise, the bigger challenge is determining who the "second banana" would be between two recent MVPs Steph Curry and Kevin Durant. I'm going to split the difference and say it was Curry's team the first year (when KD coincidentally missed 20 games) and then got handed over to Durant the following year (when Curry missed 30 games).
Through that lens, we're going to study Curry in that second season. Still only 29, Curry was still squarely in his prime. He averaged 26.4 PPG on a sparkling 67.5% true shooting percentage. Even though he missed 31 regular season games, he still finished 3rd team All-NBA and 10th in MVP voting. You could even argue that he was the most impactful player in the NBA at the time. After all, he had won back-to-back MVPs a few seasons prior.
(1) Kevin Durant, 2017 Golden State Warriors
If we're calling Kevin Durant the "second banana" for the first year in Golden State, he'd rank as the best two-way sidekick in the 2000s. Remember, we're not debating "Kobe vs. Durant" in terms of career achievement here; we're ranking their single-season efforts in a supporting role. Unlike some of our other stars (like a young Kobe), Durant was squarely in his prime at age 28.
In the regular season, he averaged 25.1 PPG on stone-cold efficiency (65% true shooting). Also, outside of Oklahoma City's super-sized lineup, he showcased his ability to protect the rim as well -- blocking 1.6 shots per game. Despite missing 20 games in the regular season, he still finished 2nd team All-NBA.
More than that, Durant demonstrated his true upside in the playoffs and Finals. Matched up with LeBron James and a historically-underrated Cavs team, Durant averaged 35.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 1.0 steals, and 1.6 blocks on godly shooting splits of 56-47-93 (a 69.8% true shooting). Durant was arguably the best player in the NBA that year -- and would be top 3 at minimum. For that reason, he ranks at our top spot.
follow up: where would Jamal Murray or Bam Adebayo rank?
This year's Finals may not be Adam Silver's dream, but it's a great one for this exercise. We rarely see a clearer "second banana" in the hierarchy like Jamal Murray for Denver or Bam Adebayo for Miami.
Ranking them among the second bananas would be a more difficult task. Coming back from injury, Murray didn't have a great regular season. He's still never made the All-Star team. Still, his ability to raise his game in the playoffs and make tough shots does feel reminiscent of young Kyrie Irving during that Cavs title run.
Alternatively, Adebayo has a great case as a two-way stud. He's not the type of "back you down" big that some people want him to be, but he can still score in the mid-range, he's an underrated passer, and he's obviously an exceptional and switchable defender. He made the All-Star team and second team All-Defense this year. Among our second bananas, he reminds me most of Pau Gasol during the Lakers run.

Adam hangs out with Dr. Drew Pinsky in Drew’s New York City apartment as they continue their discussion about the difference between men and women when it comes to being annoyed. They discuss a new study on Covid age stratification and people not asking questions about natural immunity. Next, Drew gives insight into the comments A.J. Benza made to him where he claimed the vaccine caused Jamie Foxx’s blood clot. Finally, Adam explains why you should always look at people who work in insurance to figure out the truth about what people should be worried about and why he wants to get a bench dedicated to him before he dies.
This is one of those fake show summaries, right?

I've seen some pretty wild sauna builds since joining this sub and I thought instead of commenting on every post it might be beneficial to make an actual post for more people to find. These basic tips and design principles apply for a Nordic style sauna with a rock covered electric or wood heated stove where you throw water on the stones. If you're building something else or disagree then go for it. I'm an architect and not a builder so these basics are theoretical and someone with more hands on experience can comment with more information.

1. Dimensioning Most stove types heat the room only above the level of the stones so your legs should be above that level when you sit in the sauna. The steps should can be 300mm but not much more. The space above your head shouldn't be too much because then you're heating an empty part of the room. The steam will gather to the highest part of the room so it's worth noting that the experience might change depending on where you sit. Pictured are some examples of layouts.
   
2. Moisture Throwing water on the stones is an essential part of the sauna experience and releases steam which makes the heat feel more relaxing. (If you build a "dry" sauna it's like having a car but not filling it with fuel) This means water will be released into the room as steam and there will be splashing. So a drain is needed in the sauna room. Alternatively a small sauna can have a sloped floor to drain the water to the next room that has a drain. The door to the sauna room doesn't need to go all the way to the floor. Note the slipperyness of the floor material here. The steam will condense and end up on the floor too.
   
3. Ventilation A sauna needs ventilation to let it dry and to keep the air fresh so its more relaxing to bathe. Pictured is a theoretical example of vent placement.
   
4. Cleaning Sitting on the benches and sweating will cause grime of all sorts to accumulate on the floor and under the benches. It's a good idea to make the benches so you can lift them up for cleaning them and the floor. This is also where the drain is useful so you can scrub the sauna and just hose it down.
   
5. Materials The benches are the most critical part since they are touching your naked butt and back and feet. This should be a wood type that doesn't splinter easily and doesn't have resin. The resin will run over time in the heat and will be sticky and unpelasant. The walls are fine to make from wood with resin but then you might want to add a back rest from similar wood than what the bench is made of. In my country the benches are. 95% of the time made of alder. Repurposing wood is awesome but I wouldn't use any wood with any paint or other chemicals left over since they might release some chemicals into the sauna due to the heat.
   
