#home lab server

[twocutlines]

been staying off tumblr to avoid spoilers but i’m about to be so annoying on here once i watch this episode trust and believe

[hackeocafe]

Beginner Friendly Homelab IT Projects that require minimal hardware

Hello everyone! Welcome to this Homelab Series where I share some Project ideas to try to sharpen your tech skills. This is episode 1 and will be uploading more episodes in the future so if you're interested in this video, please keep on watching.

[theenterprisemac]

This video makes an interesting argument for HexOS which I briefly discussed in a previous post that this is the OS for those who don't want to tinker but could use a home server. The example case was a friend who runs a Plex server on a Mac Mini–that HexOS might be a better answer.

The Flaw

I think the flaw here is: if you need something like HexOS to make the idea of a home server a good one–then you are not the market for a home server. You are better off using something like a Synology or Terramaster product etc do the same work.

There are people who should get home servers for their home labs and I suspect that the overlap is almost zero with HexOS. I think this is just sort of the flaw with a product like HexOS. I am paying for software to run on hardware that I am only marginally likely to own or want to own. This paints the picture that the real market is those who have the hardware already and just want to simplify things–which again I think is pretty small.

Furthermore, I would suspect anyone who actually needs a home server is going to find this product quite expensive given that it is just software. As an example: at $199 you are roughly a third of the way to a diskless Synology DS923+ box. Given that with HexOS you will need some good hardware for the underlying ZFS and TrueNAS requirements my guess is you will spend more money to get your relatively simple needs met–with less support and a no track record company.

Bottomline HexOS is in a tough market segment because they are software competing with the likes of Synology, Terramaster, Ugreen etc. Furthermore, the home server market is very specific in its general character and it is hard to see how HexOS changes the user base for the home server, or makes those users a better candidate for the home server vs what they likely already do or the normal argument for something like a standard NAS option.

[voidolive]

my gf has been really into neopets lately so i went to sign into mine but i didn't remember the last account i used so i signed into an older account i had but didn't use at all and sent her a neo-mail and it made me nostalgic for when i was in 4th grade me and my friends all had e-mail addresses and we would e-mail each other and it was so cute wtf... logging on to yahoo mail over christmas break to ask my friends what they got... forwarding chain mail to everyone in my address book indiscriminately... making all my e-mails teal and size 14 font like that was my brand..... THE SIGNATURES............ i miss it sm.........

[virtualizationhowto]

CoreControl is a great new Home Lab Dashboard #homelab #selfhosting #homeserver #homelabdashboard

[puppy-linux-official]

Watch me doing things for free that most people get paid to do :negative:

[massivechildtidalwave]

Its a terrifying scene. The camera angle revealing parts of a science lab straight out of hell. Kitchen knifes and scalpels lay dripping on a table.

On the dissection table- because thats all it could be- lays a small child. Small but noticable gills on the neck, the occasional fleck of scales and webbed fingers mark them as merfolk.

Viewers watch on in horror as the table is bloodied. A steady incision made in the left leg. The Justice League had been contacted but there was no indication they would make it in time to help.

A large Bang! went off in the background of the video, clearly catching the duo off guard. The man turned to his (wife?) with a weird moniter in his hands going off the charts and with an excited yelp they both took off running up the steps that were just barely in frame behind them.

A few long moments later, two teens sneak into the lab. The boy rushed over to unchain their parents 'test subject' while the girl kept watch.

Freshly released limbs had bloody wounds rubbed into the pinned down areas and quiet whispers of empathy were only just picked up by the audio. One of the viewers pointed out that the boy himself had scars in similar places.

The boy picked up the kid and the trio quickly slipped away out of camera view. Soft thuds mark their escape from the house, seemingly unaware of the Livestream their parents were apparently trying to make.

--------------------------

The story makes international news and leaves everyone on high alert. Government agencies scramble to prove they had no connection to the couple, the GIW undergos mass arrest when their names Maddie and Jack Fenton come up on their payroll. A channel is made to document any sightings of the kids.

