@MarxAfterDark I think just using ipython repl with .py files should work fast? Vscode python extension has this feature like matlab where you can separate cells using #%% in regular .py files. I use vim and ipython, but my use case is different.
After self-hosting my email for twenty-three years I have thrown in the towel 😩
Email is now an oligopoly, a service gatekept by a few big companies which does not follow the principles of net neutrality.