6. Safety It's a good idea to add wood railings in front of the stove and near the steps to the benches. Climbing up to the bench isn't always that easy because you might have had a few beers. Its also nice to rest your feet on the railing. Having a glass door or a window is a good idea because if the lights go out for some reason you'll have more light to help you not fall onto the stove while getting out. Different stoves have a certain safe distance you can have the benches from them. Also a metal shield can be added around the stove.
   
7. Structure. A normal design is to have an empty ventilation space above the sauna. This space is ventilated to the adjacent room. This allows the sauna to dry completely with the moisture going upwards.
   
8. Electrics Remember to get heat resistant lights for the sauna. It's also a normal solution to have the light quite low where it's not that hot. If you make a wood "shade" box with slats on it for the light, you get a good dim light for bathing and you can remove the shade when you need more light for cleaning.
   

Yes no build is the same but these are some basics taught in architecture school. Good luck with your builds and have fun.

"Box Score updated on 6/1/2023 at 18:39 EDT

Baldur's Gate Beholders 3 - 0 Ursa Major Grizzlies

TEAM	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H
BBEG	0	3					3	2
GRZ	0						0	0

 

Scoring Plays

Team	Inning	Play	Score
BBEG	T2	3-0	Trog Smash HR. Bace Ventura scores from third.War Hamster scores from first.

 

Box

#	Beholders	Pos	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	BA	#	Grizzlies	Pos	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	BA
1	Calvin Huff	RF	1	0	0	0	0	0	.000	1	Basebally McBaseballface Jr.	RF	1	0	0	0	0	0	.000
2	Juan Sexton	1B	1	0	0	0	0	1	.000	2	Johnny Drama	2B	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
3	Cormac Goldhammer	DH	1	0	0	0	0	0	.000	2	Dropov Andpicov	2B	1	0	0	0	0	0	.000
4	Ecliptic Astrum	C	1	0	0	0	0	0	.000	3	Joe Yoshi	DH	1	0	0	0	0	1	.000
5	Leonidas States	SS	0	0	0	0	1	0	.000	4	Due Up: Kalin Young	SS	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
6	Bace Ventura	CF	1	1	0	0	0	0	.000	5	Salvatore De Luca	C	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
7	War Hamster	2B	1	1	1	0	0	0	1.000	6	Meat Wad	CF	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
8	Trog Smash	3B	1	1	1	3	0	0	1.000	7	Micah Burgundy	3B	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
9	At Bat: Maud Nelson	LF	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000	8	Francis Swagger	LF	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
										9	Yoel Roshi	1B	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000

 

Game Notes

HR: Trog Smash
 

Pitchers

Beholders	IP	H	ER	BB	SO	6	Grizzlies	IP	H	ER	BB	SO	6
Daz Reference	1.0	0	0	0	1	0.00	Adam Croft	1.2	2	3	1	1	10.80

 

Bench

Beholders	POS	HAND	Grizzlies	POS	HAND
Release T. Kraken	1B, UTIL	R	Narancia Ghirga	C, CINF	L
Chakra Pilates	3B, UTIL	L	Ryan Tyburn	LF	R
Mad Monty	P	L	Jamal Fyre	P	R
Sheridan Blackstone	P	R	Jason Redd	P	R
Bast Fidgewidget	RF	R	Tony Smehrik	P	L
Pel OQuinn	RF	R

 

Inning Summary

TOP 1	TOP 2
Huff - GO	Astrum - GO
Sexton - K	States - BB
Goldhammer - GO	Ventura - FC
	Hamster - 1BWH
	Smash - HR

BOT 1	BOT 2
McBaseballface Jr. - GO
Andpicov - FO
Yoshi - K

  "

Hi, just got the game on Gamepass and started playing actual games this week after doing only the app until January to build up coins.
Here's my squad, why doesn't this count toward the objective? I finished one of the two games I played so that's not the issue. (Irregular card types in bold)
Starters:

• [TOTS] Stephy Mavididi - Montpelier
• [Heroes] Sidney Govou - hero (LOAN)
• [IF] Jonathan David - Lille
• [TOTS] Remy Cabella - Lille
• [TOTS] Moussa Sissoko - Nantes
• [TOTS] Benjamin Andre - Lille
• [IF] Nicolas Tagliafico - OL
• [Rare] Presnel Kimpembe - PSG
• [Rare] Sergio Ramos - PSG
• [TOTS] Hamari Traore - Rennais
• [TOTS] Brice Samba - Lens

Bench:

• [OTW] Corentin Tolisso - OL (LOAN)
• [Wildcards] Ismaily - Lille
• [Wildcards] Lacazette - OL (LOAN)
• [TOTS] Facundo Medina - Lens (LOAN)
• [Rare] Dimitri Payet - OM
• [Rare] Gaetan Laborde - Nice
• [Rare] Achraf Hakimi - PSG

Reserves:

• [IF] Kasper Schmeichel - Nice
• [Rare] Junya Ito - Reims
• [Common] Adam Buska - Lens
• [Common] Benjamin Bourigeaud - Rennais
• [Rare] Amine Gouiri - Rennais

Full dislcaimer below. TL;DR: We're not Bethesda staff, this is an automated post.

