#Server monitoring cloud

[nwspl]

SQL Server Management Studio Cloud Effective database management is essential for businesses in today's data-driven world. Enter SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS), a powerful tool that becomes even more convenient and flexible when hosted in the cloud. This innovation is a game-changer, and NWSPL is at the forefront, offering you seamless access to SQL Server Management Studio in the cloud. Visit us to know more : https://nwspl.in/cloud-server-management/

[abbiistabbii]

I think every computer user needs to read this because holy fucking shit this is fucking horrible.

So Windows has a new feature incoming called Recall where your computer will first, monitor everything you do with screenshots every couple of seconds and "process that" with an AI.

Hey, errrr, fuck no? This isn't merely because AI is really energy intensive to the point that it causes environmental damage. This is because it's basically surveilling what you are doing on your fucking desktop.

This AI is not going to be on your desktop, like all AI, it's going to be done on another server, "in the cloud" to be precise, so all those data and screenshot? They're going to go off to Microsoft. Microsoft are going to be monitoring what you do on your own computer.

Now of course Microsoft are going to be all "oooh, it's okay, we'll keep your data safe". They won't. Let me just remind you that evidence given over from Facebook has been used to prosecute a mother and daughter for an "illegal abortion", Microsoft will likely do the same.

And before someone goes "durrr, nuthin' to fear, nuthin to hide", let me remind you that you can be doing completely legal and righteous acts and still have the police on your arse. Are you an activist? Don't even need to be a hackivist, you can just be very vocal about something concerning and have the fucking police on your arse. They did this with environmental protesters in the UK. The culture war against transgender people looks likely to be heading in a direction wherein people looking for information on transgender people or help transitioning will be tracked down too. You have plenty to hide from the government, including your opinions and ideas.

Again, look into backing up your shit and switching to Linux Mint or Ubuntu to get away from Microsoft doing this shit.

[meriablog]

youtube.com/watch?v=xw9-Wsz_uyU

Leveraging AI and SEO (AI and Innovation Theme)* (youtube.com)

Cloudways seo Leveraging AI and SEO (AI and Innovation Theme)* (youtube.com)

[thedbahub]

Mastering Performance Monitoring with T-SQL on Azure Arc SQL

In the ever-evolving landscape of cloud computing, Microsoft’s Azure Arc stands out as a beacon for managing hybrid and multi-cloud environments seamlessly. Among its many features, Azure Arc enabled SQL Server offers a unique opportunity for database administrators and developers to monitor and enhance the performance of their SQL databases, irrespective of where they reside. This article delves…

[ctrlsblog]

CtrlS Datacenters has been consciously investing and implementing design and operational approaches that make a material contribution to progress towards its ‘Net Zero’ carbon targets.

[kingofthewilderwest]

To everyone who asked, and to everyone who didn't:

Yes. I have somewhere between 1,000 and 2,000 of TwoSet's videos, all in HD quality. LINK BELOW

Earlier this year in 2024, I downloaded every single TwoSet Violin public video from their YouTube and scoured other sites like Bilibili and Facebook to get videos they'd deleted from at least one platform. My goal was to make some fandom compilation videos that'd require going through every video.

I do not have the last few months of 2024 (which I'm kicking myself for... I literally almost did a download update on SUNDAY). But I have almost everything.

2 mil, 3 mil, 4 mil, Fantasia, Hilary Hahn or Ray Chen collabs, Producer Shaun, professional versus beginner, violin charades, that cheeky skit you shared on Facebook in 2016

Their world tour VODs, including my own personal captures of their latest VOD stream

Some of the content from their Facebook kickstarter livestreams that I found from other fans.

I've been collecting all their TikTok videos currently, too. I've downloaded a spattering of their Instagram stories from 2024 and might have a small collection of recent Instagram videos, too.

I do not have everything, but I have a fuckton and I want to share it with as many people as possible, and collaborate with as many people as possible to fill in the missing pieces.

Please contact me if you have your own archives or know people working on other archives. I'm talking with a few people about starting a Google Drive project, but I don't know the big names in the TSV fandom and thus could be missing out on people who've done a lot of other work

It's more likely that this will clear over in the coming days / weeks / month / whatever and we'll have their official channel again. I'm still going to keep believing that. But it doesn't erase the importance of making sure the media we love doesn't become lost media. I have respect for content creators to monitor what does and doesn't stay on their platform, but for the sake of preservation of media, for the sake of helping a community, I want to make sure this archive is in place and widely accessible to TwoSetters.

My current cloud server is VERY MUCH a work in progress. I am in the middle of an extremely busy week and trying to do this around an office job and a half. It will take me time to upload everything, and even more time to organize everything. But the cloud server link is active, and I will keep people updated about the progress of my archiving through a PDF text file (not yet uploaded) in said cloud. If I collaborate with people for Google Drive systems, if I do other backups, I will let people know there and on my other social media accounts.

I am new and naive to Terabox. I started with Terabox because it's free to upload up to a terabyte of content. I think it should be free to download everything in full quality, but I don't know. People should inform me how it works. It's currently -- I'm sorry -- VERY poorly organized and requires Scrolling (TM), but short of that issue (which will be fixed with organization), I hope it gets people what they need.

Also: Reddit has suspended me for a few days lol (really I'm getting a slap on the wrist for how blatantly I was marching about), so if people want to start spreading this link to others in private chats elsewhere with known TwoSetters, the more the merrier! The purpose of this is to be a resource, either short-term or long-term.

[haoboutyou]

hello!!! I really enjoy your fics and was wondering if you could do wonwoo, cheol & mingyu where they're crushing on you? separate ones!!

when they have a crush on you | hhu

fluff | 1278 words (300-ish per member) | no warnings

an: hihi! hope this is what you're looking for! it took me a while ngl I have new-found respect for headcanon writers T-T + added vernon because 🤷🏽‍♀️

divider credit

1. Choi Seungcheol

He carries your bags for you. 

You’re not sure when it started, but you’ve noticed that Seungcheol would always carry your bags for you, even despite your insistence. It’s like he’s made it his own personal mission to carry your stuff for you, even when you’re out with others. of course, this came hand in hand with the other guys teasing you two whenever you hung out. It doesn’t help that Jeonghan often jokes that Seungcheol’s crush on you is an open secret, but the boy in question wouldn’t even dispel his best friend’s words, flushing bright red every time.

