Our Story
The Mystic was born out of a series of synchronicities and our family’s shared love of games. Over the years, playing games has brought our family closer, it has connected us with cherished friends, and it has served as a powerful tool for community connection.
My wife, Honey Darling, passed away from cancer in May 2022. At her memorial, a lot of people got up and spoke. With each speech, I was struck by the impact my wife had on every single person she interacted with. Speech after speech drove home a consistent message: being in Honey’s presence was healing. They all said something like Honey changed my life. When I am confused, I think about what she would tell me. She was the friendliest, most open person I have known.
As my grief kicked in after the memorial, these speeches stuck with me. I felt devastated that Honey was no longer here to be a force of good in the world. With time, this sadness transformed into a sense of purpose. The only way Honey could continue having an impact on the world would be if I dedicated my time to honoring her. And that is what I decided to do.
Honey had a difficult childhood. And as a queer youth in Seattle, she found refuge at Lambert House. As a queer neurodivergent teen in Olympia, I had a similar experience of seeking community and validation outside of the home. But rather than a community center like Honey found, I spent my time at an all ages pool hall called Mario’s. Now decades later, our own kids Toby and Rowan, are getting to the age where they’re ready for a community space that can help them grow more fully into themselves.
Toby loves Pokemon and building D&D characters. They’re a writer, love to read, and they DM a D&D group with their friends. Rowan is hilarious, full of things to say, and is developing amazing leadership skills. They learned to read from playing Pokemon and can tell you every Pokemon’s name and all their evolutions and attacks.
Before Honey died, we played games as a family. And we even kicked around the idea of opening a game store before Honey got sick. Toby and Rowan didn’t wait for us. They made the dream a reality when they were very young, opening a game store in their bedroom. They spent hours decorating and organizing their merchandise. They liked to repackage the cards they didn’t want and sell them to their friends (Honey and I snuck the money back to our guests on their way out).
When Honey died, it became clear that the next step for our family was to open a game shop that served as a community center and welcoming space for youth. And once I made that decision, magic started happening.
We moved back to Olympia and met the folks at Heart of the Deernicorn who were already making games downtown and had some space to share. And that space just so happened to be next to my good friends Roni and Jessie who run Quality Burrito. But you know what is even more wild? This space where we are opening up is where Mario’s used to be, that smoky pool hall where I spent my teen years!
Thank you so much for your interest in our family and The Mystic’s story. We are so excited to be a part of downtown Olympia and can’t wait to sit down and play with you or help you pick out your next game to take home.
Sincerely,
Agent Darling, Owner
