#Home Server Setup

[virtualizationhowto]

TrueNAS SCALE Server Build for Home Lab

TrueNAS SCALE Server Build for Home Lab #homelab #virtualization #TrueNASSCALEHomeServer #HomeServerSetup #DebianLinuxServer #RAIDConfiguration #FileSharingServer #MediaStreamingServer #HomeAutomationHub #NetworkSecurity #ServerHardwareUpgrades #selfhost

There are so many options for running a home server for storage and virtualization needs on a home network. I have run VMware ESXi and Proxmox servers for my virtualization needs for the past few years now. However, until recently, I only ran TrueNAS inside a virtual machine for testing and a few light-duty applications. A project I wanted to tackle was repurposing one of my SuperMicro mini…

[snickerdoodlles]

there's a lot of things people blame for why fandoms feel like ghost towns these days, but no one's really talked about the way discord's contributing to it

[daemonhxckergrrl]

okay so i discovered my first major limitation of pluug: I/O bottleneck. transfer over ftp sits around 300KB/s while transmission is active, but i paused it and so far it's climbed to 727 and is still increasing at a steady rate.

this is a good example why i'm not using him as a media server, just for the the actual torrenting. like i can manually manage stuff for now but later i can automate transmission's snail mode and provide a window to autocopy anything new over to my NAS/mediaserver

[serenelygraceful2]

I keep going insane thinking about the stupid home tech projects I'll be able to do when I have my own place. I like making things work

[jromanoff]

I could ask Regina and reader are dating and reader introduces Regina to Minecraft for the first time and she's like "this game is for nerds" but she ends up liking it and they play together and they're cute

An introduction to Minecraft II R. George

Pairing: Regina George (2024) x Reader

Warning(s): none

Authors note: I had so much fun writing this, thanks for the request. Sorry for taking so long to write it though, it sent me back into my own Minecraft spiral :)

Summary: You introduce Regina (and the other Plastics) to Minecraft.

Word count: 2k

The doorbell rang. Finally. You quickly ran to the front door and found a package sitting on the doorstep. Shouting an excited “Thank you” to the delivery man who walked away, you got back inside and ran up the stairs to your room.

You bounced on your toes as you tore open the package. The label confirmed your excitement: inside was the new graphics card you ordered.

Regina, lounging on your bed, glanced up from her fashion magazine, a curious eyebrow raised.

"What's got you so hyped?" Regina asked, flipping a page nonchalantly.

"It's my new graphics card, an RTX 4090! My current one is really old," you replied, eyes sparkling as you carefut took the graphics card out of its packaging to install it.

“Nerd…” Regina mumbled, watching with curiosity as you installed the graphics card in your PC.

“All done!” you grinned and closed the case of the PC. You plugged the PC in and pushed the ‘on’ button. Within moments, the computer roared to life, the sound of fans humming filling the room. Your fingers danced over the keyboard as you started your favorite game: Minecraft.

“Woah! I have like 600 fps!” you said excitedly as you joined a server. “Oh and look at the graphics- I can even use shaders without lagging”

"I have no idea what you’re talking about, it’s-“ Regina moved to look at your screen. “You seriously play that?" Regina asked as she looked at your screen with a frown, her tone dripping with skepticism. "This game is for nerds. Well- every game is, but you get what I mean,” she rolled her eyes.

You chuckled and shrugged, unfazed. "It's actually pretty fun,” you glanced over at Regina, a playful challenge in your eyes. "Wanna give it a try?"

Regina hesitated, this game was for nerds, but she was curious. With a dramatic sigh and a roll of her eyes, she slid off the bed and approached your setup. "Fine, but only because you're so excited about it," she said, taking a seat on your lap. You smirked, Regina could never refuse a challenge.

Regina turned to look at you in your lap. “Let me show you how a real pro does it,” she said with a smirk.

You guided Regina through the basics of the game enthusiastically. To her surprise Regina found herself getting drawn into the game, she didn’t let it show, though. She already had a few ideas for what she wanted to do and build in the game and it was a good opportunity to have quality time with her girlfriend.

You noticed Regina’s small smile and her attempt to hide her enthusiasm about the game, so you made a mental note to download the game on her laptop later so the two of you could play together.

The next day after school, Regina came home to find a surprise waiting for her. You stood in front of her, holding up her laptop. It was a ridiculously expensive laptop for someone who only used it for school, its specs more than enough to run Minecraft.

“I got something for you," you said, a proud smile on your face. "Minecraft is installed and ready to go, now we can play together. I already added my server to your server list.”

Regina took the laptop, her initial reluctance giving way to genuine excitement. "Alright, let’s play then," she said with a grin.

You took your own laptop out, having Minecraft installed on both your PC and laptop so you could play at Regina’s house too. The both of you sat down at the massive table in Regina’s living room with your laptops. Mrs. George was out of town for a few days for a “mental health retreat” to a spa resort, as she called it, so you and Regina had the house to yourselves. Good for her, really.

You were the first one to log into the server, then Regina followed.

QueenBeeRegina joined the game

A smug smile appeared on Regina’s face as she saw the username that you chose for her appear in the chat. “That’s just perfect, baby. Now everyone will immediately see who’s boss on our server,” she looked over at you “Speaking of which… I decided that you’re building me a castle after yesterday.”

You looked at her in surprise “A castle? Seriously?���

Regina's eyes sparkled with determination as she leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms. “Yes, seriously,” she said, her tone leaving no room for any protest. “I want a big castle. It needs to radiate power and elegance, just like me. You need some ambition in this server of yours.”

You glanced back at your screen, looking at the blocky, green landscape with trees in front of you. Building a castle from scratch was no small task, but just like Regina, you could never resist a challenge.

“Alright, but you have to help with the design. I’m not building you a castle just for you to blow it up because it’s not to your liking,” you conceded, meeting her gaze again.

“Deal,” Regina agreed, a playful smirk appearing on her face. “But don’t think I’m going to gather recourses and all that boring stuff. I’m more of a visionary.”

As you started to gather resources by cutting trees and mining, Regina began scouting the world for a perfect place for her castle and potentially an entire kingdom.

“This has to be the most fabulous castle in Minecraft,” Regina mused as she finally found the place to build her castle. “I want a big throne room, kitchens, chandeliers and banners. I want the whole package.”

Regina’s passionate talking about the game was absolutely adorable to you. You looked away from your game to admire her. She was focused on the screen, her brow furrowed as she was figuring out the foundation of what would soon be her castle. You couldn’t help but smile at how engrossed Regina was in the game and how relaxed she was.

“Hey,” you said softly, not wanting to break the calm and quiet that had settled over the room. “I’m glad we’re doing this together and that you’re enjoying it.”