“Seungcheol, give me that!”

Seungcheol stops in his tracks, causing you to bump into his back. The equipment in the box clinks against each other as he turns around, facing you. Wordlessly, he dumps the box into your waiting arms, smirking when you almost topple over at the unexpected weight. 

“I told you, sweetheart; leave the heavy lifting to me.”

You glance up at him, a slight blush from the unexpected nickname. When did he start calling you that? A bead of sweat glistens on your brow as you brush that thought away, your expression a mix of defiance and sheepishness. 

"I can manage," you mumble, trying your hardest to conceal the struggle in your tone.

He can’t shake off the apprehension swirling within him. He had warned you, hadn't he? Yet, you continue to persist, your determination outmatching your physical strength. Concern floods Seungcheol as he watches the way your arms tremble at the weight of the box. 

He approaches you, gently but firmly emphasising again. "I told you, y/n.” With a resigned sigh, he reached out, his hands enveloping the box, effortlessly lifting it from your grasp. "Stubborn as ever," his voice's a certain fondness, tugging at your heart for no apparent reason.

You watch him, a mixture of gratitude and embarrassment colouring your features as he continues walking away with the box. Eh, what harm is an extra hand?

2. Jeon Wonwoo

He lets you win in games.

Wonwoo’s proud of his in-game skills; he’s not afraid to say his reflexes sharp and his strategies are flawless. He’s rather good too– having high rankings in the server makes him cocky, Seungcheol likes to say. But as he glanced at his crush beside him, he notices the slight furrow of your brow, a hint of frustration clouding your features as you struggle to keep up.

A pang of empathy tugs at his heart. Wonwoo did ask you to join him at the internet cafe; he only wishes that you would learn to enjoy the game as much as he did. And so, in a split-second decision, he dials back his intensity, purposely taking on more hits to level the playing field.

Your eyes widened in surprise as you suddenly found your character gaining ground, rallying against the opposing team with newfound vigor. Unbeknownst to you, Wonwoo was subtly adjusting his tactics– allowing you to seize the advantage, all the while maintaining the illusion of competition.

Your team wins. Across you, Jihoon whoops in joy. “That’s foul!” Chan baulks opposite Wonwoo, clicking away furiously on his keyboard. Wonwoo smirks as he leans back in his chair, the loser banner blinking brightly on his screen. Arms stretching up, he leans over his monitor to peek your screen.

Your eyes seemed to shine brighter than the screen in front of you. Contrary to the boy next to you, your monitor flashes an animated victory banner.

“I did it! We–I did it!” you clap your hands together, grinning ear to ear. You lean towards Wonwoo to bump shoulders with him. 

He chuckles, arms crossing behind his head as he leans back in his seat. “Yes, you did!”

3. Chwe Vernon

He gets you medicine.

“Here.” A box drops in front of you, breaking the concentration you had on your laptop in front of you. 

You look up from your screen in confusion. “What’s this?” 

Vernon nudges the box of painkillers in front of you. He settles down on the chair opposite yours, acknowledging Seungkwan seated beside you. 

“You said you had a headache.” He acts nonchalant as he dives into conversation with his best friend, but the heavy blush creeping up his neck suggests otherwise. Yes, you had texted him earlier asking if he had painkillers on him, but you recalled him replying a plain ‘no’. Either he was lying (you doubt it– why would Vernon lie to you?) or he had stopped by a pharmacy just to pick up some for you.

You’re slightly flushing now, and not because of the dull throbbing in your head. Sure, Seungkwan had fed into your delusion earlier, suggesting that Vernon might have a crush on you– but there’s no way that’s, right?

You sneak a glance at your two best friends in front of you, now engaging in a deep argument about potatoes. Vernon’s brows furrow even deeper but soften when he realises you’re looking his way. The shy smile he sends your way causes cartwheels in your stomach before replacing it with an exaggerated gasp directed to Seungkwan’s way. 

You bury your head back into your laptop, mumbling a quick thanks before trying to focus on your work. Still, you can’t shake off what Seungkwan said about your best friend.

“Correct me if I’m wrong, but I think Vernon has a crush on you.”

“That’s ridiculous, Kwan. He sees me as a friend, just like you.”

Seungkwan wiggles his eyebrows, choosing to scroll on his phone instead half-heartedly. “Sure, Jan,” he scoffs.

You slink back deeper in your seat. That can’t be true, right?

4. Kim Mingyu

He gets jealous of others.

Mingyu watches from across the cafe as you laugh at something Seokmin said, your smile radiant, eyes sparkling with amusement. He feels a knot tighten in his stomach– a familiar pang of jealousy gnawing at his insides. Aren’t you standing a little bit too close for comfort? Your easy camaraderie is triggering a surge of insecurity within him.

Seokmin is charming, there is no denying it. He has a way with words, a magnetic-like personality that drew people in effortlessly. And you seem rather captivated, hanging on to his every word. Usually, your laughter rings out like music to Mingyu’s ears. Today, though, it was all a cacophony of discord. A reminder of what he could be missing out on.

He clenches his fists, trying to push down the rising tide of jealousy threatening to consume him. Mingyu knows he had no right to feel this way; you aren’t his to claim, and Seokmin had every right to befriend you. But logic did very little to quell the sudden surge of possessiveness coursing through his veins.

So he sits, pouting on his own until you notice him from the corner of your eye. He stares you down with his big puppy eyes until you sigh and walk over to your best friend. Your hand can’t help but run through his soft dark hair.

“What’s wrong, Gyu?”

“Hmm?” he leans into your touch, nuzzling against the palm of your hand. “Nothing, Y/n.”

You shoot him a condescending look. “Yeah? You shooting Seokmin daggers with your eyes for nothing?” Your eyes flutter shut as you sigh, shaking your heard in disbelief. Then, ruffling his hair, “If you say so, Gyu.” 

“Anyways,” Mingyu clears his throat, looking up at the cafe’s menu board. “Have you decided what to get? My treat today!” 

