diff --git a/bin/altaria/default b/bin/altaria/default
index 78ce745..c98b4f8 100755
--- a/bin/altaria/default
+++ b/bin/altaria/default
@@ -1,6 +1,19 @@
 #!/bin/zsh
 source ${0:a:h}/xorg.zsh
 
+case $MONITOR_CONFIGURATION in
+	home )
+		;;
+	unknown )
+		echo 'unknown state; using default configuration to prevent monitor issues'
+		xrandr --output $(xrandr | grep ' connected' | awk '{print $1;}') --primary
+		scwrypts desktop i3 set background -- $(scwrypts -n get theme).jpg
+		$DOTWRYN/bin/polybar
+		scwrypts desktop play sound        -- login
+		return 0
+		;;
+esac
+
 USE_SMOL=false
 xrandr -q | grep $XRANDR_OUTPUT__smol | grep -v 'disconnected' && {
 	xrandr -q | grep $XRANDR_OUTPUT__smol | grep -qv primary && {
diff --git a/bin/altaria/xorg.zsh b/bin/altaria/xorg.zsh
index 773f738..c6eb43c 100644
--- a/bin/altaria/xorg.zsh
+++ b/bin/altaria/xorg.zsh
@@ -25,6 +25,16 @@ XRANDR_ARGS__smol__1080p=(--output $XRANDR_OUTPUT__smol --mode $XRANDR_RESOLUTIO
 
 #####################################################################
 
+MONITOR_CONFIGURATION=unknown
+
+: \
+	&& xrandr --query | grep -q "^$XRANDR_OUTPUT__office connected" \
+	&& xrandr --query | grep -q "^$XRANDR_OUTPUT__livingroom connected" \
+	&& MONITOR_CONFIGURATION=home \
+	;
+
+###############################################################################
+
 XRANDR_SET() {
 	local ERRORS=0
 
diff --git a/config/code-activator.conf b/config/code-activator.conf
index 8f472a2..67937c2 100644
--- a/config/code-activator.conf
+++ b/config/code-activator.conf
@@ -5,9 +5,17 @@
 # e.g. "$HOME/Projects/GitHub" will be called "GitHub" in the CLI
 #
 # directories must be fully-qualified
-CA__DIRS=(
-	$([ -d "$HOME/Projects" ] && find "$HOME/Projects" -mindepth 1 -maxdepth 1 -type d | sed 's/\/$//')
-	)
+
+CA__DIRS=()
+
+for __CA_DIR_LOOKUP in \
+	"$HOME/Projects" \
+	;
+do
+	__CA_DIR_LOOKUP="$(readlink -f -- "$__CA_DIR_LOOKUP")"
+	[ "$__CA_DIR_LOOKUP" ] && [ -d "$__CA_DIR_LOOKUP" ] && CA__DIRS+=($(find "$__CA_DIR_LOOKUP" -mindepth 1 -maxdepth 1 -type d | sed 's/\/$//'))
+done
+unset __CA_DIR_LOOKUP
 
 # additional cloning targets; MUST END IN ':' or '/'
 #    e.g. 'git@my.githost.com:' or 'git@github.com:w0ryn/'
diff --git a/config/i3.conf b/config/i3.conf
index 9a8c70c..a2e6ca7 100644
--- a/config/i3.conf
+++ b/config/i3.conf
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ bindsym $mod+7 workspace number "7"; exec --no-startup-id polybar-msg cmd show
 bindsym $mod+8 workspace number "8"; exec --no-startup-id polybar-msg cmd hide
 bindsym $mod+9 workspace number "9"; exec --no-startup-id polybar-msg cmd show
 bindsym $mod+0 workspace number "0"; exec --no-startup-id polybar-msg cmd hide
-
+bindsym $mod+g workspace "🎮"; exec --no-startup-id polybar-msg cmd hide
 