Regina glanced at you, her expression softening as she met your eyes. “Me too,” she admitted. “I didn’t think I’d actually like this game, but… it’s kind of fun. Especially with you.”

With that, she returned to the game, her usual confidence back in place as she started issuing orders. “I need like, a lot of cobblestone, wood and probably some pink stuff for aesthetics too,”. Pink. Always the damn pink with her.

“So demanding,” you muttered, which earned you a playful glare in reply. Despite Regina’s demanding nature, there was something really attractive about seeing her take charge, even in a game.

You turned your attention back to your own screen. “I’m building a storage room here temporarily to store all the building materials, then I’ll start gathering stuff again,” you told Regina as you started building something resembling a shed.

“Good,” Regina replied, looking at where you were building in-game. “And we’ll continue tomorrow after school right?” she questioned you, trying her best to sound nonchalant.

“Yes, baby. We will.” you agreed with a chuckle, looking at your girlfriend fondly. It was a rare sight to see her so invested in something she considered to be an activity for nerds.

The next day the two of you went to Regina’s house after school again to play Minecraft. You were already logged in on your server when a message appeared in the chat.

orandge joined the game

“Uhm, baby? Who is joining our server right now? Their username is orandge,” you questioned Regina as she got the two of you something to drink. You didn’t give out the IP address of the server, so it must’ve been Regina.

“I think that’s Karen. I gifted Gretchen, Karen and Cady Minecraft so we can all play together,” Regina said excitedly as she sat down behind her laptop, logging in on the server as well.

QueenBeeRegina joined the game

“You mean to tell me that Karen managed to install Minecraft and add my server all by herself?” you looked at Regina in surprise.

Regina rolled her eyes “Karen’s just… simple. Not stupid. Surely she can install a game on her laptop on her own,” she frowned “Although… on second thought... Gretchen probably helped her.”

TheFetchest joined the game

“Well, that just confirmed my suspicions” Regina remarked as she watched Gretchen’s username appear in the chat. “She’s still hung up on making ‘fetch’ happen. So annoying,” she complained.

“I don’t know, I think her username is kinda fetch,” you replied with a smirk.

Regina shot you an unimpressed look “No.”

CadyFromKenya joined the game

“That’s the lamest name ever. She could’ve literally chosen anything else,” Regina commented with an eye roll as she saw Cady’s username.

“Be nice,” you scolded her playfully. Regina only gave you a middle finger in response.

Regina then turned her laptop towards you and opened some double chests for you to see. “I gathered some more materials last night, so we can start building.”

“I thought you were a ‘visionary’ and didn’t do resource gathering?” you teased your girlfriend with a grin.

“This was an exception, a one time thing. Gathering resources isn’t really befitting of a Queen, now is it?” Regina replied confidently with a smirk.

“You’re something else,” you shook your head in amusement, returning your attention to the game as you saw Karen type in the chat.

orandge: where are you guys???

QueenBeeRegina: I sent the coordinates in the Plastics gc

The two of you continued to build the castle as Cady, Gretchen and Karen made their way to the coordinates you were at. Karen only died twice, but that meant Cady and Gretchen had to pick her up again at the spawn twice too.

At last Regina saw Gretchen and Cady walk up to her. Cady was accompanied by well over 20 tamed wolves and two parrots on her shoulders.

QueenBeeRegina: Cady wtf

CadyFromKenya: They’re so cool right??

QueenBeeRegina: …

Suddenly, you heard a soft hiss from your game, followed by an explosion.

orandge was blown up by Creeper

orandge: oops

“Karen just let a creeper explode in my storage room,” you looked at Regina in disbelief. Regina just burst out laughing “Typical Karen.”

A part of the chests were gone and materials were scattered everywhere, including several flowers that Karen had collected in her inventory.

“Perhaps we can let Karen build the big garden around the castle, it seems like she’d like that,” you suggested to Regina as you saw the flowers she collected on her way to the castle. “Great idea,” Regina smiled.

QueenBeeRegina: Karen? You can help build the garden, just make it pretty.

orandge: yay!!! i love flowers

TheFetchest: And make sure it has a lot of pink so it fits the aesthetics, Karen

orandge: i love pink

At the end of the week the castle stood proudly on the server and Regina was satisfied with the result. Her throne room was massive, just like her throne that stood at the end of the room. She was already brainstorming new ideas for the server, the castle was just the beginning. She wouldn’t settle for anything less than a kingdom.

There were also two new additions to the server that week.

PyroLez joined the game

FierceAndFab joined the game

“Baby,” Regina started, her tone deceptively sweet, “why are they here?”

You give her a calm smile despite sensing Regina’s irritation. “I thought it would be fun. The more the merrier, right?”

PyroLez: never thought I’d see the day that the Plastics would play a video game

QueenBeeRegina: Yeah. Shut up or I’ll ban you.

FierceAndFab: you can’t ban us, that’s homophobia

QueenBeeRegina: …

Regina rolled her eyes, but couldn’t help the small amused smile that creeped onto her face. “They better not mess up my castle. I swear, if they touch it it’s on you,” she looked at you pointedly. “Besides, Janis is definitely taunting me with that username,” Regina huffed.

“Probably, and it’s working,” you looked at Regina’s pouty expression. “You look adorable like that.”

“Shut up.”

You were definitely curious to see how Janis and Damian would fit into this dynamic.

[copperbadge]

Frustrating morning!

I know I posted sometime in the past year or two about wanting a self hosted alternative to google docs, and now that I am actually ready to buy a server and set it up I can't goddamn find it to save my life. Someone suggested a server with a built in Drive style setup and no matter what I search, it eludes me, and almost all servers for sale online are focused on streaming which I could not give less of a damn about.

So I guess... recommendations take two? I want to set up a home server with file storage but also the ability to remotely access and edit documents. Thoughts? Help. The ADHD is winning today.

[noxinara]

Obey Me! Brothers and what kind of games I think they'd play

this is a very biased list (and long post) based off of games that I've played before :) (jk its really not biased, just games I think they would play!) I made this because I couldn't sleep last night and had brain worms-- Will probably make one for the dateables sometime soon, but this list is just the brothers!

Lucifer

Traditional Board Games.

There have been MANY times where he's been playing various board games with you, Diavolo, and Simeon.

Gets VERY competitive over games like Sorry!, Monopoly, Trouble.... Candy Land???

Will only let Diavolo win.

Shows no mercy to anyone else, including you. Sorry, love.

Card Games.

Particularly amazing at Poker. He would not let Mammon know this... until you guys have an in-house Poker night and he literally takes all??? Has the best poker face you've ever seen.

Won't even let you guys beat him at Uno or Go Fish. Boooooooo.

Puzzle Games.

I could see Luci being very good at Tetris for some reason?

One time Levi challenged him to the game to try and get out of going to RAD one day...