“Really?!” Your eyes sparkle, glad you won’t have to open your wallet today. “Help me finish the then cakes, okay? Promise!” 

[hometoursandotherstuff]

I have never seen anything like this- it's a mansion in the middle of a residential area. Built in 2000, in Dallas, TX, it has 0bds. 1ba, & is listed for $2.4M.

Surprise! The beautiful entrance foyer. Does anyone want to buy a Bitcoin Mining Center?

This looks like a break room.

According to the description: Formerly AT&T, this upgraded turnkey Tier 2 Data Center is a Full Liquid Cooling Immersion System. True multi-use facility whether you need AI services, cloud hosting, traditional data center, servers or even Bitcoin Mining - this site has it all! This property comes with all equipment included!

I don't even know what I'm looking at.

Steel Reinforced CMU, 3 Phase Power, 2 Power Grids, Backup Diesel Generator, Sites on Main Branch Lines of Communication Infrastructure for Dallas, Fire Suppression, Electronic Access, Bulletproof Glass, Double Safe Room Door, Raised Floor. There's a safe room?

Upgrades include: 500kw 3 Phase Panels with digital monitors, Full Liquid Immersion System, 500kw Dry Cooler, 3 Phase Pump, 3 Slic Tanks, 5 New HVAC Units.

So, they can just sell all this? They said it's turn key. So, is it bitcoin or what? I wonder why they're selling it. That's suspicious- maybe it's not making money, anymore.

Out back. That's all they have, a wood stockade fence around the property?

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/13229-Southview-Ln-Dallas-TX-75240/118222349_zpid/

[tidalpunk]

ReefOS, connected reefs and AI

WHAT IS ReefOS ReefOS is designed to become the most advanced artificial intelligence platform for coral reefs, providing an in-depth look at the health of reef ecosystems to help monitor and restore. This is a network of reefs with connected cameras and sensors collecting crucial data such as fish population abundance, species biodiversity, coral growth and coverage, and water temperature.

HOW IT WORKS The cameras and sensors are connected to cloud servers where our AI model extracts information from the streamed data. The data is organized and stored in our time-series database to determine the trends of the health of the reef ecosystem over time. We will be able to measure the impact of our restoration efforts by identifying and discovering changes in the ecosystem related to increased health. This will also allow us to detect early signs of disease, bleaching, or invasive species. Along with a live video stream of the reef, the data will be shared to members to see a view of how adopted corals have contributed to restoring the reef.

[nwspl]

Best Cloud Server Management Services in Dwarka Delhi By NWSPL

Cloud Server Management refers to the process of overseeing and controlling the various aspects of servers hosted in a cloud computing environment. In a cloud setup, servers are virtualized instances that run on physical hardware maintained by a cloud service provider. Effective management of these cloud servers is essential to ensure optimal performance, reliability, security, and cost efficiency. Here are key components and activities associated with cloud server management:

Provisioning and Deployment:

Description: Cloud server management involves the creation, configuration, and deployment of virtual servers as needed. This includes selecting the appropriate server specifications, operating system, and other settings based on the requirements of the applications or workloads.

2. Resource Scaling:

Description: Cloud environments allow for dynamic scaling of resources. Cloud server management includes the ability to scale server resources up or down based on changing demand. This ensures that the infrastructure can adapt to varying workloads efficiently.

3. Monitoring and Performance Optimization:

Description: Continuous monitoring of server performance metrics is a crucial aspect of cloud server management. Administrators use monitoring tools to track factors such as CPU usage, memory utilization, and network performance. Optimization strategies are then employed to enhance overall efficiency.

4. Security and Access Control:

Description: Ensuring the security of cloud servers is paramount. Cloud server management involves implementing security measures such as firewalls, encryption, and access controls. Administrators define user roles and permissions to restrict access to sensitive data and configurations.

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Description: Cloud service management panel includes the implementation of backup strategies to safeguard data. Administrators set up regular backup schedules and develop disaster recovery plans to mitigate the impact of unforeseen events or data loss.

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Description: Cloud server management includes ensuring compliance with industry regulations and organizational policies. Regular audits are conducted to assess and verify that servers adhere to security and compliance standards.

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In summary, cloud server management is a comprehensive set of activities aimed at maintaining the health, security, and efficiency of servers hosted in a cloud environment. It requires a combination of technical expertise, automation, and strategic planning to effectively leverage the benefits of cloud computing while meeting the specific needs of the organization.

Why Choose NWSPL for Cloud Server Management in Dwarka:

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Cloud Server Management Services:

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In conclusion, NWSPL in Dwarka, Delhi, stands as a comprehensive solution provider for your digital needs. By combining social media amplification, SEO strategies, and top-tier cloud server management services, we empower your brand to thrive in the dynamic and competitive online landscape. Partner with NWSPL to unlock the full potential of your digital presence and propel your business to new heights.

[nixcraft]

Do you need to keep track of the network traffic (bandwidth) usage for the Network interface controller (NIC) of your Debian Linux-based cloud or bare metal server? Look no forward. Try the vnStat, a free and open-source console-based network traffic monitor that keeps a log of 5-minute intervals, hourly, daily, monthly, and yearly network traffic for the selected interface. Once installed, vnStat can be used even without root permissions on most systems.

[luckystarchild]

I *do* keep my fanfic back-ups on discord. Actually it's where I write them too, so here's my process, it should be a good starting point at least.

Step 1: I write directly into discord. This is because discord is always in my pocket. However, there is a character limit, and it usually saves in progess posts for long periods of time. But if you don't hit enter there's always a chance the latest post will glitch. Honostly, character limit means you can't lose too much.

Step 2: I copy and paste it into notepad. This is because I want complete control over the formatting and want it compatible with *everything.* I make my chapters around 600 "lines" long which is shorter than yours so you may need to do some extra testing for step 3. If you have a lot of italics you'll want to pretend to edit the post and copy from that mode. It puts asterisks around your italics so they don't just disappear into the aether. (I put them back in in AO3).

Step 3: I upload the notepad to a condensed channel with only the chapters. Discord has a data limit for sharing files. I don't know what word processor you usually use, so you'll probably need to experiment with that. However, most of them can only be opened if the receiver has a copy of the same processor. Notepads open in discord (though with shitty formatting) and are downloadable by everyone. If you don't mind not having italics.