 bindsym $mod+Shift+1 move container to workspace number "1"
 bindsym $mod+Shift+2 move container to workspace number "2"
@@ -99,6 +99,7 @@ bindsym $mod+Shift+7 move container to workspace number "7"
 bindsym $mod+Shift+8 move container to workspace number "8"
 bindsym $mod+Shift+9 move container to workspace number "9"
 bindsym $mod+Shift+0 move container to workspace number "0"
+bindsym $mod+Shift+g move container to workspace "🎮"
 
 mode "resize" {
         bindsym h resize grow width 10 px or 10 ppt
@@ -121,7 +122,7 @@ floating_modifier $mod
 bindsym $mod+Shift+Tab move scratchpad
 bindsym $mod+Tab scratchpad show
 
-set $GAMES_CLIENT_CLASSES ^(Steam)|(dolphin-emu)|(Visualboyadvance-m)|(steam_app_.*)$
+set $GAMES_CLIENT_CLASSES ^(steam)|(dolphin-emu)|(Visualboyadvance-m)|(steam_app_.*)$
 bindsym $mod+Shift+x [class=$GAMES_CLIENT_CLASSES] scratchpad show
 
 set $TERMINAL_EMULATOR_CLASSES ^(Alacritty)$
@@ -141,6 +142,9 @@ for_window [window_type="dialog"] floating enable
 for_window [window_type="menu"] floating enable
 for_window [class="[xX]fce4-notifyd"] border pixel 0
 
+# gaming stuff
+for_window [class="^steam_app_"] move container to workspace "🎮"
+
 ################################################################################
 ## i3 Settings #################################################################
 ################################################################################
diff --git a/config/polybar.ini b/config/polybar.ini
index 37893d7..1d08b56 100644
--- a/config/polybar.ini
+++ b/config/polybar.ini
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ separator = "  "
 separator-foreground = ${colors.disabled}
 
 font-0 = Monaspace Krypton:style=Bold
-font-1 = Noto Color Emoji:style=Regular
+font-1 = Noto Color Emoji:style=Regular:scale=9;
 font-2 = Symbols Nerd Font:style=Regular
 font-3 = DejaVu Sans:style=Bold
 font-4 = Font Awesome 6 Free
diff --git a/scwrypts/dotwryn/desktop/xorg/i3/launch-or-show b/scwrypts/dotwryn/desktop/xorg/i3/launch-or-show
index ebaa5d3..b2674f0 100755
--- a/scwrypts/dotwryn/desktop/xorg/i3/launch-or-show
+++ b/scwrypts/dotwryn/desktop/xorg/i3/launch-or-show
@@ -4,10 +4,11 @@ use system/desktop/notify
 DEPENDENCIES+=(i3-msg xdotool xrandr)
 #####################################################################
 
-USAGE="
+USAGE__description="
 	usage: <path-executable> [client-class] [...options...]
+	"
 
-	options
+USAGE__options="
 	  -c, --client <string>   if different from the executable name, xprop CLIENT_CLASS
 
 	  -s, --scale <value>     (default: 0.8 or 0.5 if screen width >3000px)
@@ -21,7 +22,9 @@ USAGE="
 	  --has-statusbar-icon    (default: false) use if program has a statusbar icon
 
 	  -h, --help              print this message and exit
+	  "
 
+USAGE__description="
 	Makes it easy to bind appications to key shortcuts without having to
 	spin up redundant instances or cycle through the scratchpad queue.
 
diff --git a/zsh/rc.d/19.plugins-local.zsh b/zsh/rc.d/19.plugins-local.zsh
index d685e07..c41e306 100644
--- a/zsh/rc.d/19.plugins-local.zsh
+++ b/zsh/rc.d/19.plugins-local.zsh
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 #####################################################################
 
 ZSH_PLUGINS+=($(
-	find "$HOME/.local/zsh" -type f 2>/dev/null
+	find "$(readlink -f -- "$HOME/.local/zsh")" -type f 2>/dev/null
 	))
 
 #####################################################################