The first one is posted after a day. It's security footage from a fast food restaruant. Four teens- the two from before plus a goth and someone named ''Tucker''- along with the comparitively tiny Mer sit in a booth. ''Tucker'' and "Sam'' argue about possible dietary restriction before seemingly ordering one of everything. There is soup, and a burger, the largest cup filled with water they could find in the back, chicken tenders and salad.

When the server goes to deliver everything, the four watch them like hawks, understandable given the previous day.

(Did any of them even know Half the world knew what went down? )

(Did any of them know how Aquaman was taking the news of one of his subjects being injured like that? )

( Did any of them realize that their choice to protect the kid was one of the main reasons war hadn't been declared yet on the human race?)

Jasmine is heard softly encouraging the tiny Mer to eat something, anything and eventually the soup is downed and apparently liked enough that she gets up to order more.

Right before they leave, while under the relative safety of a roof, they swap the bandages wrapped around most of the kids leg and arms and slowly tell them about future plans despite the fact that they probably can't understand the language.

(Jasmine points at a laptop screen filled with a view of the ocean. "We" she circles the group with her pinky "are going there to get you home." The atlantian can't speak english but the way their eyes light up and they relax further into Sams side shows they understand the basic message)

(The sight- of the child definitely scared but trusting them enough to get so close- helps calm the atlantians with access to the internet. Somewhere Aquaman finds himself able to breathe slightly easier.)

[woytaq]

A sequel to new year new server where I document what was done and how many problems I had with upgrading and updating my so called home lab.

[avkamfher]

Learned the video card I bought for my main server it too large and no way to power it. The HP I got however has a 16x slot AND an open set of SAS power on the motherboard. $14 later and the specialize cable is in the mail. Need to figure out how to get vSphere to manage both physical boxes.

[rambling-at-midnight]

Don't Go Disappearing On Me Again

Pairing: Jason Todd x Reader

Summary: Jason's lost too much to lose you, too. (We stan healthy communication in this house)

Word count: 2.3k

Ow.

You've never worked Friday nights before at the restaurant, and you never want to again. And you'd thought Saturday mornings were bad.

But one of your favorite coworkers had called you in a panic early this morning, begging you to take her shift, because her lab group's department at GCU was going out to bowling and it would be a great networking opportunity. You were the last person she called, but everyone else before you had declined because they were either scheduled or determined to avoid the shitshow.

And because you were weak, you gave in and said you would cover her Friday night shift as long as she covered your Friday morning shift.

So you two swapped shifts, and you went into your library internship in the morning instead of the evening. It wasn't a particularly hard job, but end-of-week returns had you dashing all over the three floors, so your feet already hurt before you walked into the restaurant.

Right before coming in, you'd texted Jason that you'd gotten held up, and it was a good thing you did, because you haven't had a single break to look at your phone the whole shift. He likely wasn't even awake yet—last night's patrol had been tough on the both of you, him because he came home half beaten to death, and you because you'd had a heart attack waking up in the middle of the night to your bloody boyfriend passing out on top of you in bed. But you usually got home around six from the library, and it was looking like you wouldn't be back until ten at the earliest, so you wanted to let him know. It was going on hour seven after starting at two p.m., when the restaurant switched from its brunch to dinner menu. Personally, you think two p.m. is obscenely early to eat dinner, but apparently rich people loved eating at weird hours, because you had had nonstop tables the entire night.

But the good thing is that the restaurant closes at nine, so you’re almost there. After your last three tables eat and leave, all you have to do is clean your section, close your checks, and clock out.

In the kitchen, you lean against the fridge, rubbing your hips and knees. You’re a little too young to feel so creaky after seven hours on your feet. After all, Jason works all night, doing athletic feats you could never dream of.

You can't really complain, though. You'd gotten lucky with your tables; they'd all tipped well. Maybe you could even add a little bit to your savings account instead of shoving every paycheck right at your student loans, which just keep growing, no matter how much you pay.