Filthy Casual Links

• Discord
• Seasonal Even-Pace App
• Where Is Minerva

From Bethesda.net

Read on to catch a preview of the latest and greatest items and offers that are currently available in the Atomic Shop, including this week's free items.

Free Items

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Tired of people raiding your CAMP? Give yourself a brake and grab this Gutted Car Gate, available for all Fallout 1st Members until June 6.
Channel your inner metal with the Chain License Plate Photomode Frame. Get it free until June 6.

Item	Available Until
Gutted Car Gate (Fallout 1st)	June 6
Chain License Plate Photomode Frame	June 6

Visit the Atomic Shop on these days to claim a different reward, like consumables, in-game currencies, and more. Each of the items below is available until 12:00 p.m. ET the following day.

Item	Available on
Free Scout's Banner	May 30
Caps x250	May 31
Repair Kit	June 1
Scout's Banner	June 2
Legendary Scrip x50	June 3
Lunchbox	June 4
Repair Kit	June 5

Limited Time Offers

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With the Drive-in Dolly Bundle, you can create the ultimate diner experience! Available for a limited time.

Item	Atom price
Drive-in Dolly Bundle	1400
Mistress of Mystery Bundle	1800
Drive-In Dolly Outfit	700
Neon Sign - Nuka Quantum	300
Hot Rod Power Armor Bench Model	700
Sugar Bombs Pip-Boy Paint	600
Tire Toilet Outhouse	300
Unstoppables! Bed	300
The Unstoppables Stash	500

The Drive-in Dolly Bundle includes: * Drive-In Dolly Outfit * Neon Sign - Nuka Quantum * Hot Rod Power Armor Station * Wave Pose * So Hungry Emote * Sugar Bombs Pip-Boy Paint * Tire Toilet Outhouse * Corvega Diner Seat * Hot rod on blocks
The Mistress of Mystery Bundle includes: * Mistress of Mystery PA Paint Set * Mistress of Mystery Sidekick Costume and Underarmor * Mistress of Mystery Sidekick Mask * Mistress of Mystery Player Icon * Unstoppables! Bed * The Unstoppables Stash

Last Week

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Some of last week's items are still available for a limited time.

Item	Atom Price
Bowling Team Bundle	1200
Bad Idea Bundle	1200
Doll Set Bundle	600
Bowling Ball Loot Bag	500
Big Fill & Bigger Fill Ceiling Light	350
Antique Gas Pump Brewing Workbench	500
Flame-ingo Paint (Flamer)	500
Daredevil Bodysuit w/ Helmet	800
Annebelle Porcelain Doll	250

The Bowling Team Bundle includes: * Bowling Ball Rack Display Case with 5 Balls * Black Alley Cats Bowling Ball * Vault 76 Blue Bowling Ball * Gold Hornwright Bowling Ball * Red Atom Bomb Bowling Ball * Resin Vault Boy Bowling Ball * Alley Cats Bowling team outfit * Big Fill Lights * Bowling Ball Loot Bag
The Bad Idea Bundle includes: * Antique Gas Pump Brewing Workbench * Flame-ingo Weapon Skin * Nuclear Glare Pose * Daredevil Bodysuit w/ Helmet
The Doll Set Bundle includes: * Annabelle Porcelain Doll * Porcelain Doll * Heirloom Blue Porcelain Doll

Greatest Hits

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Some of our favorite items have returned to the shop for a limited time. Each item listed below is available until 12:00 p.m. ET on June 6.

Item	Atom Price
Clean Bathroom Bundle	1800 1440 (20% off!)
Red Rocket Garage Bundle	1200 960 (20% off!)
West Virginia Outfit Bundle	1000 800 (20% off!)
Plague Rider Power Armor Skin	1400 1120 (20% off!)
Poodle Skirt and Blouse	700 560 (20% off!)
Brotherhood of Steel Armory	700 560 (20% off!)
Sports Nostalgia Wallpaper	500 400 (20% off!)
Sitting Pose	150 120 (20% off!)
Free States Salute	200 160 (20% off!)

Headed for the Vault

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Some existing items are heading out of the Atomic Shop and into the Vault this week. Be sure to pick up anything that catches your eye, because these items will only be available until 12:00 p.m. ET on June 6.

Item	Atom Price
New Home Mega-Bundle	2500 1750 (30% off!)
Destroyed Camp Bundle	1800 1260 (30% off!)
Shadow Prime PA Bundle	2000 1400 (30% off!)
Get Off My Lawn Bundle	1500 1050 (30% off!)
Blueridge Caravan Persona Bundle	1800 1260 (30% off!)
Camden Park Mega-Bundle	1800 1260 (30% off!)
Fire Chief Responder Outfit Bundle	1200 840 (30% off!)
Cultist Dungeon Bundle	1200 840 (30% off!)
Skiing Bundle	750 525 (30% off!)

Weekly Offers

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Check out the daily deals this week in the Atomic Shop! Each of the items below is available until 12:00 p.m. ET the following day.