Let's just say he had to go to RAD that day and also had to stay over on cleaning duty. Courtesy of getting absolutely DESTROYED.

Controversial Pick: Rhythm Games.

I could 100000% see Luci tearing up some OSU! But only when all of the brothers are asleep and he's completed most of his work.

They help him unwind.

...Was that rhythmic tapping you heard when walking by his office late one night..? Interesting.

You saw him wearing Levi's VR headset playing Beat Saber one day.

No, you will NOT bring it up and you will NOT let him know of that video you took.

Oh. You posted it on Fab Snap?

Good luck. You're gonna need it.

Mammon

Gambling Games/Apps.

Where I live you can just gamble from home because it's legal to have and play gambling apps?

He would have SO many on his D.D.D. They're taking up so much of his storage space.

Plays them a lot when you're around because he thinks that you're his good luck charm.

He also goes on a lot of Horse Racing and Sports Betting sites...

It got so bad that Lucifer had to figure out how to IP block him from these. it doesn't stop him--

Gacha Games.

Has absolutely insane luck for some reason??? Only on gacha games, tho.

Has definitely played Genshin Impact and Honkai Starrail because of Levi.

He got those 5 star and Ultra Rare pulls he wanted in his first 1-10 pulls? But you? It took you over 100 pulls to get what you wanted. WTF?????

You swear he must be cheating the system somehow. There is NO WAY.

Racing Games.

Particularly the ones that you can have a full racing setup for.

He's splurged thousands of Grimm on this.

Gran Turismo? Forza? F1? iRacing? He has them all.

He is VERY picky about who he lets touch his decked out setup... He'll let you use it any time you want, though. :) You're his treasure, ofc

Controversial Pick: Old School MMOs

Definitely played Old School RuneScape or Black Desert Online or Classic WoW and created gold farming empires.

Doesn't even do end game content, he's just a guild leader making bank off the work of his members.

He probably hosts fun events though.

Would definitely be the kind of guy that makes up scavenger hunts/fashion shows/trivia nights/etc. and gives out sick prizes...

Might also rig these to make sure you or his officers win the best prizes. How sweet.

Leviathan

He is literally THE gamer.

There probably isn't a single genre of game he hasn't played.

His favorite games are definitely MMORPGs and Visual Novels/Dating Sims/Bishojos/Gal games.

Could see him as a raid lead in all of the biggest MMOs like WoW, FFXIV and GW2.

He also 100% visits the degenerate RP server places like Moon Guard's Goldshire and Balmung's Quicksand.

He's definitely not a BLUSHING MESS and rushing to close his game if you catch him in one of these places!!! He would never go there!!! Oh... you want to join him? DEFINITELY NOT.

He would get too jealous of anyone daring to look at you to even let you breath in the vicinity of these degen realms.

He's also done plenty of MMO Ironman challenges and was one of the first people to complete Classic Hardcore WoW entirely solo. Didn't even group for dungeons. What a MAN.

Bishojo/Gal games are his guilty pleasure, how could they not be?

He gets all the waifus with none of the jealousy, right???

What do you mean he picks the same one every time? He can't just cheat on them MC!!

Loves JRPGs and Soulslike games.

Has definitely beaten Elden Ring more times than he can count. Knows literally all of the ins, outs, and secrets and is eagerly anticipating the DLC.

Has probably played every single Final Fantasy game and beaten them all. Would very much have a soft spot for FF4, FF7, and FF9.

Could definitely see him playing MOBAs and 4x strategy/Grand strategy games.

He's not the Grand Admiral of Hell's Navy for nothin'. He knows strategy games like the back of his hand.

The only brother that ever rivals him in strategic knowledge is Satan. (and Lucifer, but we're talking about GAMES here.)

He spends countless hours on League of Legends.

He mains JG/Mid and gets very toxic.

Has favorite characters, but honestly just plays whatever is in meta.

Owns every skin for Ahri, Lux, Katarina, Evelynn, and Akali.

He's definitely in Challengers.

Would 100% make a Smurf account if you wanted to play and would duo bot with you.

He'd play ADC and do anything to protect you, his loving support.

Would not be toxic in your games (unless you are too).

Faker who???

Controversial pick: Casual Mobile Games

Played Flappy Bird all the time when it was popular, still has a cracked copy on his D.D.D... I don't think anyone is beating his high score.

He's got a ridiculous amount of hours on Candy Crush, Angry Birds, and Fruit Ninja.

Would throw his D.D.D into his fish tank and have Henry 2.0 guard it before he'd ever let you catch him on one of these 'normie' games...

But... he secretly likes them so much.

Satan

Hear me out, Satan would be a SUCKER for CYOA (Choose-your-own-adventure)/IF (Interactive Fiction) text games.

Would have Choice of Games, Hosted Games, and Heart's Choice hidden on his D.D.D.

He LOVES immersing himself in story games and creating various MCs.

Oh, look! An RO that reminds him of you? Don't mind him self-inserting.

Probably has character sheets made for his favorite MCs. 

Will play through his favorite stories many, many times.

It all started with Choice of the Deathless and now he owns every game on each platform? (I'm jealous)

Also goes on Dashing Don... What do you MEAN author hasn't finished this story yet? AAAA-

Detective/Mystery/Escape Rooms Games.

I don't think any explanation is needed here. It's just who he is.

Would definitely get all of his brothers (minus Lucifer) together to do a virtual escape room... Unfortunately, it became so chaotic they never finished it. Oh well.

Once played Phasmophobia with Levi, Beel, and Belphie. Was very proud of himself for figuring out the ghost... Definitely did not sacrifice his brothers for the info.

Life Sims.

Specifically ones that let you own or are centered around cats.

Has played every single Sims game and bought their cat and dogs expansions.

Definitely did NOT recreate you and himself with 6 cute cats!!!

He did NOT get the mod that extends household size so that you two could own 97 cats. He wouldn't do that, no way!!!

...Was there actually a baby in the household, too..? Why did it have his hair and your eyes...? SATAN?!?!

you know the Catz DS game? He owned every single version and will NOT let you touch them... Okay. Maybe he gave into letting you touch them, but ONLY when he's supervising!

Very much enjoys RTS Games.

He's scarily good at games like StarCraft Brood Wars/2, the Age of Empires franchise, or Rise of Nations.

He's also gotten into 4x games like Stellaris and Civ. Thanks, Levi.

Don't try and challenge him, he can beat the hardest bots and WIN... THE BOTS LITERALLY CHEAT.

HOW DOES HE DO IT? 

Controversial Pick: Fighting Games

Specifically games like Guilty Gear, Street Fighter, Tekken, BlazBlue, etc. Courtesy of Levi again. Thanks, Levi.

It helps him temper his wrath.