“Oh, no,” says Charlotte, one of the other veteran servers at the restaurant. She’s staring at the camera feed display, which is tuned to a livestream of the restaurant’s entranceway. “Don’t you dare seat me now, Ashley, I swear to God.”

“What time is it?” your head jerks up. “We’re about to close, right? Is someone looking for a table?”

“Yeah,” she says, pointing to the screen. “The hottest man in the world just walked in our front door.”

You just hum, not bothering to look in favor of pulling out your phone. You know for a fact that the hottest man in the world is actually at home in your bed right now. “The kitchen’s stopped receiving tickets. No way Ashley seats someone right now.” The screen doesn't light up when you click the power button. Well, shit. It's dead.

“I can’t tell what he’s saying.” Charlotte squints at the screen. “He’s, like, huge. Does Ashley look a little scared to you?”

You’re out of the kitchen without even looking at the screen. You speedmarch right past your tables, ignoring one man’s halfhearted attempts to flag you down for more ketchup. A righteous fire is boiling in your gut. You’ve been here long enough that the managers won’t fire you for telling off any customers that harass the younger workers that are more scared to stand up for themselves.

Your mouth is already open, ready to spew forth the beginning of your tirade, when you recognize the man in front of Ashley at the host stand.

Dressed in gray sweats and a dark T-shirt, slouching slightly, he looks even worse than when you kissed his forehead goodbye that morning. The bruise on Jason's face has properly colored now, purple and blue along his jawline. His hair looks a little flat, like he's been wearing his helmet, which is strange.

Jason's eyes snap onto you the second you appear, and you falter at the intensity there. Something has happened, but you're not sure what.

"Hey," you say, a little hesitant. "What's up?"

Ashley exhales with relief. "So you do know him."

"Yeah," you say without breaking eye contact with Jason, who's staring at you with the same expression you think a wolf would wear when stalking a hare. "He's my boyfriend."

You expect Jason to tell you that someone was in an accident. Someone's in the hospital. Something terrible happened to your apartment while you were gone.

He says none of those things. Instead, Jason says, "I didn't know you picked up a Friday shift."

Ashley's face goes blank.

"I told you I would be home late."

“No,” he corrects. “You texted me that you were being held up.”

“Yeah, at work.”

“And then you disappeared.” Jason’s jaw clenched. “Did you know that a bank was held up this afternoon? Your bank?”

“Oh, shit,” your hand flies up to cover your mouth. “My phone died, I don’t know when. You couldn’t check my location and see I was here?”

He just shakes his head, stiff and wordless.

“Hey, Y/N.” It’s your manager approaching the host stand now, customer service smile on and eyes taking in Jason’s appearance. “What’s going on up here?”

“Hey, Steve,” you say. “Sorry, this is my boyfriend Jason—Jay, this is my manager, Steve—”

Jason gets the hint and smiles close-lipped, reaching to shake Steve’s hand.

“My phone died so he came to see if I needed a ride home.”

“As soon as your tables leave and your section’s clean, you’re good to go. Oh, and you have to roll silverware.”

“It’ll be at least another hour,” you say apologetically to Jason.

“Okay.” His eyes keep boring into you like he’s trying to send you a telepathic message. He’s mad, you get it, but it makes you a little mad, too. You’re a grown adult. Yeah, the miscommunication was your fault, and it’s fine for him to be worried, but he looks close to Red Hood levels of anger, which is totally unwarranted for this situation. “Is it cool if I wait at the bar for you, then?”

“Of course!” Steve answers for you. "Our bartender, Lacy, will be happy to serve you while you wait." He checks his watch. "Until last call, that is."

"He didn't scare you, did he?" you ask Ashley as soon as Steve leaves. You smile at Jason, trying to tease him, but his expression doesn't twitch. "He looks mean, but I promise he's a big ol' softie."