Item	Atom Price	Available From	Available Until
Amateur Inventor's Laser Gun (Fallout 1st)	500 250 (50% off!)	May 30	June 6
Farm Life Bundle (Fallout 1st)	1500 1125 (25% off!)	May 30	June 6
Home Sweet Home Frame	200 100 (50% off!)	May 30	May 31
Inspector Sleeping Bag	500 250 (50% off!)	May 31	June 1
Frostbite Paint (Flamer)	400 200 (50% off!)	June 1	June 2
Responders Backpack	500 250 (50% off!) (50% off!)	June 2	June 3
Double Headed Chally Costume	800 400 (50% off!)	June 3	June 4
Vault-Tec Prototype Water Purifier	300 150 (50% off!)	June 4	June 5
Playtime Power Armor Paint Set	1000 500 (50% off!)	June 5	June 6

Previous Posts

Title	Post Date
Atomic Shop Weekly Update: May 23 – May 30	2023-05-23 16:10:05
Atomic Shop Weekly Update: May 16 – May 23	2023-05-16 16:50:05
Atomic Shop Weekly Update: May 9 – May 16	2023-05-09 19:00:04
Atomic Shop Weekly Update: May 2 – May 9	2023-05-03 15:10:04
Meet Ellys Tan, Quest Designer at Bethesda Game Studios	2023-04-28 16:00:04

From FC Mods

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FIFA U20 WORLD CUP
Location: Malvinas Argentinas Stadium, Mendoza
Time: 1:30 PM EST, 10:30 AM PST
Weather: 58F, 57% Humidity, 0% chance of precipitation
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
US U20s
HC: Mikey Varas
Formation: 5-3-2
Starting XI

#	Pos.	Name	Club Team	Event
1	GK	Gaga Slonina	Chelsea
13	RB	Jonathan Gomez	Real Sociedad
5	CB	Brandon Craig	Philadelphia Union
17	CB	Justin Che	FC Dallas
4	CB	Josh Wynder	Louisville City
3	LB	Caleb Wiley	Atlanta United
6	MF	Daniel Edelman (c)	New York Red Bulls
8	MF	Jack McGlynn	Philadelphia Union
16	MF	Owen Wolff	Austin FC	GOAL - 14'
10	FW	Diego Luna	Real Salt Lake	ASSIST - 14'
9	FW	Cade Cowell	San Jose Earthquakes

Bench:

#	Pos.	Name	Club Team	Event
12	GK	Antonio Carrera	FC Dallas
21	GK	Alex Borto	Fulham
18	MF	Obed Vargas	Seattle Sounders
19	ST	Darren Yapi	Colorado Rapids
14	DF	Markus Ferkranus	LA Galaxy
15	MF	Niko Tsakiris	San Jose Earthquakes
7	RW	Quinn Sullivan	Philadelphia Union
20	MF	Rokas Pukstas	Hajduk Split
2	RB	Michael Halliday	Orlando City
11	FW	Kevin Paredes	VFL Wolfsburg

________________________________________________________________________________________________________
New Zealand U20s
HC: Darren Bazeley
Formation: 4-3-3
Starting XI

#	Pos.	Name	Club Team	Event
1	GK	Kees Sims	Ljungskile SK
4	RB	Isaac Hughes	Wellington Phoenix
5	CB	Finn Surman	Wellington Phoenix
14	CB	Finn Linder	Whitecaps FC 2	OFF - 50'
20	LB	Lukas Kelly-Heald	Wellington Phoenix
6	MF	Fin Conchie	Wellington Phoenix
10	MF	Jay Herdman	Whitecaps 2
16	MF	Dan McKay	Wellington Phoenix
18	FW	Ben Wallace	Wellington Phoenix
11	FW	Norman Garbett	Potenza
9	FW	Oliver Colloty	Unattached

Bench:

#	Pos.	Name	Club Team	Event
2	LB	Jackson Jarvie	Eastern Suburbs
3	RB	Adam Supyk	Eastern Suburbs
7	FW	Noah Karunaratne	Wellington Phoenix
12	DF	Everton O'Leary	Birkenhead United
13	GK	Henry Gray	Unattached
8	MF	Jackson Manuel	Western Springs
17	FW	Oliver Fay	Ljungskile SK
19	FW	Kian Donkers	NEC
15	CB	Aaryan Raj	Eastern Suburbs	ON - 50'
21	GK	Alby Kelly-Heald	Wellington Phoenix

________________________________________________________________________________________________________
US Tournament Stats
​

Player	Goal	Assist	Cards
Diego Luna	1	2
Jonathan Gomez	1
Cade Cowell	2
Caleb Wiley	1
Niko Tsakiris	1
Owen Wolff	1	1
Quinn Sullivan		1
Josh Wynder			Yellow (1)
Jack McGlynn			Yellow (1)

________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Scoring Summary
​

Time	Player	Assist	Score
14	Owen Wolff	Diego Luna	1-0

________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Match Events
1' We're off. New Zealand are in All Black. The USA is in All White.
5' First chance of the game and it's for New Zealand. Wallace nearly puts the cutback away after New Zealand successfully found space in the USA box. Gomez blocks the shot and Gaga catches the deflection.
7' Extended VAR check for a potential penalty for handball on the US. The check is long but nothing comes of it.
11' Great scissor kick by Wynder off a short Gomez cross. Very appealing to watch but the New Zealand keeper catches it comfortably.
12' Herdman with a great chance for New Zealand. His shot forces Gaga to dive to paw the ball wide for a corner. New Zealand have put the US under more pressure than any team previously.
14' GOAAAAAAAAALLLLLL USA. A FAIRLY TAME SHOT FROM DISTANCE BY WOLFF JUST SAILS BEYOND THE KIWI KEEPER. WHAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN AN EASY SAVE PUTS THE USA UP 1-0.
45' 6 minutes of added time
HT USA 1-0 New Zealand
46' Second half underway. No subs at half.
48' Brief break as it looks like a NZ player hurt his shouldewrist on a slide. Sub will be coming soon but NZ with 10 for now.
50' First sub of the day for NZ. Raj on for Linder