He'll sometimes play Mortal Kombat just for the finishers?? Why is he this way?

He could spend hours learning all the combos and tech of his favorite characters.

Has created himself some tech books and would only show them to you, esp. if you showed interest in learning the games with him!

I could see him and Levi settling disputes by doing best 3 out of 5 1v1s against each other.

Could see him maining Giovanna or Leo from GGST? Tends to prefer rushdown characters. (this one is completely biased, i named my cat after Giovanna from GG--)

Asmodeus

Dress-up/Fashion/Stylist Games.

SuitU, Love Nikki, Covet Fashion - you name it.

He has all of them on his D.D.D and will shell out major Grimm to get any outfit he likes.

Might try to make the outfits he gets in these games for himself and you, because you're the perfect model!

Has a lot of fun with it and might try and talk you into playing with him.

Will definitely post amazing outfits he makes in-game on Devilgram. Will also post countless photos and videos of you two modeling those outfits he brings to life.

...NSFW/Eroge Games.

Not gonna go into detail on these ones because you already know what I mean.

Enjoys playing those games that haunt the front pages of my Steam.

Would proudly play them in front of you to laugh at how ridiculous they are sometimes (as long as you're 18+)

Like Satan, I could see him enjoying Life Sims...

Unlike Satan, it's not because he wants animals.

Plays games like the Sims, Stardew Valley, and Sun Haven.

Self-inserts himself and will romance EVERYONE.

Has the mods where you can marry every single villager and the bed mod that makes your bed MASSIVE so all your husbands and wives can sleep with you.

Made a Sims save with just himself romping around town... No sim is safe from Asmo.

Also has a Sims save with you and him that he openly enjoys more. It has both of you enjoying that Sims Nightlife as celebrities and living in a MASSIVE mansion he custom decorated.

Will also play any Visual Novel/Dating Game that is recommended to him by Levi.

Bonus points if it never shows the MC so he can self-insert himself.

Controversial pick (in this case, not really): VR Games

Specifically things like VRChat or Chillout VR.

Would be extraordinarily popular and have custom avatars of HIMSELF made with so many toggles that it'll make your head spin.

He would always be hanging out in night club or bar worlds.

Occasionally Mammon joins him.

Sometimes he also invites you to join him~! (Would not like it if people started hanging all over you, tho, and would probably bring you to a hot home world with just you and him if that happened...)

Beelzebub

Sports games.

No doubts about this one.

Could definitely see him playing FIFA or Madden.

Levi thinks these are SUPER normie games and is offended to have them in the house.

Beel doesn't care.

Ooo, they made a game of Fangol?!?! He becomes an expert so fast, you have no idea. Would 100% teach you how to play with him.

Loves Cooking Games or Food-themed Games...

He just can't play them for long, however.

One time you got him to play Cooking Mama with you, Luke, Simeon, and Solomon but you had to stop because he got so hungry that he was trying to eat the television????

Would have to bring in MANY snacks and vow to make dishes from the games if you wanted to play these with him around... Which is a shame because he genuinely enjoys them. 

I could see him loving Multiplayer Party/Minigame Games like Mario Party or WarioWare.

You mean he gets to play silly mini games with all of his favorite people?

He doesn't care if he wins, he just loves having you guys around.

Almost always comes in last place when he's playing with you, Belphie, and Levi but that's okay. The faces you guys make when you get your stars are worth it.

Controversial pick (and I mean this one is VERY controversial): FPS games

Now, I know what you're thinking. Beel is a gentle giant and wouldn't play these types of games...

But! I could see him forming 5 stacks with you and his brothers in games like CS2 and Valorant and being scarily good because of his amazing hand-eye coordination and reaction times?

Like he and Levi could easily carry you guys to high Asc/Low Immortal lobbies.

He would just play fill when everyone's around, but his mains would be Kay-O and Breach.

He would always be the initiator in Counter-Strike, following Levi's IGL calls perfectly.

He would also probably love playing games like Squad or Modern Warfare or Battlefield with all of his brothers, you + the dateables.

Belphie

Our resident Horror Game lover.

They give him ideas on how to prank his brothers dreams.

Once made Mammon go through Outlast in his dreams (nightmares??).

You better run, little pig.

But he genuinely enjoys them... When he can stay awake through them.

Hey, you, why don't you just play for him?

Loved playing through games like Amnesia... Unfortunately for you, his love for puzzle psychological horror probably contributed to how he acted in Act 16 OM--

Loves Psychological Dramas and those Interactive Media Games.

You know. The ones where you're combing through footage or watching videos and making choices to find out the hidden/deeper/darker meanings?

He LOVES those.

Usually has you or his brothers playing for him. It's most likely Satan.

You all get equally invested.

Idle Games.

He can run these while he's asleep.

There's nothing more to be said. 

These are the simplest type of games there are....

He's probably got a cookie empire.

Has a soft spot for Kart Racing Games.

Will regularly be in the room when you, Levi, Beel or Mammon are playing.

He's honestly pretty good at them??

When he's not falling asleep behind the wheel that is.

Controversial pick: Auto Battlers

These are games like TFT, Hearthstone Battlegrounds, and DOTA's Auto Chess.

He naps in between rounds and wakes up in 20s increments to prepare for his turn... Why does he have the timing down to a tee???

You're sure you've even seen him pick perfectly in his sleep??? How does he do it?????

Regularly comes in the Top 4, usually first or second. 

What do you mean he's a Challenger TFT player??? Wtf how???

Will not coach you if you ask, but you're free to watch!

Will definitely cuddle with you the whole time he's playing these.

All Brothers, with a bonus YOU!

I could honestly see them ALL enjoying CRPGs as a group.

They always get the mods that let you increase your party size.

Went through Baldur's Gate 3 with you on your recommendation.

They all fought over who would get to play Astarion and Mammon won?!?!

Satan got Gale

Beel got Karlach

Levi was Laz'ael

Lucifer was Wyll

Belphie got Shadowheart

And Asmo made a Dark Urge Bard that looked exactly like himself????

He literally doesn't even make any Dark Urge decisions.

He doesn't want blood staining his clothes. 😔

You got to choose whatever you wanted though!

You took the Dark Urge from Asmo and he just played a normal, flirty bard with impeccable fashion sense.

This playthrough took MONTHS and MONTHS... but you all had a blast!

Literally.

You cannot count the number of times Satan 'accidentally' hit you with fire balls. (He claims he was aiming for Lucifer.)

Lucifer somehow ended up getting you all the luckiest ending? How did he roll 3 nat 20s?????

You're on to play Divinity: Original Sin II next...

Satan has already claimed Fane.

[storm-angel989]

Outside The Office Part Thirty One

TW: Valentino, Drugging, Sex.