Jason just grunts, but on his way to the bar, he doesn't forget to drop a kiss to your forehead. It warms you from the inside out.

As soon as he's gone, Ashley blurts out, "What happened to his face?"

"Motorcycle accident," you fib. "Oh, my table's calling me."

You rush over to take care of the poor man's ketchup—he's been waiting almost five whole minutes—and check out another party. The back of your neck prickles as you do. Every time you glance at the bar, Jason's green eyes are locked on your every move. It flusters you so much that when your table leaves, they say thanks, and you respond with, "Good morning!"

"What?"

"Thanks, you too!"

You run back to the kitchen, and everyone immediately starts interrogating you about your 'huge hunky boyfriend' (Charlotte's words, not yours).

By some miracle, all your tables clear out by closing time, and you’re out by 9:20. There are still a couple people at the bar, but Jason’s up immediately to walk out with you, leaving his water glass on the counter.

He doesn’t say anything, though you can feel his eyes on you whenever you aren’t looking. You won’t fight in public, so you follow his lead and stay quiet.

He drove your car to pick you up, and even though he’s obviously mad, he holds the passenger door open for you before getting into the driver’s seat.

The drive home is silent. He parks in the spot for your shared apartment, then immediately, quietly, asks, “Why’d you pick up a shift without telling me?”

"It was super last-minute," you say. He's still facing forward, so you do the same, eyeing his profile out of the corner of your eyes. "Like, it happened this morning. I thought you were sleeping, so I didn't want to blow up your phone with texts. I thought you'd just check my location and see where I was when you woke up."

Jason's hand clenches on the center console. "I woke up and I was terrified."

"I'm sorry—"

"And the bank, and your wording, and your phone was off—"

"I know," you say, putting your hand over his fist. He unclenches immediately to lace his fingers with yours. "I'll make sure I tell you next time."

Jason takes a deep breath in, then lets it out. In a rush, he finally turns to face you and says, "I don't mean to be controlling."

You blink. "I don't think you're being controlling."

"You don't?" Jason frowns. "Then why were you so mad when I walked into your work?"

"Mad? I'm not mad—you're mad at me."

"I'm not mad at you, what are you talking about?"

"You've been glaring this whole time! And you didn't say a word this entire car ride."

"Because I thought you were angry. I wanted to give you space."

"Okay, wait, wait, wait." You hold up a hand. "Let me get this straight. You're not mad at me?"

"No," he says earnestly. "I was worried and scared, but you're an adult. You don't have to ask for permission if you want to pick up a shift at work." He makes a face like the thought disgusts him.

"Okay," you say. "Okay, well if you're not mad at me, I'm not mad at you, either."

"Then why did you look so pissed when I walked in?"

You press your lips together to keep from smiling. "Well, we have cameras that show us up front while we're in the kitchen, right? One of my coworkers was watching and said 'the hottest man in the world' walked in and I didn't look because I thought the hottest guy in the world was still asleep in my bed—"

Jason covers his face with his hands. You can't stop your smile now, and you pull them away so you can look at said handsome face. "And I didn't even look because I'm such a loyal, awesome partner—"

"You are pretty awesome," he agrees, trying to sound serious, but he's grinning like an idiot, too. His cheeks are flushed pink.

"I know I am. But then Charlotte said that the hostess, Ashley, looked a little intimidated by him, so I walked out to see if she needed help."

"Aw," Jason says. He lowers his chin to look at you from underneath his lashes, pretty as a picture. "Were you going to give me a stern talking-to?"

"I can still give you one," you offer.

"Maybe later."

He's still grinning, and you're still grinning, so the both of you are grinning at each other like idiots in the car.

You want to kiss him, and he's your boyfriend. You're allowed to do that whenever the two of you want, so you take Jason by the chin and pull his mouth to yours.

Jason sighs against you, and it's like all the tension in his body melts away. One hand comes up to cradle your jaw, the other on the back of your head.