My step 4 is making it pretty for AO3.

I appreciate hearing about your process!

But there has been a miscommunication. When I said I was thinking of creating a Discord server for Lucky Child, my intention was NOT to host the story on Discord itself, nor use the platform as some kind of word processing alternative/a backup server for the text of the fanfic. The Discord server would function as a distribution center (providing download links to chapters as e-reader or txt files) and a chat/community center in the event Tumblr became unsafe and/or the AO3 servers went down and the comments section went with it.

Respectfully, I want to caution you against using Discord as your main writing program or as a backup server for your works. You should ideally be saving offline copies of your work that aren't hosted in the cloud on servers outside your control. If AO3 and Discord went down simultaneously, it sounds as though you'd lose all of your work. Unless you're saving those notepad files somewhere, you're putting the longevity of your body of work at risk. Any works in-progress that you haven't yet manually copied over to a notepad file are also at risk.

(Additionally, and at the risk of sounding pedantic, if you are using Discord as your primary word processor, you're not really "backing up" your work via Discord. That's your primary copy. It sounds like your backup is actually AO3, and potentially those notepad files if you're saving them offline.)

In the end, I'm trying to find a way to get Lucky Child to readers without relying on a single distribution platform (which at this time is AO3). Trusting your data to someone else's servers puts you at the exact risk I'm trying to avoid: censorship. Goggle Docs has been caught altering user's content or locking them out of their own content, and I can see a world where Discord follows suit and starts monitoring the content shared between users. I would avoid hosting the text of Lucky Child itself on the server to lessen chances of the story getting flagged.

If the system works for you, that's great, and thanks again for showing me your process! But it's not really relevant to my goals for LC and its distribution at this time.

[feminist-space]

"Just weeks before the implosion of AllHere, an education technology company that had been showered with cash from venture capitalists and featured in glowing profiles by the business press, America’s second-largest school district was warned about problems with AllHere’s product.

As the eight-year-old startup rolled out Los Angeles Unified School District’s flashy new AI-driven chatbot — an animated sun named “Ed” that AllHere was hired to build for $6 million — a former company executive was sending emails to the district and others that Ed’s workings violated bedrock student data privacy principles.

Those emails were sent shortly before The 74 first reported last week that AllHere, with $12 million in investor capital, was in serious straits. A June 14 statement on the company’s website revealed a majority of its employees had been furloughed due to its “current financial position.” Company founder and CEO Joanna Smith-Griffin, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles district said, was no longer on the job.

Smith-Griffin and L.A. Superintendent Alberto Carvalho went on the road together this spring to unveil Ed at a series of high-profile ed tech conferences, with the schools chief dubbing it the nation’s first “personal assistant” for students and leaning hard into LAUSD’s place in the K-12 AI vanguard. He called Ed’s ability to know students “unprecedented in American public education” at the ASU+GSV conference in April.

Through an algorithm that analyzes troves of student information from multiple sources, the chatbot was designed to offer tailored responses to questions like “what grade does my child have in math?” The tool relies on vast amounts of students’ data, including their academic performance and special education accommodations, to function.

Meanwhile, Chris Whiteley, a former senior director of software engineering at AllHere who was laid off in April, had become a whistleblower. He told district officials, its independent inspector general’s office and state education officials that the tool processed student records in ways that likely ran afoul of L.A. Unified’s own data privacy rules and put sensitive information at risk of getting hacked. None of the agencies ever responded, Whiteley told The 74.

...

In order to provide individualized prompts on details like student attendance and demographics, the tool connects to several data sources, according to the contract, including Welligent, an online tool used to track students’ special education services. The document notes that Ed also interfaces with the Whole Child Integrated Data stored on Snowflake, a cloud storage company. Launched in 2019, the Whole Child platform serves as a central repository for LAUSD student data designed to streamline data analysis to help educators monitor students’ progress and personalize instruction.

Whiteley told officials the app included students’ personally identifiable information in all chatbot prompts, even in those where the data weren’t relevant. Prompts containing students’ personal information were also shared with other third-party companies unnecessarily, Whiteley alleges, and were processed on offshore servers. Seven out of eight Ed chatbot requests, he said, are sent to places like Japan, Sweden, the United Kingdom, France, Switzerland, Australia and Canada.

Taken together, he argued the company’s practices ran afoul of data minimization principles, a standard cybersecurity practice that maintains that apps should collect and process the least amount of personal information necessary to accomplish a specific task. Playing fast and loose with the data, he said, unnecessarily exposed students’ information to potential cyberattacks and data breaches and, in cases where the data were processed overseas, could subject it to foreign governments’ data access and surveillance rules.

Chatbot source code that Whiteley shared with The 74 outlines how prompts are processed on foreign servers by a Microsoft AI service that integrates with ChatGPT. The LAUSD chatbot is directed to serve as a “friendly, concise customer support agent” that replies “using simple language a third grader could understand.” When querying the simple prompt “Hello,” the chatbot provided the student’s grades, progress toward graduation and other personal information.

AllHere’s critical flaw, Whiteley said, is that senior executives “didn’t understand how to protect data.”

...

Earlier in the month, a second threat actor known as Satanic Cloud claimed it had access to tens of thousands of L.A. students’ sensitive information and had posted it for sale on Breach Forums for $1,000. In 2022, the district was victim to a massive ransomware attack that exposed reams of sensitive data, including thousands of students’ psychological evaluations, to the dark web.

With AllHere’s fate uncertain, Whiteley blasted the company’s leadership and protocols.

“Personally identifiable information should be considered acid in a company and you should only touch it if you have to because acid is dangerous,” he told The 74. “The errors that were made were so egregious around PII, you should not be in education if you don’t think PII is acid.”

Read the full article here:

https://www.the74million.org/article/whistleblower-l-a-schools-chatbot-misused-student-data-as-tech-co-crumbled/

[fluffallamaful]

Familiarity in Flowers

🦙🦙🦙…

based on the results of Poll Fic #1

canon to Llama’s DSMP AU

finally. this is my first dsmp fic since june last year 😵‍💫 thank you all so much for your patience and understanding <33

Summary: Dream finds himself taking refuge in a tulip field after being broken out of prison. DreamXD finds him and Dream notices that the god is hiding something from him. His cheekiness and curiosity gets him tickled silly. TERRIFICALLY PLATONIC

Warnings: tickling, XD has four arms, mouth tickles

Word Count: 4880

please please enjoy oh my gosh

🦙🦙🦙…

Dream didn’t think that he had ever been more grateful to see a flower biome in his life.