Enjoy <3

The bright lights of Valentino’s newest club flashed as we made our way across the floor. The music vibrated in my chest as I slid into the booth. 

“Water for me, Val. Please.” I said quietly as the server appeared. I laid my head on his shoulder. I truly, truly didn’t feel like being out. Staying home by myself wasn’t an option. And according to my vitals, neither was the coffee I so desperately craved. So here I sat, the sober one amongst the chaos.

To his credit,  Valentino gave me the choice- call Lucifer and he could come hang out with me- and by that he meant babysit, or I could go with him and the others. It was opening night of his newest club after all, and as the owner he needed to be there.

“I’m trying something- mi amore. A new business model, so to speak.” He said as he got himself ready for the night. “I need Vox and Vel by my side. And normally I would leave you behind, but giving your…difficult day, I simply cannot justify leaving you alone. And if you’d rather come with us, there is something we need to discuss.” He turned to me and caressed my cheek. “If I kiss you- harshly, roughly, and you see red trickle down from the corner of my mouth, that’s the signal for you to get close to me and stay there. Understood?”

He waited for me to nod and his tone shifted to something much more serious. He cupped my chin and locked eyes with me.

“Princessa. I will degrade you- verbally. I will speak as though you don’t matter to me. Know it’s a lie. Know that I’m doing it because if they think you’re anything more than my favorite toy, you become even more of a target than you already are. With this knowledge, are you sure you want to come with us?”

I nodded. 

“Good.” He pressed his lips to my forehead. “This setup is different, mi amore. If you’re not in the booth with one of us, you’re at one of our sides. Got it?”

Valentino snapped his fingers, barked an order and instantly, a server appeared with a glass of iced water. I accepted with a thank you and took a sip as I surveyed the scene. There would be no soul contracting tonight, Valentino had been clear on that. His concentration needed to be here, at the club. He had a job he needed to do. 

I sank back against the seat and watched as he stood up and walked through the room. Valentino had a presence- people stepped aside as he sashayed across the dance floor. Bartenders move to be sure they took his order first and foremost. He whispered, touched, spoke and caressed without a single falter. I watched as he wrapped his arm around a demon and led her to the back. I felt that familiar twinge of envy. 

“It’s not love, you know.” Velvette’s voice broke through my thoughts. “It’s lust.” 

“Does he…contract souls already in hell?” I asked as I watched him vanish behind closed doors. “I mean, I’ve seen him contact souls on their way here. But…”

“Yes. Val makes his money by contacting beautiful demons to work with him in exchange for half or whole of their soul along with the souls who haven’t quite passed yet. It’s impossible to know with those souls if they’ll end up the look he requires so, sometimes he has to contact directly in hell.” Velvette answered as she sipped her drink. “Don’t overthink it.” 

It was hard not to, wondering what exactly went on behind those closed doors. I stirred my water and resigned myself to waiting. 

“Do you want to dance?” Velvette asked after a few moments of silence,“we can go find Vox!”

I shook my head. “No but you can. I won’t go anywhere, promise.” 

She rolled her eyes and lifted her drink. “Yeah because you’ve historically done so well left unattended.” 

I winced at the sarcasm in her voice, but chose to ignore her as I continued to study the club scene. Something was different from his other clubs. But I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. 

“Care to partake?” A demon with bunny ears approached and offered me a sectioned out tray. Tiny gold jars. Tightly wrapped cigars. Longer red boxes. 

Confusion washed over me. “What is it?”

“No. Now shoo. And don’t offer it to her again,” Velvette snapped. “Or Valentino will hear about it.”

The waitress bowed away. I looked at Velvette and she shook her head. 

“Val’s newest idea. Drugs directly available at the primary source. Bit of an up charge, but patrons won’t mind paying when they’re a few drinks in and it’s convenient. Brilliant business plan really.” She shrugged and took another sip of her drink. 

Ah. So that’s why Valentino was insistent he be here. Great business venture, but definitely had the potential to be a tricky one. Drugs, alcohol, mixed with his clientele had the potential to be a violent mix at best.

“Ah Princessa. Doing okay?” Valentino asked as he slid next to me. He leaned over and turned my face to his and kissed me roughly. Dominantly. His eyes met mine and instantly I knew. 

Red saliva dripped from the corner of his mouth as soon as he pulled away, giving the impression he had drugged me. I leaned myself into him and twisted my fingers into his jacket. I watched Velvette shift her attention to where Vox was, and he quietly rejoined the table. 

“Aww, too much, Princessa?” He asked in a teasing tone. “So fucked up on Daddy’s drugs, it’s almost cute,” he purred loudly, his palm resting on the back of my head. 

I felt his fingers run roughly through my hair and he shoved my face against his chest as footsteps approached. Curled against his protective grasp, I felt that familiar pang of warmth in my tummy. 

God, he was sexy when he was in control. 

Voices I didn’t recognize. Valentino’s grip tightened its hold but his voice stayed calm. Easy going. Prices were discussed. Names of women I didn’t know. Or drugs. It was hard to tell sometimes.

“She available?” I heard one of them say. “Could cut a sweet deal for you in exchange for Lucifer’s little bimbo.” 

I felt his grip tighten on me, but his tone stayed calm. Steady. 

“She isn’t part of the deal, amicico,” came his cool reply. “I don’t share my most favorite toy.” 

They laughed at his words as the tone of conversation shifted. Eventually I heard the footsteps recede and Valentino’s hands relax. 

“Are you ready to go home, mi amore?” He purred. “Let Daddy take care of you? That’s it now, keep your head tucked in, babydoll. You’ll need a nap before we end tonight.”  

I felt him lift me and pause. The volume of his voice dropped and his tone shifted. 

“Vox? Take her out. Now. Vel, I need you with me.” 

Wait what?

I lifted my head up as I was shoved into Vox’s arms. He set me down and took my hand in his as he  pushed his way down the side, cutting a path in a hallway I didn’t realize existed. I looked back, and caught a glimpse of Valentino across the dance floor, wings out, eyes blazing red, matching Velvette’s. The music stopped and tense silence filled the air. Something stirred inside me-  a mix of terror and the desire to run to Valentino. To wrap myself up in his powerful grasp and let him pin me against the wall. Vox tugged my wrist and I looked to him. His own eyes blazed the same fiery crimson. I stopped.

“Come on, move. Now.” He growled. Sensing my discomfort, his voice softened. “It’s still me, kid. I won’t hurt you.” 

The sound of gunshots and I picked up the pace. An open door. I felt the cool air hit my face as the outside air surrounded me. 

“What was that?” I asked once we were seated in the limo. “Is Val okay?”

“Val will be fine. The men who tried to double cross him? Meh. Not so much.” He kept his gaze down as he punched a few things in on his phone. “They’ll join us in a moment. Vel and Val I mean, not the guys.” 