You break away to murmur, "Are you patrolling tonight?" He's still so beaten up.

"No," he whispers, voice low and gravelly in a way that has butterflies whipping around like a tornado in your stomach.

"Good. Wanna go up and be the hottest patient in the world while I look at your wounds?"

"Only if you're the hottest nurse in the world."

"Oh, but then who will be the hottest chef in the world who makes dinner?"

"The hot chef is on vacation right now," Jason joked. "But I can be a really hot food-orderer. What takeout are you in the mood for?"

"You're the injured one. What do you want?"

"I want whatever you want."

You narrow your eyes in a glare. "Well, I want whatever you want."

"You gotta make a decision," he says, already on his phone. "You're the hottest decision-maker in the world, I'm the hottest food-orderer."

"Chinese?"

"You got it."

Right before he dials the number, you grab him and kiss him again. When you pull back, he chases after your lips. It's so tempting that you give him another firm peck before you pat his chest once.

Jason blinks twice, looking dazed. "What was that for?"

You shrug. "I just wanted to kiss the hottest man in the world."

"Oh, my God." He groans and covers his face again, but you can see his red ears. "You're never gonna let that go?"

"Mmm." You pretend to consider it. "No."

DC taglist:

@evalynanne @mismatchsposts

Forever taglist:

@lemirabitur @annymcervantes @queenmissfit  @iksey @thehyperactiveteen @luxmoonlight @andreasworlsboring101

[hackeocafe]

Raspberry Pi 5 Mastery: Create a Powerful Home Server/Home lab

Learn how to become a Raspberry Pi 5 Master. Create a Powerful Home Server/Home lab using just a Pi 4 or 5 using Docker.

[tammytaamm]

Can I request headcanons about how Arcane Jayce, Viktor, Steb, Vander, Silco, and Ekko's first date be like with his gender neutral s/o please?

Arcane characters' first date with their gender neutral s/o

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Ekko

- he would take you to a nice remote location with a beautiful scenery, somewhere where you can gaze down on the city

- he'd take notes of all your favorite foods and drinks and would lay them out on a picnic table

- you two would talk all night and he will insist on walking by your side until you get home

Silco

- he would pick out the nicest restaurant in the undercity and request the finest food and most expensive wine

- made the owner of the restaurant promise to not let anyone disturb your peace, the restaurant being completely empty apart from you, him, the servers and the cooks

- he would rather die than let you pay

- you will have his attention all day long, even if something important came up (nothing is more important than you, in his opinion)

Vander

- he swore he wasn't a date guy but when he met you, vander knew he would love to take you on dates after every shift

- those dates aren't anything fancy or expensive, but they're full of love, appreciation, caring and romance

- he will find an empty spot in the bar and take you there

- you two will share a couple of drinks and food (it's on him obviously, he has the employee discount)

- whenever some customers would come up to your table and ask vander for some drinks, he would shoo them away

Steb

- he would take the whole day off to spend it with you

- waits at your doorstep with a rose (or your favorite flower) bouquet in his arms

- he would make reservations to a nice restaurant and then take you to a walk late at night next to a river

- would also be weirdly into wine tasting with you

Jayce

- he would plan the whole day WEEKS in advance

- was so nervous picking out flowers for you and the flower lady had to reassure him you'll like the carefully arranged bouquet

- originally wanted to go on a picnic date with you but convinced himself it was too lame

- eventually settled on renting a boat and sailing on the river under the moonlight after consulting your trustworthy friends

- he almost fell in the water twice but you were quick to catch him

Viktor

- you were the one who had to request the date as he was too engulfed in some lab work

- he picked out the cleanest white button up he had and put some effort into making his hair look good

- took jayce some time to convince him not to ditch on you

- you ended up on a rooftop gazing down at the brightly lit city

- he isn't one for romantic gestures but made sure you knew how good your date made him feel with some words of appreciation

- you talked, sharing your deepest darkest secrets and feelings all the way to his lab

