Born with a heart defect, she's recently become physically incapable of holding a regular job. As Ayrn's friend Matthew Hals tells it, "Ayrn is sick. And she's paying her medical bills with custom, one-of-a-kind T-shirts; homemade crafts; and various other sundries. SaveAyrn.com is her online store where she sells clothes that double as art. It's accompanied by an ongoing video project that tells Ayrn's story."

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The Crocodile Cafe, Belltown's premier live rock venue for 17 years until its sudden December closing, may have found a savior. Groupee, Inc., a Belltown-based "entertainment-focused social network/new media company," has applied to the Liquor Board to take over the space. Their plans for it are still unknown, but Groupee's Web site promises "real-world venues to interact with fellow fans and, of course, the artists themselves."

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M. Coy Books is shuttering, after 18 years on Pine Street. The last non-chain, general-topics, new-book store in the downtown retail district has indeed lost its lease, and the two Michaels who run it have decided the business is too marginal to relocate.

The Virginia Inn's current incarnation closed Jan. 13. It will reopen in an expanded "double wide" format, including a full kitchen, in March.

And Cranium, the local board-game enterprise that got big with a deal to sell games at Starbucks, is selling out to toy mega-monster Hasbro. The latter's brands include Monopoly, Scrabble, Candy Land, and the locally-invented Magic: The Gathering.

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First Chapters: Deja Vu is opening Seattle's first new strip club in almost two decades. It's in the Fantasy (un)Limited building on Westlake. Yes, that's just off the (unofficially named) South Lake Union Trolley. Kress Market, greater downtown's first real supermarket, opens on Third south of Pike this month, or next month, or whenever. At least there's construction activity in the space now.

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Art beat: The Messenger's own fashion maven Megan Lee displays acrylic and multimedia paintings opening Feb. 2 at Local Color, 1606 Pike Place. The exhibit also includes jewelry by Angela Fava, collages by Sue Robertson, oils by Joy Mattox Bezanis, and photographs by Ron Kenny. McLeod Residence, 2009 2nd Ave., features Encausticated, a group exhibit of encaustic paintings and mixed-media works curated by Megan Woo; plus photos by local youth-mentoring program Community for Youth and roller-derby paintings by Cait Willis. All exhibitions open Friday, Feb. 8, 6-9 p.m. with a performance by local musician Levi Fuller.

The same evening, Form/Space Atelier, 2407 1st Ave., offers "A Place to Call Your Own,"

large-scale paintings by Ryan Molenkamp.

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Rob Millis and Jeffery Taylor of the improvisational band Climax Golden Twins (frequent performers at the Rendezvous) have compiled Victrola Favorites, a clothbound color picture book compiling sleeves, ads, and ephemera relating to early 20th century music, plus two CDs compiled from their 78-rpm record collection. A release party occurs Friday, Feb. 1, 7-9 p.m., at Wall of Sound, 315 E. Pine St.

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Comedy nights have commenced Tuesdays in Cafe Amore's VIP Room, 2301 5th Ave. Each show offers five comics for five bucks, curated by comedienne Jen Seaman. "There will be no chickens crossing the road here," Seaman vows. "This is alternative comedy."

Elsewhere in performance-land, a spy-themed burlesque/music group called the Heavenly Spies combine fishing for clues and fishnets in "Peep Show" at the Can Can, in the basement at the northwest corner of First and Pike, 10:30 p.m. Fridays through March 28.

Combine experimental modern dance with live heavy-metal music and you get "Buttrock Suites... Live!," a collaboration of choreographers, dancers, and musicians. It occurs Saturday, Feb. 2 at the Triple Door, 216 Union St. Tickets are at tripledoor.net or at 206-838-4333.