[SELL][CANADA to USA & Canada][PERFUME]

$15 Minimum Please!
TAT 3 calendar days or less
SHIPPING TO USA:$11 without tracking and $15.75 with tracking. I'm shipping from Canada.
SHIPPING TO CANADA:For samples only, $4. With tracking, it starts at $15. Tracked shipping price in Canada varies by region.
All samples or decants, unless marked as FS.
All purchased new, unless marked as RIS.
ALL PRICES ARE IN USD. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ASTRID

• ALCHEMY & SURF, Ajevie Slonk (cute screw-top vials), $4.25: Aquatic ozone, metallic gold accord, vetiver, rosemary, benzoin, fig, and moss.
• AQUAMARINE, Ajevie Slonk (cute screw-top vials), $4.25: Peach blossom, cucumber, water lily, green cognac, a blend of citrus, blue musk, Japanese peppermint, and sunny sea water accord.
• COVER, 1/4 Bottle, RIS, $6: An enveloping blanket of rice flower, sandalwood, cream, and a touch of cooling bergamot mint.
• FLOATING ON THE WAVES FOREVER AND EVER, Ajevie Slonk (cute screw-top vials), $4.25: Honeydew melon, aquatic ozone, jasmine, lemon, and wild lilies.
• MERCI #27, decant in a thick vial, $2.75, RIS: Lotus, orchid, banana, tropical ivy, and torrential rain accord
• RAIN ON THE OCEAN, Ajevie Slonk (cute screw-top vials), $4.25: Aloe, salt water accord, juniper, pale patchouli, white musk, eucalyptus, and a whisper of spearmint.
• SPELLCASTING ON THE ROCK, Ajevie Slonk (cute screw-top vials), $4.25: Sun-warmed wood, sand, amber, rose geranium, and patchouli.

BPAL (all purchased new)

• A WINTER'S WALK IN THE CEMETERY, Ajevie Slonk (cute screw-top vials), $5.5: Lilith’s lavender and my Dorian on a rambling walk through soft, sweet grass, cypress trees, piles of maple leaves, and bright bouquets of lilies and roses.
• CYCLING FOR PLEASURE, Ajevie Slonk (cute screw-top vials), $5.5: Sea water, sea salt-dusted cypress, pink carnation, oakmoss, and white vetiver.
• O HUSHED OCTOBER MORNING MILD, Ajevie Slonk (cute screw-top vials), $5.5: Dried forest pansy leaves, grape vine, grass, lavender buds, thyme, creeping fig, paw-squished soil, and a whiff of coffee drifting down from the kitchen.
• RING OF LIGHT, Ajevie Slonk (cute screw-top vials), $5.5: Radiant pale musk, artemisia, white lavender, neroli, white pepper, and zingy white aldehydes.
• SKATE PUNKS, Ajevie Slonk (cute screw-top vials), $5.5: Crabgrass, dandelion sap, white clover, purslane, and soil unsettled by skateboard wheels.
• SURPRISE EJACULATION, Ajevie Slonk (cute screw-top vials), $5.5: White pear, white champaca, pink grapefruit, and effervescent white musk.
• THE LAST SYLLABLE, Ajevie Slonk (cute screw-top vials), $5.5: Photos pinned to cool plaster walls, discarded papers, a web of strings, a mirror, a doll, singed straw, scattered books, and unfurled magnetic tape.
• UPSLOPE FOG, Ajevie Slonk (cute screw-top vials), $5.5: Moist clouds rolling lazily up and down low hills of wild grasses, sagebrush, and wildflowers, curling gently around gnarled oaks, majestic pines, and craggy stones.
• URBAN UNDINE, Ajevie Slonk (cute screw-top vials), $5.5: Ocean spray, sea salt, ambergris accord, and lavender.
• WATER OF NOTRE DAME direct , $3.5: Aquatic

DECONSTRUCTING EDEN (all purchased brand new)