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Hope you liked this!!! As always, constructive criticism is welcomed and appreciated

This is very ooc ikik

[anonymous-dentist]

It's also really interesting how part of trRos and trAimsey's argument with trBad and trLukey tonight came down to "Well, (tr)Pili wasn't actually doing anything to Pangi today", with the exact phrase, "he wasn't teasing Pangi" being thrown around

But like. Pili was. He very much was

Anyone who's been paying any bit of attention to Pangi's pov since early February knows that he and Pili 2 have a very tense relationship. It started with stalking on Pangi's part, and then he gave up on the idea of Pili 1/Mocha being back about when Pili 2 started engaging in psychological warfare and abuse against him

Pangi killed Pili 2 over Pili destroying part of the book that Mocha left him. After that, Pili started to retaliate by making Pangi as miserable as humanly possible; moreso, I'd say that Pili's objective, speaking as a Pangi viewer myself, kinda was to make Pangi look as absolutely just batshit insane to the rest of the server

For weeks now, Pili has been trying to get Pangi's friends away from him. Started with Bad, but that was given up on pretty quickly. Tried Lukey, but the Power of Yaoi stands strong (Pili 1's ghost didn't exactly help though lol.) Krow was never an option, especially since it heard Pili try and force Pangi to go on a date with him. Moves on to Ros, joins Yellow Faction, easily convinces Sneeg and Co. that Pangi and Green are huge risks

All the while, he's been psychologically abusing Pangi by at first taunting him over Mocha's death, going so far as to say that the reason Mocha died was because he killed himself over Pangi. But then he moved on to the whole Remove Friends thing as mentioned above

Add in the whole 'Keeps Getting Possessed By Mocha And Stuff' thing that nobody from Yellow happens to ever see, and it really just sounds like Pangi is completely deranged

And then, after Pangi kills him, Pili goes one step further. He brings in one of Pangi's friends from another realm- Pangi's best friend, who he always speaks fondly of, and he takes him to the ball that he knows he is going to die at. He knows that bringing Zam will get him killed, because he and Pangi just know each other, and he makes a point of rubbing it in Pangi's face all night by the simple act of being on a date with Pangi's best friend

And, guess what happens? Pili dies. He gets his wish. And Zam wants revenge against Pangi, he wants to grind and get strong and teach Pangi a lesson, and now Pangi's lost one more friend to Pili 2

So, yes, Pili 2 did tease Pangi all night. It just so happens that, as usual, the only people who noticed were on the team that nobody trusts or listens to. And Scott Smajor

Just as it's been for the past month, Pili 2 tormented Pangi, and his final living act was ensuring that the rest of Pangi's life would be miserable. He's lost Ros and Aimsey. He can't go back to his own home without the threat of getting a mace to the skull. He can't go to the Lab to be with his teammates, isolating him even further

Pili 2 was Pangi's version of Owen to Ros. The difference is that people cheered when Ros killed her abuser; all Pangi gets is a lifetime of misery, exactly what Pili thought he deserved

[virtualizationhowto]

Docker Rollout: Zero-Downtime Deployments for Docker Compose Made Simple #docker #containers #kubernetes #zerodowntime #dockerrollout #dockercompose

[22ayla21]

Apple Pie with cinnamon and shot of espresso for Idia (Is it one request for person?)

"Apple Pie with Cinnamon and a Strong Espresso"

Event: "Sweet Stories, Intoxicating Feelings"

In the shadow of flickering monitors, amidst the quiet hum of servers and blinking lights, love for Idia Shroud seemed something distant, almost fairytale-like—like an optional quest in a game he’d heard of but had no intention of completing. His world was woven from lines of code, complex calculations, streams of energy, and diffused twilight. He lived as if behind an impenetrable wall of his own interface, in a room where even the physical walls seemed an extension of his inner confinement. No one was supposed to enter, no one dared to knock. But one day… one day, a well-tuned algorithm faltered.