His legs were tired, unfamiliar with the amount of physical exertion that they had been put through, and his prison wear proved to be useless at protecting him from the previous snow biome’s bite. He was tired, cold and exhausted; but he was also finally free.

Oak tree branches greeted him with open limbs as he finally stumbled over the biome’s border, a ceremony of colourful petals bowing down to him as he scurried past. His lungs wheezed hungrily at the sweet scented air; he’d been running ever since leaving Technoblade’s snowy cottage, and they were as tired and out of practice as his legs.

The piglin hybrid had been gracious enough to uphold his favour and escort Dream safely away from the angry crowds outside his prison, but he had also made it clear that that would be the end of his prison break-out service. Once again, Dream had been stripped of the safety-net of having someone to fight alongside, but more importantly, the fresh set of armour that he had been given. Optimistically, he was aware that he’d be able to recover both, he just needed to find Punz.

A few more chunks of desperate bounding saw Dream’s body disappointingly reach its limit. A small clearing within the flowery forest broke his fall as his legs literally gave out beneath him. He tumbled a few more blocks after that, rolling limply through a patch of unsuspecting pink and orange tulips, and landing face down into the grass beneath.

There was barely enough strength left in him to open his eyes, but he managed to groan and roll himself onto his back, batting at the curious tulips and grass stems that leant down to smother his face — analyzing their new company. He knew that there was no way that he could run another step; his chest heaved and his legs trembled even whilst just lying, sprawled out in a flower field. Though he was certain that he had run far enough to lose any of his angry followers.

Beyond the waving tulips in his peripheral vision, a bright, blue sky stretched out above him, smeared with fluffy, white clouds. A breath of wind blew across the clearing. Dream listened to it approach, and then finally mustered up the energy to lift himself up onto his elbows to bathe in it. He tilted his head up, closing his eyes as the breath gently pulled at his unkept hair, listening to the whispers of the field around him as it basked in the same feeling. It felt more incredible than he could have ever imagined, an immovable smile crept up his face.

Catching his breath allowed him to take in the beauty of his surroundings, as he began to sort through his inventory. Ahead of him was a dark oak forest, one that prompted him with the need to feel just a little more prepared for the approaching night.

Although he didn’t have his armour, he still had managed to collect an array of useful items during his escape; four healing potions, two fire resistance potions, seventeen ender pearls, a half-used nether axe and half a stack of steak were only the beginnings of his findings. He laid them out neatly in the field in front of him once he had counted them, each one glistening beautifully under the glorious rays of the server’s sunshine. He still had this eerie feeling that someone was watching him — no doubtably a drawback from being monitored in prison for a whole year — but he tried his hardest to ignore it.

Another breeze rolled across the field and Dream lifted his head again. He shut his eyes, listening to the whispering life forms around him and it rushed past his face. A subtle shift in the air flow around him raised suspicion in his gut, potentially another symptom of his paranoia; but as a shadow made itself present against the backs of his eyelids, he was left with no other choice but to give into its nagging, pulling away from his moment of serenity.

He made the right call.

The flower field that once lay out in front of him had now been replaced, blocked. In its place was instead a looming figure, one that wore a white porcelain mask and very nearly scared Dream all the way out of his skin. He let out a yell, jolting back away from the upside down face, and gasping sharply when a set of familiar, cloak-covered arms broke his fall. The face leant in, apparently having no regard for Dream’s personal space. It was as equally familiar as the arms that held him.

“XD..?” He questioned, unable to control the startle in his voice. He could hear his heart racing in his ears as a low chuckle rumbled out from behind the mask, vibrating up his spine.

“Dream.” The being greeted, removing himself from Dream’s space. Dream felt himself relax, letting out a breath of relief as he was tilted back up into his original position. He scrambled himself around to face the familiar god, lifting up his chin.

Despite appearing significantly smaller to how he had done in prison, DreamXD was still tall, reaching well over four blocks and towering over Dream’s seated body. Their stance was rigid, gaze directed out towards the dark oak biome’s borders behind him. They seemed disgruntled by something, Dream recognised the subtle signs of worry.

“You scared me!” He accused, naturally shrinking away when the god’s attention shifted back down to him. They stared at him for a moment behind unreadable porcelain, before their shoulders also appeared to relax, and an amused smile stretched beneath their mask instead.

“You’re a long way from prison.” They purred. Their rigidity appeared to be brushed aside as they dipped down to join Dream in his patch of flowers. His cloak arranged itself around him during his descent, blanketing any nearby tulips in a sea of deep green, and chasing out a gust of displaced air as it did so. “How did you manage that?”

Dream felt his lips wobble and stretch to mirror their expressions.

“Techno broke me out.” He began, hopelessly proud. “He dug through the wall and we swam out through the lava. Like it was honestly so cool, it was like — four of us versus the whole server. It was epic!”

The god scoffed at his enthusiasm, but even so Dream couldn’t stop himself from rambling. The feeling of being free was exhilarating, and the god’s presence always seemed to bring out a hidden vulnerability within himself. He had an aura of safety around him, a radiating warmth that always managed to draw Dream in.

He ended up explaining his breakout in great detail, and DreamXD allowed him every word. It felt good to have someone to talk to, and incredible to have the wind on his shoulders and grass beneath his body.

“Well aren’t you a clever one.” The deity praised once Dream’s recount came to an end. They had picked up one of his healing potions and were tapping patiently at its glass. Dream beamed at the words. He was aware that they were laced with subtle sparks of humour and sarcasm — DreamXD was a being beyond mortal troubles after all — but his smile was wide and proud regardless.

“George will be pleased to see you.” They continued, offering Dream a friendly smile. The phrase was clearly meant to be comforting, reassuring. It was spoken with such a soft tone and was ended with an even softer smile, and yet the mere mentioning of his old friend sent Dream’s body into a panic. His heart leapt to his throat, thudding away against his voice box as his body promptly drained itself from all remnants of pride and joy.