• AD ASTRA, $2.5: Sunflowers in a field, under a night sky, gentle wind, softest earth, and wheat.
• ADAM $2: Cedar, balsam, warm skin musks, teak, bergamot, coriander, pepper, tonka bean, and earth.
• ALCUIN, $2.75: White musks and white amber, the pale greens and grays of his marque, with moss and a chypre accord and a base of soft wood.
• AQUARIUS $2: a blend of air with an undercurrent of water, topped with sparkling aldehydes.
• HOMESICK, $2.75: Dogwood, wisteria, tulips, sunflowers ocean air.
• INSOMNIAC, $2.75: white nightgowns, clean sheets, lavender buds, a drop of chamomile, wood floors, skin musks
• JEUNE SAINTE AU LYS $2: pale skin, muted notes of polar, pine, and wood, pale white lilies
• MASTER OF THE STRAITS, $2.75: Stormy sea water, driftwood, bay rum, oakmoss and a couple of drops of hyacinth.
• MOULIN ROUGE, $2.75: a frou-frou of red satin, a frisson of velvet, wooden floorboards, blonde tobacco, red wine, and a drop of absinthe.
• MY GIRLFRIEND’S GIRLFRIEND, $2.75: white musk forms the base. Heart notes of jasmine, soft rose, freesia, lily and black currant. Top notes of pink grapefruit, bergamot and mandarin orange.
• NERVE, $2.75: Blue musk, green clover, soft grey suede, jet fuel, and, white peach tea
• OCTOBER RUST, $2.75: "Cool rusting metal, the last of the maple leaves, black agarwood, crisp air, incense, bonfire smoke, blonde woods, and dark amber."
• SECOND SKIN, $10 (almost half left in 15 mL Bottle): Cold skin, fog, combat boots, cashmeran, metal accord, raindrops, wet stone
• SEVEN STARS, $2.75: Midnight blue sky, sparkling stars, rice, white cedar, and, Buddha’s Hand Citrus
• SILKWORM, $2.75: Silk threads, mulberry leaves, fruit, and branches, salt tears
• SNOW WHITE, $2.75: Clean white musk, blood-red roses, ebony wood, and a touch of the forest, and that infamous apple.
• TALENT, $2.75: Crisp linen, beeswax coated silken threads, Alban rose, and Earl Grey tea.
• WATER ME, $2.75: coconut, dark amber, skin musks, clean water, and satin sheets

FANTOME (all purchased new) $5.5 each

• BUNE: Damp subterranean air, nagarmotha, smooth cave walls, davana, a cold marble altar, & glittering green dragon scales
• COYOCAN, $2: Desert wind, sweet nectar, cool stone, Mexican vanilla, creosote, hibiscus, sage
• KUPALA: Morning dew, davana, fern flower, bonfire smoke, birch leaves, warm summer air
• STOLAS: Bluebells, an unburnt cedar offering, cool night air, lavender, soft owl feathers, blueberries, & a hint of dark chocolate

NAVA

• COUNT CHOCO, Ajevie Slink, $4: Count ChocoCocoa Absolute of Persia, India and the West Indies, Cocoa liquor, Wheat, Cocoa Powder, Vanilla Powder, Mallow and Chocolate Soy Milk.

NUI COBALT DESIGNS (all purchased new)

• DEEP HEALING, 1.15 ml, $3.5: Deep ocean water, bracing wind, cold clary sage, and fresh rain-drenched greens.
• DENDROPHILIA - THE LOVE OF TREES, 1.15 ml, $3.5: The love of Trees.Moss-covered deadfall, birchwood and pine, lingering resins and sunlight through the leaves, a trace of woodsmoke, the memory of vetiver and cedar.
• FROST GIANT , 1.15 ml, $3.5: Himalayan cedar, towering oak, nagarmotha, frozen sage, moss-covered stone, cucumber, and fog.
• GREY WOLF, 1.15 ml, $3.5: White sandalwood, black amber, icy sage, cashmere, stone musk, lichen, softly smoked birchwood, grey suede, mountain springwater, and white peppercorn.
• MERFOLK, Ajevie Slonk (cute screw-top vials), $3.75: The mineral scent of sand, salt, and shells upon the mist, ambergris accord, turquoise musk, warm orris, olive trees, and neroli.
• ORNITHOPHILIA - THE LOVE OF BIRDS, 1.15 ml, $3.5: A wistful effusion of angelica, kava kava, elderflower, linden, mugwort, saffron, acacia wood, purple heliotrope, and mugwort.

POSSETS (ALL PURCHASED NEW; unless marked as FS, all are samples from direct or decant from Ajevie that are $2.5 each)

• 4 SEASONS OF SUMMER: Bamboo, silk, Japanese incense, a hint of water, and fresh green shoots, and a small introduction of sandalwood in the mix to send a cooling breeze your way.
• ALASKA: the chill in the air, but also the perfume of the riot of summer blossoms as they race the sun every year.
• ARC OF VENUS, FS, Brand New Never Used, $16: Sexy sandalwood base, black lavender, calendula, “abstract” musk, sharp grey musk
• BERENICE: Champagne musk, pink grapefruit, a dash of lemon zest, a veil of dragons' blood
• BIRTH OF VENUS: jasmine, aquatic blend, light citrus blend
• BRIDAL CHORUS, FS, Brand New Never Used, $16: a lot of Hawthorne here, a very sugary musk, a kiss of a ""silky musk"" and it's all about silky skin
• DANCE WITH ME, FS, Brand New Never Used, $16: A classy variation of everyone's favorite lavender vanilla but substituting grapefruit for lavender and under-girding it with white musk.
• FASCINATOR: sparkling, very high-key bright crystalline musk, emollient backup musk, sandalwood, cedar and rosewood.
• FLYING HORSE: Bamboo, grated ginger, green tea, luan wood, white floral note
• FROG PRINCESS: To an aquatic base, subtle hints of coconut and mint are added.
• HATSHEPSUT: Bitter beautiful galbanum pairs with the smoothness of labdanum, a bit of oude gum, and a very small amount of the best skin amber.
• HEATHCLIFFE AND CATHERINE EARNSHAW: Heather of the moors, lavender of English, a drop of wildness, oude
• HYLAS AND THE NYMPH: pooled water, lush vegetation, and sneaking scent of sex
• ISABELLA: rose are combined with a light resin, white tea leaf and a rare honey/milky/cream musk. A light dusting of familiar spices.
• LOLA MONTEZ: green of Irish grass accord, deeply green aquatic note, dark and thick labdenum, tonka infusion, animalic musk.
• LOTUS OF THE NILE: The lotus is the prime fragrance in the bouquet, but it is followed by bits of roseate beauty, a sort of dark incense which has been winnowed through the air, and faint aquatic background scent.
• SHIP OF FOOLS: tang of the sea and added a bit of refined leather to get things started, a roll of key lime zest and a goodly portion of faux ambergris.
• SWAN: cool with a light kiss of olive leaf, a blend of three blue musks (from light to dark and a mid tone one), a bit of cork (!) extract, a small amount of osmanthus.
• TERRA NOCTURNA: violet, vetiver, leather, ozone, pepper, sugar, and a crystal musk
• THE WATER BURNS: The essence of earth and high greenery--a hint of smoke but smelled from far away, boxwood, galbanum, and a light hint of Mysore sandalwood.
• XUONG CUONG: A cold green leaf bats against a ghost wood, a lash of green chlorophyll and crystal musk, a bit of luan wood, and a soft ambient earth scent, finished off with sandalwood and yuzu, the latter adds an air of almost black walnut and nutwood-like nuance to the whole.