True to his word, the limo door opened moments later. Velvette stepped in, seeming unruffled, followed by Valentino. 

“Good acting, Princessa.” Valentino said with a kiss. “I was convinced I accidentally slipped you a little something extra.” 

I didn’t respond but let myself lean into him.  He put a comforting arm around my shoulder and I half listened as he filled Vox in on the details of the incident. 

As I snuggled into bed next to him that night, he ran a hand down my back. 

“Are you okay Princessa? You’ve been quiet since we left. Talk to me, mi amore.” 

“Do you three, do you feed off each other? Your power? Your energy?” I asked finally. “The Valentino in his demonic form earlier was still soft and cuddly, and fluffy and your wings made me warm and safe and sleepy and then I saw all three of you in the club and your eyes- Val, your eyes matched that same blazing red and I, I just…” 

He listened quietly as I struggled to find the words that expressed the intimidation I felt. 

“I know none of you would hurt me, but you…you three really are dangerous.” I finished. Unsure of what else to say, I wrapped my arms around his neck and buried my face into him. “It’s kind of hot.” 

To my surprise, he laughed. 

“Hot, Princessa? Is that what this is about?” He asked as he titled my chin up. 

I saw his teeth sharpen as his grin widened. I pressed my lips back against him and buried my fingers in the fluff that appeared around his neck. He pushed me on my back and his wings sprang fourth. 

“I would never hurt you in this form, Princess as. But fuck you? Would be a first for both of us. And I don’t have very many of those left.”

I let out a moan as he kissed down my neck. His tongue toyed with my nipples and I felt myself buck against him. He laughed and pulled me up, and forced me to sit on his lap as he continued to toy with my body.

“Fuck, Val!” I breathed as I pressed my hips against him. My fingers buried themselves in his fluff as he pushed a single finger into me, his teeth sinking ever so gently into my collarbone. Euphoria flooded my body and I felt myself grow wetter with each stroke.

“Fuck, Val!” I moaned. It was the most amazing feeling that flooded my body- almost as if I was floating. I felt every muscle relax. An innate desire washed over me. I needed him in me, fuck I wanted him to put his babies inside me. 

“Val, I want cock- your cock!” I moaned.

A grin widened across his face. “Oh? Is that so, princessa?”I felt his fingers roughly grab my hair and he laid back as he pushed my face down towards his lip. “You want my cock so bad? Open that pretty mouth of your and get busy, princessa. 

I obeyed and he slid his cock down my throat. He groaned as he listened to me choke on his length. His hands kept tension, tugging my hair as he demanded for me to go faster, yanking my head up and down his cock.  

“Swallow every god damn drop,” he commanded. 

The implied or else turned me on more than the actual threat. I felt him explode and hastily, I got to work on kissing, sucking and cleaning up  every inch of him, being sure to leave not a single drop behind. 

As soon as he was sufficiently pleased, his fingers twisted into my hair and he yanked my head up, rolling me on my back as he pinned me to the bed. 

“That’s my good girl,” he purred, “ are you ready for your reward?” 

He pushed himself deep into me and I arched my back as I dug my nails into his skin. His wings fluttered above us, creating a blanket of shadows. I pushed my hips against him as that innate desire flooded deeper into me. I needed him, I needed his come in my belly. 

“Valentino,” I moaned. It didn’t quite sound right but I didn’t care. “Please, Val- I need you to come in me! Fill me, please Valentino!” 

He stopped mid thrust. I groaned in frustration and clawed at his back as felt him pull out immediately. 

“Princessa?” He asked as he grabbed my chin and forced me to look in his eyes. Concern washed over his features. “Oh, fuck.”

“Why did you stop?!” I begged as I wrapped my arms around him and ground my hips against him. “Val, come on!”

“Oh, no no no. Shit. Fuck.” He cursed as he pushed me down, his eyes carefully studying my body. 

I felt myself giggle. “See something you like?”

I felt his fingers trace where he had bitten my collarbone. I looked down and saw red liquid pour down. Blood maybe? It didn’t hurt so I didn’t care. The burning in my belly needed him, demanded him, growing stronger with each passing second. I ground my hips against him roughly, hoping he would fulfill my desperate desire. 

“More Val, I want you. Inside me, now!” I demanded as I bounced on his lap. “Come on, Val!” 

“No, Princessa.” He said sharply. He set me on the bed and I watched as he slammed the bathroom door. When he came out a few moments later, he wore his black sweatpants. 

I reached for him and he shook his head. “I’m sorry princess. I should have known better.” He kissed the top of my head and pushed me down. I felt his fingers side into me and I bucked my hips against the feeling, desperate for any satiating touch. 

“Val, I want cock- your cock!” I groaned as I ground against his fingers.

“Not tonight, you’re too fucked up.” He said calmly. “And not until I get some answers. Breathe for me, Princessa.” 

I groaned and pushed myself against him. “Deeper, Val!! I need you.” 

His thumb pushed against my clit and I came instantly around his fingers. 

“More!” I begged. “Please, Valentino, I need you.Your cock in me, please Valentino!”

Instead of answering my plead, I felt his fingers slide out of me. I groaned in frustration, but felt something slide deep into me, replacing the feeling of his fingers with a pleasant vibration. He settled me on his lap and his wings surrounded me. 

“You’re not going to settle for awhile, princessa. But please, try.” He said softly as I squirmed against his chest. “I’ll take the toy out if you feel asleep.” 

“Noo, I want your cock, Val” I please. Words began to spill out as I desperately attempted to convince him to fuck me. “I want you, in me. I want your come and I want to be pregnant with your babies, Val.” I reached down to touch the vibrator inside me, but his hand caught mine. “I want to be big and round and pregnant! Please, Val!”

“No. Not yet, Princessa. Someday, maybe.” He replied as he shifted me. “Not now. Not like this.” 

I groaned. “but Val!!”

“Whine all you want with that sweet little mouth, but it won’t change a damn thing.”

Like hell it wouldn’t. Under his wings, I reached up and grabbed at the fluffy around his neck. He grabbed my wrist and sat up. I could hear the frustration in his voice.

“Princessa this is not you. Stop. I will leave you in bed alone tonight if you can’t get yourself under control. Come on, please?” 

“Aww, Daddy, is that a command?”

“Alright, that’s enough. You’re too out of it for this.” He pushed himself up and set me down next to him and  pushed me down on the bed. 

“Val!” I whined.

“No. I love you too much, Princessa.”

I watched his form slowly go back to his normal self. He dug through the drawer and came up with two long silk ties. I felt my heart beat faster. 

“Yes, tie me down and fuck me!” I moaned as he lifted my wrist up and tied me against the bed frame. I whined again as another hot coil of desire shot through my belly. “I want you Val!” 