She burst into his ordered life like a system error.

Literally and figuratively: she violated his personal space, interfered with his code, disrupted his routine. First—as a colleague on a secret project at STYX, then—as an unexpected but increasingly distinct note in his monotonous routine. And later—as an important file he would never dare to delete.

He clearly remembered their first meeting. He remembered how his fingers trembled traitorously over the keyboard when she first appeared in the lab, filling the stale air with a light scent of pear lotion and some inner confidence. She chatted casually with the team, with a light ironic smile, as if this entire classified world was just a fascinating novel to her. And when she turned to him and simply said:

“Ah, so you’re Idia. I’ve heard you’re our genius here.”

He almost felt drawn to the nearest ventilation shaft.

He was sure she was teasing. Or, worse, putting on a show of friendliness, as had happened before. But she didn’t leave. Didn’t turn away. Didn’t back down.

His love for her initially frightened him with its unbearable brightness, its unfamiliar reality. It broke into his isolated world like a sudden reboot—noisy, unpredictable, but ultimately saving.

He began to feel her presence in the little things. In the way she brought him coffee—always strong, almost like a real Italian espresso, with that bitterness and astringency that prevented him from completely sinking into his usual melancholy. He would take a sip, and something alive would awaken in his chest. It wasn’t a normal heartbeat—it was passion, invigorating and rich, like code on the verge of a critical error, like an impulse running through the nerve endings of his fingers.

And then there were the rare evenings.

Sometimes—in those rare and almost impossible moments—they would venture out of the underground labyrinths of STYX to his apartment. He would take it upon himself to cook. Himself. Desperately nervous, mistaking salt for sugar, forgetting proportions. She would laugh, gently correct him, and soon the intoxicating aroma of apple pie with cinnamon would fill the kitchen. Homemade. Warm. Real.

It was then that he began to understand that love could be different. It could be gentle, like a warm blanket, like that pie filling the room with the scent of coziness and peace. It became a quiet harbor for his weary heart, a place where he didn’t have to pretend. Where he could just sit beside her in silence and feel the world around him stop seeming hostile. His love for her was like that pie: unhurried, enveloping, giving a sense of home—even among servers and secrets.

But at other times—on those days when they argued heatedly about work concepts, when she persistently dragged him out of his shell of a room—love became a different drink. Like a double espresso, searingly strong, with a bitter aftertaste, demanding complete concentration. She made him feel, think, truly live. Under her penetrating gaze, he stopped being just a genius with a dimmed look fixed on a screen. He became a man desperately needing her. Too much to express in words. Sometimes he would mechanically text her short messages without looking up from his tablet. Sometimes—he would just be silent and watch her adjust a strand of hair and feel that without her, he had nothing to breathe with.

He was afraid. Of course, he was afraid. Love was a code that came without instructions. It defied logic. Ignored all his clear algorithms. But still, he allowed himself to follow her. Allowed himself to smile in response to her jokes, even if it came out as a short, restrained “heh.” Allowed himself to watch her for a long time until she noticed his gaze. Allowed himself to dream: what if one day…

One day they would wake up at dawn, and the tantalizing scent of cinnamon would again fill the kitchen, and she would be wearing his oversized shirt, and he would be clumsily toasting bread, as always.

One day he would say:

“You know… you’re like that bug I never want to get rid of.”

And she would reply, smiling:

“And you’re the system I finally connected to.”

And if someday someone else appeared in their lives—someone with eyes reminiscent of hers, with hair the color of Idia’s childhood—he would tell that child amazing stories about viruses that are cured by love. About people who learned to come out of dark rooms. About pies that smell like home. And about espresso that definitely keeps you awake.

[elbiotipo]

My lab computer is used as a remote server for heavy duty stuff and it's so funny sometimes you're just sitting at your desk and then the cursor starts moving on it's own and Linux terminals open up with strange commands and you don't have to worry about it that's just Eliana contacting us from the Beyond (home office)