./birthday.sh

Just your name. Followed by how we know each other, enclosed in parentheses.

For example: Alex (LSGH) or Alex (COLF) or Alex (Met at Starbucks that one time)

You could also put in our relationship or your affiliations.

Or just blank. That would be a crazy power move. You're THE [insert name]. Every other [insert name] has to have clarification, but not you.

Plus, I'm inviting people from different social circles. So, there's probably people coming whom you don't know.

Hence, don't give out last names so you don't get doxxed. But do give out affiliation/relationship/whatever I just said, so everyone has an idea of who's who.

Imagine asking for gifts. Can't be me.

Nice website, yeah? It's my first one, btw. I learned CSS, HTML, and JavaScript for this.
It was a pretty coincidence that I also had to take a PHP & SQL class in school too.
I began working on it at the start of October I think. There was some sort of PHP exploit going around near the end of that month.
I had to postpone publishing the site because of it, to make sure all my shit's patched.


I did jack shit for cybersecurity. I handed all that off to Namecheap.
They're the ones I'm renting the server from. It's like ~300/a month ($5.88 a month).
Despite their name, they're actually known for their affordability and decent security features.
Should be all good. Still, I'm not storing any valuable/useful data in here. Just the names you input.
Well also, who registered first and so on.
I asked around in school. My classmates were going off about VPS and just having someone else manage my database.
Huh? Are they idiots? I wouldn't trust anyone to handle my data except me.
Like, why pay someone to do something you can just do yourself?


So, I have this cousin who had her 18th birthday. I didn't think much of it initially.
But my brother showed me something on his phone; she had a freaking website.
I thought that was pretty reasonable, but all my sisters were flipping out/amazed at that stuff.
So, I thought: Why not? I could definitely do better than hers.


I think it was made with like SquareSpace or WordPress? I'm not sure.
I did notice a notice at the bottom of her gift registry that there was some 3rd party service taking commissions off it.
Imagine that. She probably spent more money on her site than I did on mine.
I wonder if I can just make other people websites for money?


Oh, yeah. These are just my thoughts. There's no clues here for the scavenger hunt game thingy.
I wanted to make the puzzles harder. But like, I want even my stupidest friend to be able to figure it out.
At first, I was considering stuff like base64 encoding, translations into Ancient Greek & Esperanto, subliminal audio messages...
Stuff like that. My main inspirations were Doki Doki Literature Club & the SCP Foundation.
Maybe if this thing is well-received, I'll do it again next year but with more interesting puzzles.

Messenger:

Spotify playlist:

Discord:

IRC:

Begin your journey where else but at the start.
Underneath the guardian's boot lies buried my art.
Fish out the message drowned in legends' past,
For only in a moment's respite, the Truth shall be clear at last.

Konami's secret shall pave the way.
At the rythm's end, the second clue lay.
Take reckless heed of the muse's counsel.
Ease into your own meter, and not to that of some console.

Three-quarters in, persistence is key.
To fulfill one's desire, you must ignore their plea.
Yet to answer or refuse their call, that is your cue.
Seven in, then seven down will you find the third clue.

Reach into the records, and navigate this forest of timbre.
Seek the wish in sight and steal the Name of its singer.
Take your loot, measured twice and cut once.
Leave the child and run with the prize; last of the hunts.