“I know. And I think I know why. Which is why I’m putting you in restraints. I’m not leaving you and I can’t have you completely and totally feral.” He replied as he tied the knot tighter. 

I felt myself explode again around the toy at the feeling of his touch on my skin. I moaned as that feeling grew stronger and I pushed against the silk. 

“Valentino!” I moaned as he covered me with a blanket. “Fuck, Valentino!” 

“I know, I’m sorry,” he replied softly as he laid on the bed next to me, just out of my reach. “I didn’t know.” 

“Know what?” I demanded as I pulled on the restraints. 

“How we can have kids someday, mi amore.”

[andmaybegayer]

tail:scaled

I can now hit my home network from anywhere on my phone, which is nice, makes my home nextcloud reachable which was the main thing I wanted, that way I can a) do syncs and b) have my full photo library everywhere. Using a headscale node running on my server rather than dealing with tailscale's free limitations.

I did consider just doing a manual wireguard setup and I might still depending on how this goes but the meshing features might be worth it all on their own.

Running Tailscale in a container on the server which is a little finicky, I'm actually subnet-routing out to the whole house which has upsides (I could WoL and SSH into my desktop from anywhere too) but is also kind of strange because it means that if I'm connected to the tailnet then 10.0.0.0/24 is routable even if I'm on mobile data.

[virtualizationhowto]

Home Server: Why you shouldn't build one

Home Server: Why you shouldn't build one #homelab #homeserversetup #buildingahomeserver #serverhardwareandsoftware #DIYhomeserver #homeservervscloudstorage #homenetworkmanagement #homeserveroperatingsystems #remoteaccessserver #homeautomationserver

You can do so much running your own home server. It is a great tool for learning and actually storing your data. Many prefer to control their own file sharing, media streaming services, and also run their own web server hosting self-hosted services. However, let’s look at a home server from a slightly different angle – why you shouldn’t build your own home servers. Table of contentsWhat is a…

[whack-patty]

gotta get back in the swing of posting things just to post things again lol hi

hopped on my homie @freyfall 's Minecraft server as a koala in a pirate fit, only played like 3 or 4 times but here's some shenanigans so far. Captain Koala is a little fella far lost from his home world, not quite sure he's liking the setup of a world where he knows the world's god on a first name basis and DEFINITELY not liking being weaker than everybody else there. (because I am bad at minecraft lol)

That enderman is his wife btw she showed up to his house and won't let him sleep. koalas need like 20 hours a day so he's dying

[decaflondonfog]

writerly ephemera

a few years back my darling friend @the-starryknight started a tag game inspired by a chat we had in a writing server regarding all the little personal details we add to our art. humans hold so many things close to their hearts without even realising, memories, artefacts, places, turns of phrase... lots of precious little bits and bobs i adore! recently i had a chat with the lovely @billdenbrough about the familiar fear of putting a little too much of yourself into a character — when do you cross the self-insert line? but also, aren’t these the things that make our characters human? which got me thinking about starry's tag game. so i've decided to bring it back! here's how we're doing it:

✨ share some bits little bits of you, easter eggs, memories, etc. you have left scattered in your fics or art. if you fancy it, tag a pal. ✨

i apologise in advance for the ridiculous amount of yapping you’re about to read aaaand here are some silly little mari-isms i’ve let bleed into my writing:

🏡 "The house is a ridiculous thing that could easily sleep a whole Exy team, but when Kevin questions it, all Andrew does is shrug and say, “This wasn’t exactly planned, it’s the best I could find with the time I had.”"

geometric equilibrium has a few mari-isms in it. abby's house is based on my friend emma's house too but this feels the most relevant: the house in Asheville is based on a place i stayed in a couple of years ago! the real life one isn't in Asheville, though it is in NC. i spent a really happy week there with friends and it just popped into my head when i was writing this fic. the setup of the rooms (kevin's and andreil's being across the landing from each other) was useful for what i want to write (as well as the bathroom placement!) so i just ran with it.

🪩 “…the faded band t-shirt two sizes too big that the redhead has tucked into a leather mini skirt. Instead of the usual pair of boots, Neil’s wearing a pair of platform sneakers in black and white.”

ahhhhh kaleidoscope :’) the fic where i genderbent all the monsters and then turned neil into my wee dress up doll! all of neil’s outfits were based on stuff i own and this particular one was a fave during my clubbing days. the only thing i didn’t own when i wrote this fic were the black and white trainers which i now own hahaha

🛁 “Bitty cuts himself a generous slice of pie and eats it in the bath.”

i haven’t lived in a house with a bath for three years and i miss it dearly. i used to have pudding and booze in the bath on hard days and it was super therapeutic — honestly i was just living vicariously through bitty in growing pains

🌸 “There, in the corner, not covered by the laundry that Kevin didn’t put away, is a vintage armchair (…) It’s pink, with old, spoiled velvet, and half of the fringes at the bottom of the chair missing.”

approximately eight years ago i walked past an antique shop and fell in love with a pink velvet toad chair with a wee fringe at the bottom. i didn’t think i could afford it but told my partner i was going to try and convince the shop to let me rent it for a photoshoot. i got home after work one day and my partner had bought it for me 🥹 that chair has now been with us in four houses across three countries and used to be one of my late dog’s favourite nap spots. (the fact that i let kandrew desecrate the chair completely in do not disturb the cats was… a choice lmaooooo)

🪡 “Jean comes back to California after five weeks with the Foxes with his hair slightly too long and falling into his eyes, a smattering of fresh freckles over the bridge of his nose, and a new hobby.”

oh this might just be my favourite! when i saw @alcego’s prompt for t&n last year i kneeeeew it had to be mine. giving my Sad Wet Cat blorbo all of my craft hobbies? what a delight! the best part is that out of all the crafts i made him try in transferable skills, book binding (arguably the main one) is the one i never tried

does anyone want to share? i'll pass this along to the folks tagged above and also @vykio @rwnjun @storiesnstardust @greenautumnleaves @djhedy @thetrojeans @seasy33 @nanatsuyu and @sillyunicorn ❣️

[maverickuk]

I've been waiting years to get my hands on a Raspberry Pi 3 Model A+ so that I can try the PiStorm project in my Amiga 500

If you're not familiar, it allows for the Motorola 68000 CPU of an Amiga to be replaced with a Raspberry Pi that in turn emulates the original CPU in software.

At a basic level this lets you upgrade the performance of the Amiga, as it's possible to run at much faster speeds than the original CPU. Very useful

However that's only the start of the feature set. You can also simulate additional memory, hard drive support, retargetable graphics (to output via the Pi's HDMI port), networking support, upgrading the native Kickstart ROM and more.

Essentially as the CPU socket has access to all the components of the Amiga, it has the capability to override and replace any of these native chips.