George…

He hadn’t expected to hear that name so soon, in fact he was borderline ignoring it. Dream hadn’t even considered that he’d now be able to reunite with his former best friend; half of him wanted to believe that it was because he was mad at George, but the other half was louder and far more convincing.

He was afraid.

The fear of being rejected pin pricked all over his skin at the innocent mention of the brunette’s name, along with a set of carelessly crafted "What if’s?”:

What if George shared the same motives as Sapnap? What if he believed that Dream deserved to rot away in prison?

The idea of George being disappointed or angry at Dream wrapped tightly around his throat.

What if he tried to hurt him? What if George got hurt because of Dream again?

The panicked flurry of thoughts took Dream’s hesitation as an opportunity to speak without his permission.

“No.” He found himself saying, stern and clear. The smile below XD’s mask faded into a frown. Dream felt his chest tighten. “I’m- I’m sorry.” He followed up quickly. The god carefully replaced the healing potion back down into the grass. He nodded his head, slowly. Dream could tell that he was disappointed.

Another breeze rolled over the field, filling the silence between the two beings with whooshing whispers. It settled Dream a little, but didn’t do much to alleviate the weight of guilt on his shoulders. He felt on the verge of tears — a feeling that he seldom felt, provided that he wasn’t unaccompanied by the apparent-god of the server. He felt silly and pathetic and so unbelievably overrun with guilt.

“George likes these sorts of flowers.” The god’s voice was a soft rumble, combining perfectly with the whispering flora around them. Dream looked over to him, they were disassembling an orange tulip, petal by petal. He managed to nod his head in agreement, but his mind was well and truly elsewhere.

“I just- don’t want him getting hurt...” He confessed, earnestly. It was not the full truth, but it was one that he felt XD would at least be able to understand, or more to the point, one that he was comfortable admitting. To his surprise the god scoffed at his explanation.

“Nothing is going to hurt George.” They stated firmly, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. His tone was confident but Dream also sensed that the affirmation was not only meant for him. He tilted his head, beckoning the god to elaborate, but they merely switched topics.

“How did you find this place?” The orange tulip had been dismantled, and the deity moved to fiddle with Dream’s axe instead. Dream watched him easily handle the weapon as though it were a small twig.

The wording of the question caught his attention, pairing with the god’s previous claim and sparking a fire of curiosity within him.

‘This place.’

To Dream this indicated some sort of significance to the clearing.

“I don’t know, I just ran.” He shrugged, watching curiously as XD’s gait appeared to freeze; their fiddling stopped and their gaze lifted up to stare past him into the dark oak biome like before. Intriguingly, their worry seemed to have returned.

“Why?” Dream asked, turning to scan the edges of the forest’s border in case there was someone or something lurking there. He couldn’t see anything out of the ordinary, maybe a few more mushrooms than he’d expect, but that was all. When he turned back, the god was focused on him instead. He shifted under their gaze.

“No reason.” They claimed. Dream eyed him suspiciously. It sounded very much like a lie. He decided to pry further.

“You keep looking over there… Is there something in there?”

It was intriguing to watch a being as inhuman as XD portray such human reactions. Dream watched the god hesitate at his question. Their shoulders rolled with the obvious pressure of keeping a secret, and his axe was promptly replaced back down into the grass.

“..No…”

Curiosity surged through Dream’s veins. His lips twitched into an amused smirk.

“You’re lying!” He pointed out, shuffling himself up onto his knees to face the good square on.

“I’m not!”

Dream couldn’t help but laugh, they just sounded so flabbergasted.

“Aren’t you like— a god or something? Shouldn’t you be able to keep secrets??” The god huffed at the call-out. Dream ignored him. “What’s in the dark oak forest?”

“Nothing!” Dream raised an eyebrow, he’d never seen XD so squirmy.

He decided to push the god further, allowing himself to stand and turn himself towards the forest again. The deity acted as he felt he would, whooshing their way into his vision to block his view. Dream dodged around him, expecting the reaction, and found himself to laugh at the god’s yell of dismay.

“You’re hiding something!” He yipped, making a break for the dark oak’s borders. Along with XD’s ability to coax out Dream’s most deepest vulnerabilities, he also apparently had the ability to inject giddy curiosity into his veins.

The whoosh of XD’s cloak appeared again, this time engulfing Dream in its fabric before he had a chance to dodge around it

“No! Let me see!!” Dream yelped. His heart fluttered with excitement, parting his lips into a giddy smile. There was something in the dark oak forest, there was just no way that there wasn’t! He giggled as the god hissed out his disapproval.

“It’s not for humans. No one is supposed to be able to find this place.” The god’s arms adjusted around Dream, blocking any wriggly escape attempts with a replenishing wall of fabric.

“Supposed to?” Once again the wording caught Dream’s attention. The cloak had muffled his voice but had done nothing to dampen his curiosity. “Does that mean that somebody has already found it?”

A beat of silence from the god caused Dream’s smile to triple in width. The reaction was enough to quench his query, and he went back to batting and wading through his fabric prison.

It was a hopeless process.

“You are asking, a lot of questions...” The god growled, slowly. Their arms tightened around Dream’s waist, stilling his squirming entirely.

The warning tone in his voice could not have been more clear, leading Dream to believe he was on the right track with his prying. All common sense and caution had been lost to the impulsivity of his adrenaline. “So I take that as a yes?”

Another low, irritated growl rumbled out from behind him. Dream chuckled, tilting his head up and providing XD with a victorious smile. It was fascinating to watch the clear signs of frustration play out on XD’s face, despite it being mostly hidden by his mask. Dream was able to paint a vivid picture of what his full expressions may look like based on just the pout that twisted his lips; they were well and truly peeved.

“It’s too easy~” He teased. XD bared his teeth into a snarl, a much firmer warning. Dream supplied a cheeky grin in return, but he felt his heart pound when the god’s snarl crept its way up into a smile; a slow creeping, mischievous smile.