SIXTEEN92 (all purchased new unless marked as RIS)

• ALL IS BRIGHT Ajevie Slonk (cute screw-top vials). $4: Quiet snowfall, brisk winter ozone, warm peppermint tea, tightly laced ice skates on a glistening frozen pond
• ALL IS BRIGHT, $5: Quiet snowfall, brisk winter ozone, warm peppermint tea, tightly laced ice skates on a glistening frozen pond
• ANDROCTONUS AUSTRALIS, $5: Rum, wild fig, dry papyrus, sweet tobacco, oud
• AQUILA, $5: Juniper, chilld white tea, mountain laurel, soft cotton, airy musks
• AQUILA, $5: Juniper, chilld white tea, mountain laurel, soft cotton, airy musks
• AQUILA, $5: Juniper, chilld white tea, mountain laurel, soft cotton, airy musks
• BEAUTIFUL. POPULAR. LOVED. FEARED. Ajevie 2020 Half Slink, $1.5: Moonflower, tiare, bitter almond, blond woods, heat lightning, asphalt
• BEFANA, $3.5 (decanted into a thicker vial that’s approximately 2/3 full but measured to be around 1/5 of a bottle): Black currant and dried fig, black pepper, forest berries, pressed flower petals, creamy amber, winter spices
• BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR, Ajevie Slonk (cute screw-top vials). $4: Dusty magic shop shelves, dried sage leaf, crystal ball, darkened amber musks, a puff of smoke
• BOOK OF STARS, $3 (decanted into a thicker vial that’s approximately 1/4 full): The smell of space (meteor dust, ozone, metal, ethyl formate) blended with grounding white sandalwood, papyrus, & earthy musks.
• CHILLED CHAMPAGNE, $3.5 (decanted into a thicker vial that’s approximately 2/3 full but measured to be around 1/5 of a bottle)
• CHIROMANCY, $5: Orris, worn leather, ink, porcelain, black truffle
• COCONUT FLAN, FREE (original bottle with a few drops left) - just ask!
• FOOL FOR LOVE, $5: Leather jacket, chipped black nail polish, burning roses, bad poetry
• GRETA, $5: Frosted glass, chilly aldehydes, citrus blossom, elderflower, snow accord
• GRASS HARP, $3.5 (decanted into a thicker vial that’s approximately 2/3 full but measured to be around 1/5 of a bottle): Orange blossom, clover, hyacinth, ruby red grapefruit, sweet basil
• HELIOPHOBIA, decant in chonky vial, $3: Climbing ivy, faded magnolia blooms, moonlit vines, cracked solarium glass, splintered wood, peeling wallpaper, humid air, fog & shadow, feral musk
• I AM ATREYU!, $5: The hopes of all Fantasia: Luck dragon fur, glimmering gold and worn suede, sumac, fire, equine musk
• I AM ATREYU!, $5: The hopes of all Fantasia: Luck dragon fur, glimmering gold and worn suede, sumac, fire, equine musk
• LOUISE, Direct, $5: Sultry amber, red ink, black kohl, night blooms, Tonkin musk (synthetic), wormwood, soft suede, glistening strands of pearls
• LYCANTHROPE, Direct, $5: Monkshood, warm fur, tuber, elm bark, artemisia, galbanum, weathered rock, silver moonlight
• LYCANTHROPE, Direct, $5: Monkshood, warm fur, tuber, elm bark, artemisia, galbanum, weathered rock, silver moonlight
• LYRA, $5: Misty aldehydes, mandora blossom, spring hyacinth, forsythia, new leaves, melted snow
• MIDWINTER DUSK, $5: Chilled evergreen boughs and bunches of mistletoe, a blanket of evening frost, distant sleigh bells, the soft glow of gas lamps on snowy cobblestone streets
• MIDWINTER DUSK, $5: Chilled evergreen boughs and bunches of mistletoe, a blanket of evening frost, distant sleigh bells, the soft glow of gas lamps on snowy cobblestone streets
• SAVE FERRIS, Ajevie Slink, $3.5: "Funnel cakes & lemonade from Wrigley field, salted pretzels, bright blue skies, cool Lake Michigan breeze, Bueller… Bueller… "
• SINTERKLAAS, $3.5 (decanted into a thicker vial that’s approximately 2/3 full but measured to be around 1/5 of a bottle): Cake flour and sugared dough, royal icing, mulled wine, foil-wrapped candies, speculaas cookies, a cozy hearth
• SOLSTICE BONFIRE, $5: Dark rum, grey ash, black amber, firewood bales, pine needle, charcoal, cedar, & billowing smoke on crisp winter air
• TALIA, $5: Vanilla, moss, ivy, soft musk, stone
• THE HEART IS A LONELY HUNTER, RES BATCH, half decant in a thicker vial, $3.5 (decanted into a thicker vial that’s approximately 2/3 full but measured to be around 1/5 of a bottle): Tuberose absolute, soft skin musk, oakmoss, fresh earth, vanilla, iris
• THE NOTHING, $5: The emptiness that’s left: Black clouds, stormy winds, broken mirrors, deep water, rock dust, I will just sit here and let it take me away too
• TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT, $5: Swirls of tranquil incense, flickering farolitos, piñon and juniper wood, far-off carols drifting on desert wind
• TURTLE DOVES, Ajevie Slink, $3.5: Frasier fir, frozen sidewalks, snowy park benches, twinkling fairy lights and silver bells, a flurry of soft feathers, warm mittens, a wooden toy chest, delicate porcelain musk
• VILLAINS, $5: Candle soot, pine rosin, blood red pomegranate, howling forest winds, darkened crystals, sacred herbs
• VULPECULA, $5: Pools of rainwater, soaked pebbles, tomato leaf, decaying tree bark, wild brambles, dusty fur
• WAKING IN WINTER, half decant in a thicker vial, $3.5 (decanted into a thicker vial that’s approximately 2/3 full but measured to be around 1/5 of a bottle): fir needle, hemlock, soft snow, pale woods, delicate mint, frost-blanketed leaves, cold metal, distant hearthsmoke