What better excuse and environment to perform the upgrade than the September 2023 SWAG meet up.

After cracking open my A500 for the first time I gently unseated the 68000 from it's socket and prepared to install the PiStorm. It was only then I realised I'd forgotten to bring the vital component, a small board that allows the Pi to connect to the 68000 socket! Oh well, an excuse to play some games instead!

Once I was back in my workshop at home I decided to finish the job. Thankfully with all the correct hardware at hand it was a quick and easy task to get it up and running.

It was certainly quite a nice feeling the first time I started the emulator on the Pi and was rewarded by similar the familiar Kickstart 1.3 appear on the CRT monitor connected to the Amiga.

Seeing old and new hardware work in tandem always gives me a buzz

Finally I setup an FTP server on the Pi that enabled me to easily copy across a newer Kickstart version. After restarting the emulator on the Pi suddenly my A500 felt a lot newer.

Next on my list, to setup a virtual hard drive filled with classic games

[riordanverserpdatabase]

USERS!!! LET'S ALL GO TO THE MOVIES!!!! This week we're getting out of camp and going somewhere fun!!!! You choose the movie, and pic one of our ask memes to pick the place!!!! LET'S GO USERS!!!

🇱‌🇪‌🇹‌'🇸‌ 🇬‌🇴‌ 🇹‌🇴‌ 🇹‌🇭‌🇪‌ 🇲‌🇴‌🇻‌🇮‌🇪‌🇸‌ 🇦‌🇸‌🇰‌ 🇲‌🇪‌🇲‌🇪‌

Pick out a movie and send me one of these for our muses to watch it...

Classic - At the Movie Theater (Extra Large Popcorn and Candy Included!)

Staying In - On a computer in your bed or bunk

Pinterest-Worthy - at a private outdoor setup, maybe on the beach or in the woods... you decide!

Camp Event - On a projector at the Amphitheater with the rest of the campers, (or in a public space at your place of residence)

Getting Cozy - Ona phone screen pressed really close together (Maybe so you don't get caught...?)

50's Dream - At a Drive-In Theater (The kind with Burgers and Shakes!!)

Luxury Status - At a Fancy Theater (with the reclining seats, servers, and a full bar for the legal drinkers)

Family Affair - On a TV in your Cabin/Room with all your most important people, just like family movie night back home!

[itsclydebitches]

for all that it's very clear RWBY took influence from a lot of anime, the writers sure don't seem to have learned much of anything from it. i'm watching the redub of the classic sailor moon anime right now, and it's insane to me how much better this thirty-year-old anime packed with filler was at things like character arcs and believably redeeming villains and having a main character that is at once childish and yet a great leader who, when the chips are down, could talk some of the worst evils in the universe down from their plans.

if anyone could talk salem out of her plans for world annihilation by just being able to love her, it's usagi tsukino.

Right? Man, I'd pay for a high-budget, animated version of that crossover lol.

That's one of the big arguments of the Why RWBY is Disappointing vid though, using Cowboy Beebop as an example, if I remember correctly. There's no doubt that RWBY has been influenced by a number of classic series, but deliberately mimicking something that worked in another show doesn't guarantee success, particularly if you don't understand why it worked in the first place. I'm constantly emphasizing that stories are whole products made up of a thousand smaller pieces, like a puzzle or a patchwork quilt, and simply slapping one piece down because it looks good in another story isn't enough. You have to carefully build everything around that piece so that it fits into the unified whole. Continuity, world building, characterization, setup... RWBY is very good at throwing out those "cool" moments, but it does none of the work ahead of time (or, just as often, after the fact) to make those moments satisfying outside of the initial adrenaline rush of watching.

Plus, RWBY is over-crowded nowadays. Characters, mysteries, real world issues, and those "cool" ideas have populated like bunnies until, I think, it's easy for a lot of fans to just get swept up in the spectacle of it all. The simpler your story is, the less there is to hide behind, which is why I think a lot of manga like Sailor Moon still rings true 30+ years later. If you do right by your core concepts and prove to the reader (often subconsciously) that your storytelling skills are strong, it will resonate even after new generations have different expectations in their media, or these ideas have become "cliche" in wake of that initial popularity. If we go with a food comparison (always my favorite lol) Sailor Moon makes me think of something like good home cooking. Looking at it now it's simple, it's straightforward, it has some technical flaws, but the comparatively low number of ingredients have all been treated stunningly well and there is an insane amount of love poured into the dish. Meanwhile, later seasons of RWBY feel like a semi-successful restaurant serving a special so long it took the server a week to fully memorize it, rattling off an absurd number of ingredients and fancy techniques used until you're not even sure what the dish is supposed to be anymore. Some diners go, "Wow, what an amazing, clearly high-end dish! And they've included this super rare ingredient which means it must be good." Meanwhile, others are going, "... Honestly, that sounds like Too Much. I'd have preferred a simple, well-done pasta." And all the while the restaurant—which is pretty big and popular now, garnering a lot of critical attention—is trying to pass this complicated, fancy-for-the-sake-of-fancy dish off as the product of a humble, mom-and-pop establishment. No, you used to serve that kind of food: simple, technically flawed in a lot of ways, but with so much love poured into the dish that most diners didn't care. Now people suspect that your chefs are miserable and we definitely know they're overworked, so even if that insane dish would have tasted great to certain pallets, it was doomed before it even left the kitchen.

[copperbadge]

Part of cleaning out my Google Drive is going through all my files, and I've been reading through my National Clean Your Home Month manifesto. It's mostly up-to-date but I'm going to redesign the signup poll and build a resources list from previous years' polls.

Something I wanted to institute last year but couldn't figure out how to is "Author Mirroring" -- some way to pair up NaNoWriMo writers and NaClYoHo cleaners, so that, for example, for every 100 words a writer writes, a cleaner will do 10 minutes of cleaning, or vice versa. It wouldn't be something mandatory, just an added little fun thing people can do, finding a National Month Buddy.

But I cannot figure out how to set it up so that people can easily find each other.

I could have a poll where cleaners go and drop their contact info along with a short blurb about the kind of setup they're looking for, and then writers can go and pick a cleaner to try and pair with, but that's not super efficient because it requires a lot of trust on one person's part and a lot of initiative on another's. I could set up a messageboard where people can post about it and have actual conversations, but I'm bad at messageboards in general and that kind of thing usually needs a moderator and I don't have the time or spoons. Ditto Discord, to an even greater extent because I truly dislike using Discord and generally refuse to have or join servers.

And I don't want to just randomly pair people, like, you should vibe with your Mirror.

Anyone have any ideas? I might just have to leave it at like, a post I make in October saying "Hey, find yourself a buddy if you want one, I think it's a great idea".