“You’re a lot more spritely out here than you were cooped up in that cell.” They observed, a sudden smoothness and venom to their tone. Dream gasped as the hands around his waist suddenly stirred, shuffling beneath the deity’s cloak and latching themselves onto his sides. His common sense made a quick return, pushing its way back into control and immediately barking out warnings to his nervous system.

“W-wahAIt NO!!” He yelped, twisting amongst his cloak-prison. Any misplaced confidence was promptly chased away by new spikes of panic; though the giddy excitement circuiting his bloodstream remained. Together, the feelings collected and combined in his stomach, fluttering around clumsily like a newly hatched phoenix, before climbing up and out of his throat in the form of panicked, bubbly giggles.

“Usually you’re so sad and mopey.” The god continued over Dream’s emerging laughter, taunting him with the calmness in his tone. He drew circles into Dream’s sides, moving up and down the muscles despite the boy’s kicks and squirms.

“But now you’re so chipper!”

“NOhoho!! StAHAp!!”

“Wouldn’t you agree, Dreamie?” Dream’s laughter hiccuped as XD’s hands moved up to his ribs, stamping his feet into the grassy ground and scrunching up his shoulders as their playful growl rumbled through him.

“StAHAp!! Ohohobiviously!!” He whined, prying and clawing at the shape of their hands.

In hindsight, this form of retaliation from the god should have been better anticipated; Dream had of course never not been reduced to a giggly mess after each one of XD’s previous visits. He had been naive to challenge them, and he knew all too well that escaping the god was always a hopeless process, especially now that he was working with an exhausted body and giddy mind.

“You’re also much more sassy.”

Dream doubled over as the god’s fingers began climbing up his ribcage, trembling and squeaking as they kneaded and teased each bone.

“Nohoho Ihihi—!!”

“Still just as adorable though.”

Dream shook his head, quickly succumbing to the burn of his growing blush. Along with being impossible to escape, the god also had a certain way with his words that left Dream writhing. Their creeping squeezes and teasy comments moved faster than his tired brain could ever keep up with. It was simply impossible to console himself. He collected up two fistfuls of fabric and buried his face into them.

“Ehehehex Dehehehe…” He whined.

“And still just as ticklish.” A muffled protest was thrown into his cloak burrow.

“STA-hahaP! Ihih’m NOHOT!!” Dream cried. He hated that word. Hot fluster-borne tears gathered in his eyes as his skin prickled with chilling embarrassment. He slid down in XD’s hold, buckling at the knees and pressing his face further into his green haven.

“Ohhh, it’s too easy…” XD mocked, continuing their crawling journey up his ribcage. Their hold loosened around Dream’s waist, apparently taking pity on the ex-prisoner’s fluster, and allowing him some wiggle room.

Dream made no hesitation in abusing the deity’s gesture.

The second he felt XD’s hold relax, he re-engaged his squirming; kicking, prying, leaping and bouncing with any ounce of energy that he could muster up. Until finally, he was free.

“YES!!” He cried, tittering madly to himself as he scampered his way towards the dark oak’s border’s again. His heart raced in his chest, pounding excitedly at the thought of XD chasing him down. He hadn’t felt this sort of playful adrenaline in such a long time; not since before L’manburg. It felt as though he had been struck by lightning, like his brain was charged with childish curiosity and innocence. He couldn’t stop giggling.

His adrenaline carried him only a chunk or so before the burn of exhaustion swelled in his legs again, then it was only a few more blocks after that that his brief getaway was brought to its inevitable end. Two cloaked arms wrapped around his waist, engulfing him with familiar forest green, and lifting him from the ground. Before Dream could even think to fight his way free, or yelp out a protest, the world around him twirled.

Suddenly, he was looking at the dark oak biome from a new perspective, with a sky of tulips above his head, and a stretching sea of blue at his feet. He craned his neck up, only to find DreamXD’s signature, menacing grin staring back down at him; from in between his thighs…

“NoHO!!” He cried, letting out uncontrollable titters out at the sight. His legs were slung over the deity’s shoulders, and he was pinned down at his thighs by two large, clawed hands. The deity’s head rested in between, and their lower set of arms wrapped around Dream’s waist to keep him extra steady. Butterflies swarmed inside Dream’s stomach, and his head spun as he attempted to orientate himself.

“You really want to know what’s in there?” DreamXD mused, dragging long nails up and down Dream’s thighs.

Dream gasped, holding his breath to stifle his reactions. The god's claws were way out of his reach, and yet he still attempted to swing himself up to bat at them to defend himself. He was quickly broken into breathy, panicked giggles, which apparently prompted the deity’s hands to increase their pressure. The hands switched from tracing to squeezing, latching onto Dream’s thighs and massaging at his tired muscles.

“NahAHAha!! Fuhuhuhuck youhuhuhu!!” Dream cried, throwing his head back into free flowing cackles. He clawed at the hands around his waist as compensation for not being able to reach his thighs.

“Ohhhh fuck me??” The deity challenged. Dream squealed when their hands moved to taser at his inner thighs. “And to think that I was trying to protect you!!”

“EHEhEX DEHE!!”

“Maybe I will have to send you there after all!!” Dream shook his head. It didn’t matter how much he kicked, he wasn’t able to move his thighs in the slightest.

“Juhuhust tEHELl mehe whahat’s iN thehehere!!”

“Mm I don’t know if I should~” The deity crooned. “It’s not safe for mortals, like you!” His fingers moved down to tap and squeeze at Dream’s hip bones. Dream began squeaking through his laughter.

“Whyhyhy..?” He hiccuped, shaking his head again in an attempt to clear some of his brain fog. He felt dizzy and light, almost as though he were resting on clouds.

“It’s full of monsters!” XD hissed, snarling his answer in a playful whisper. “Monsters that were created to gobble up meddling mortals like you!”

Dream let out a squeal as the deity’s lower hands suddenly unwrapped themselves and scuttled up his sides. He yelped and yipped, battling with the delighted terror in his stomach. The lower set of arms left him with enough freedom to twist and swing, but the new firmer hold on his thighs still kept him from falling.

“NAHAhHaha!! I cahan tahahake thehehem! Juhuhust let me gohoho!!”

“Ohhh you wouldn’t stand a chance!!”

Dream screamed as the god moved his scuttling around to his stomach, showering the sensitive area with unpredictable spidering.