SORCELLERIE all Sorcellerie are RIS (some cheaper than others to account for fill level differences)

• A PARTY OR SOMETHING, $1: Marigolds, yellow cake, white chocolate, pistachio buttercream, Iso E Super, Cashmeran
• WHAT BIG EYES YOU HAVE, $2.75: Immortelle absolute, lemon meringue pie, pearlescent vanilla musk

STEREOPLASM

• ENCHANTED DEW DROPS, 4.5 mL Roller, $9.5: (dew/jade/light smoke/stone moss) - A glowing vial containing healing dew from the misty peak of treacherous Mount Eumedes (will appear in rain during spring equinox if an acceptable offering of fire is made).
• KING MOONRACER, Doll Size, $3: Oceanic musk, cool night air, sea salt, pu-erh tea and night-blooming jasmine.
• OGOPOGO, Doll Size, $3: Cool Rippling lake, water lily, seaweed and snake skin.
• OPALINE, Mini Roller, $3: Iridescent and heavy stones of opalized amber, birds of paradise, frozen yucca and lacquered teak[pearl-stone/opal-amber accord/birds of paradise/cold yucca/camphorous teak]
• PÊCHE IMMORTELLE, 4.5 mL Roller, $9.5: Saturn peach and aged cognac enclosed in humid jade glass, unearthed after midnight alongside dewy blooms of star jasmine and clary sage
• PEEL, Mini Roller, $3: Spiraled peels of heaven scent Valencia orange, lumia lemon and perfectly ripe strawberries and banana[orange/strawberry/banana/fruity ozone/lemon]
• PICKEREL FROG (LITHOBATES PALUSTRIS), 4.5 mL Roller, $9.5: Night blooming jasmine, wet grass, algae, and tomato leaf.
• POTTED CHIPTUNIA, YellingCat Decant, $1.5: (petunia/leaf/fresh soil/clay/static) - A refreshing, inhibiting flower, grown and engineered in Chiptown.
• REVERIE, Doll Size, $3: Frozen pollen, prickly gooseberry vine, raw cashmere wool and midnight blooming primrose[aldehydic-powdery floral musk/gooseberry fougere/cashmere/wild primrose]
• SCAREDY CATS, 4.5 mL Roller, $9.5: Sheet white marshmallow, midnight sugar cookies and an extinguished candle squares on a hot rainy day.
• SOLAR CROAKUS, Mini Roller, $3: An inner effervescence heightened by notes of warm patchouli, bronze crocus, dry sandalwood, sun flare ozone and warm skin musk[patchouli/sandalwood/bronze crocus/warm ozone/skin musk]
• TOTALLY IN LOVE 4.5 mL Roller, $9.5: Soft purple and glowing from within; raspberry cotton candy with a delicate bouquet of jasmine, rose and heliotrope while shadows dance at sunset.
• UNHOLY WATER, Mini Roller, $3: Barbed wire and rust, sacrificial blood orange, cursed saffron licked by flames of a burning chapel.