“You’re just far too ticklish to win against a tickle monster.”

“XD!!” Dream yelled, bucking his hips in a wild panic. His stomach fluttered and flustered under the soft touch, burning itself up into a hot lava mess and oozing its way down to his neck and cheeks. “YOU’RE LYING!”

“And the tickle monsters love ticklish little snacks like you!”

“NOHO!!” He wailed.

His body fell back limp against XD’s, losing himself to waves of laughter, and strings of incoherent babbles. He pried at the god’s hands but it hardly made a difference in their attack.

Once the hands found their way beneath Dream’s prison shirt and onto his bare skin, Dream truly felt that he had been teleported into the clouds. His skin fluttered and jumped at every scritch and scratch from the god, leaving behind an army of goosebumps and shivers each time. Mirthful tears in his eyes made the dark oak forest look like a painting, washed and abstract, and he could feel that his cheeks and stomach were as hot as the nether.

“Soooo flustered!” The god crooned. He loosened his hold around Dream’s thighs, letting him slide down towards the waving flower field below, and stilling his skittering fingers. “The monsters will be most pleased!”

Dream immediately covered his face with a whine, muffling untameable titters into the palms of his hands. He wanted so desperately to curl up, but his body was feeling far too weak and fluffy to obey any of his orders.

Flowers and grass stems greeted him with playful kisses and whispers once he was fully lowered into their grasp. He giggled and squirmed amongst them, completely lost and overcome by his heightened sensitivity. The god followed him down, looming over him and making Dream squeak and yelp at the shadow he created.

“Dreamie, Dreamie, Dreamie...” He sighed, grinning wildly when the boy squeaked at that as well. “What am I going to do with you?”

Dream peaked out from behind his hands, huffing and puffing amongst his nerves. It was ironically the most alive and grounded that he had felt in a long time, despite his floaty state.

“Lehehet mehe gohoho?” He suggested, cheekily. He couldn’t help himself.

“Hmmm.” The deity hummed, clearly in feigned thought. Dream giggled at that too, overcome by childish energy. “I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to give myself a little taster before I send you off there…”

Dream’s eyes widened as the deity’s grin did, watching in disbelief as they opened their mouth to reveal their fangs growing and sharpening right before his eyes.

“Youhuhur— youhuhur, youhuhur—!” He squeaked. His heart thumped wildly and excitedly in his chest. “Whaha—whahat??”

“Just a little nibble.” They explained, before diving down closer to Dream. They buried themselves into the startled boy’s neck, and began grazing his teeth over the skin there.

Dream screamed, not just from the shock of the movement, but from the sheer panic that XD was actually going to bite him.

“NAAHAHA EHEHEX DEHEHE!!!” He wailed, thrashing wildly beneath the god’s large body. Somehow, their teeth didn’t hurt in the slightest, but they did tickle. A whole lot.

Dream, was thrown into immediate hysterics, scrunching his shoulders up and pushing desperately at XD’s shoulders. He swore that he could feel each tooth nipping at the meat of his neck, grazing the sensitive area with the perfect amount of pressure to drive him insane. He arched his back, scuffing his boots into the grassy earth and cackling wildly like he had never done so before.

“PLEHEHEHEHEASE!!!” He cried, trying his darndest to wriggle and squirm away from the unbelievable feeling. The god hummed into his neck, causing Dream to yelp and scream at the buzzing feeling that it left behind. They moved up from the meaty muscles of his trapezium onto the softer skin on the side of his neck. Dream wheezed and thumped his fist into XD’s back.

It was only a few moments after the change of spots that XD apparently decided that Dream had had enough, and he pulled himself away to let the boy recover.

A blinding warmth replaced the deity’s shadow once they moved to sit in the flower field beside Dream. It cradled him in a soothing halo, and Dream didn't argue with its demand for him to keep his eyes closed, focusing on the swirling colours that danced around in the backs of his eyelids.

His skin tingled all over, lighting the fire that kept his giggles alive and bubbling, but also joining forces with the sun and smothering Dream in a comforting blanket of warmth. He felt safe, cozy. He could feel the gentle touches of the flower field around him, reminding him that he was being watched over. He leant into their brushes and sweeps, still giggling to himself and managing to scrunch when a curious tulip dipped down to check in on his neck.

“Plehe-ehehease..!!” He tittered, not really to anyone in particular. He felt dazed, blissed out, and more free than he had ever felt before.

Eventually his breathing calmed down enough for his giggles to die out, leaving him only with a huge smile. He opened his eyes to take in the blue sky above him, adoring the feeling of crisp forest air in his lungs. He wished he could feel this way forever.

“George is in there.”

XD’s voice startled Dream enough to make him jump. He snapped his head around to address the deity.

“Wh-hat.” He cleared his throat. “What did you say?”

“George.” The deity said again. He nodded his head towards the dark oak biome.

Dream sat up, following the god’s gaze out across the dark oak borders. The cogs in his brain grinded and churned, trying to understand what the deity meant, until suddenly he was swarmed with flashes of memories, reminding him of the night that XD had actually brought him to see George.

Was this the same dark oak forest??

“No one is supposed to be able to find it.” The deity explained, fiddling with a grass stem. “But you did.” He looked up to address Dream. Dream looked back to the forest again.

George.

“He’s ready to see you now. If you would like.” The god’s offer was gentle, soothing. He had lost much of his echoed voice and his tone made Dream feel warm and welcomed.

He nodded his head, slowly. XD visibly lit up at his agreeance. Dream couldn’t help but smile.

He allowed for the deity to pick him up, clinging onto soft green fabric as he was maneuvered into a cradle. His aching muscles wasted no time in melting into the god’s arms, and his lungs were quick to time their compressions to the thumping of his heart. The exhaustion that Dream had been trying to fight off so badly finally had the chance to catch up to him. His eyelids drooped under its pull, and his hands loosened their grip around the deity’s comforting fabric.

The pair didn’t even reach the dark oak’s border before sleep found its way to Dream, wrapping him in a cocoon of bliss, warmth and familiarity. He truly was finally free.

🦙🦙🦙…

so happy that i’ve finally finished this one. i’ve been working so much on it :D