#best cloud computing for business

[techygrowth]

Cloud Computing provides integrated application & network to business solutions. It provides numerous design & deliver digital services to customers. Business needs cloud computing because of high performance, Advanced security, Efficitue cost, Scalability & flexibility etc. To choose the right cloud module there are some features, Business requirements, Budget, and Technical Expertise. If you want to get a clear idea about SaaS Vs PaaS Vs IaaS: Choose Right for Your Business, then explore our article.

[jcmarchi]

The 10 Best Cloud Hosting Providers (June 2024)

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/the-10-best-cloud-hosting-providers-june-2024/

The 10 Best Cloud Hosting Providers (June 2024)

Cloud hosting has transformed the way businesses manage their online presence by providing scalable, flexible, and reliable hosting solutions. Unlike traditional hosting, cloud hosting uses multiple servers to distribute resources, ensuring high availability and superior performance. Choosing the best cloud hosting provider is essential for businesses seeking robust performance, security, and the flexibility to efficiently handle varying resource demand as your website grows. This guide highlights the best cloud hosting providers, helping you find the ideal solution for your needs.

What is Cloud Hosting and How Does it Work?

Cloud hosting is a type of web hosting that uses multiple servers to balance the load and maximize uptime. Unlike traditional hosting solutions that rely on a single physical server, cloud hosting utilizes a network of interconnected servers to store and manage data. This setup ensures that resources are dynamically allocated across the servers, providing enhanced flexibility, scalability, and reliability.

In cloud hosting, websites and applications are hosted on a cluster of servers, often referred to as the “cloud.” When a user accesses a website, the request is distributed across multiple servers, ensuring that no single server becomes a bottleneck. This distribution allows for better handling of traffic spikes and provides a more consistent performance, even during high demand periods.

One of the key benefits of cloud hosting is its scalability. Users can easily scale their resources up or down based on their needs, without experiencing downtime or performance issues. This makes cloud hosting ideal for businesses that experience variable traffic patterns or are planning for growth. Additionally, cloud hosting typically includes features such as automated backups, disaster recovery, and enhanced security measures, ensuring that data is protected and easily recoverable in case of an emergency.

Who is Cloud Hosting For?

Cloud hosting is designed to cater to a wide range of users, from individual developers to large enterprises, offering scalability, flexibility, and robust performance. Here are some of the key audiences who can benefit significantly from cloud hosting:

Growing Businesses and Startups

Scalability and Flexibility: Startups and growing businesses often experience fluctuating traffic and require a hosting solution that can scale resources up or down based on demand. Cloud hosting provides this flexibility, allowing businesses to pay for only what they use and scale effortlessly as they grow.

E-commerce Websites

High Performance and Reliability: E-commerce sites require high uptime and fast load times to ensure a smooth shopping experience for customers. Cloud hosting offers excellent performance and reliability, which are crucial for online stores to prevent downtime and maintain customer satisfaction.

Ecommerce stores are also prone to traffic spikes especially for brands selling seasonal products – e.g: Christmas gifts shops will have peak sales towards the end of the year. A cloud hosting plan allows you to scale easily and pay only for the resources you nees.

Developers and Tech-savvy Users

Customization and Control: Developers and tech-savvy users benefit from the control and customization options that cloud hosting provides. With root access and the ability to configure server environments, they can tailor the hosting setup to meet specific application requirements.

Enterprises and Large Organizations

Robust Infrastructure: Large organizations with complex infrastructure needs require a robust and scalable hosting solution. Cloud hosting offers the necessary resources and reliability to support enterprise-level applications, ensuring business continuity and data integrity.

Educational Institutions and Research Organizations

Resource-intensive Applications: Educational and research institutions often run resource-intensive applications and simulations. Cloud hosting provides the computational power and storage needed for these applications, along with the ability to handle large datasets.

SaaS Providers

High Availability and Scalability: Software as a Service (SaaS) providers need hosting solutions that offer high availability and the ability to scale quickly to accommodate a growing user base. Cloud hosting delivers these capabilities, ensuring their applications remain accessible and perform excellently.

These Are The Very Best Cloud Hosting Providers

Cloudways stands out as a leading managed cloud hosting platform, offering exceptional flexibility and performance. 

Known for its exceptional performance optimization tools, Cloudways ensures your website runs smoothly and efficiently. Users benefit from features such as automated backups, staging environments, and advanced caching mechanisms. Additionally, Cloudways offers 24/7 expert support to help you tackle any issues promptly.

It allows users to deploy applications across multiple cloud infrastructures, including AWS, Google Cloud, DigitalOcean, Vultr, and Linode.

Cloudways Unique Features:

Cloudways excels with its managed services, providing a user-friendly platform that simplifies server management. Key features include 1-click server deployment, automated backups, and advanced caching mechanisms like Varnish, Memcached, and Redis.

Why you should choose Cloudways:

Flexible server management: Choose from multiple cloud providers and easily scale resources.

Excellent performance and uptime: High-speed performance with optimized stack and SSD-based servers.

Robust security measures: Regular security patches, dedicated firewalls, and SSL certificates.

Cloudways is the best overall choice for cloud hosting, offering unmatched flexibility, performance, and managed services.

Read Review →

Visit Cloudways →

Hostinger is renowned for its affordable cloud hosting solutions, making it an excellent choice for individuals and small businesses looking for cost-effective yet powerful hosting.

With its intuitive control panel and robust performance, Hostinger is perfect for users seeking budget-friendly yet reliable cloud hosting solutions. Hostinger’s commitment to affordability does not compromise the quality, making it an excellent choice for small businesses and individuals alike.

Hostinger Unique Features:

Hostinger provides a balance of performance and affordability, featuring a custom control panel, daily backups, and a 99.9% uptime guarantee. Their cloud plans also include a dedicated IP and resources.

Why you should choose Hostinger:

Very affordable pricing: Competitive rates for cloud hosting plans.

User-friendly control panel: Custom-built control panel designed for ease of use.

Decent speed and uptime: Reliable performance with adequate speed for most applications.

Hostinger is ideal for budget-conscious users seeking reliable cloud hosting without compromising on essential features.

Read Review →

Visit Hostinger →

3. SiteGround (Best customer support)

SiteGround is well-regarded for its exceptional customer support and robust cloud hosting solutions. It offers scalable and fully managed cloud hosting, perfect for growing businesses.

Their cloud hosting plans are powered by Google Cloud, ensuring top-notch performance and reliability. SiteGround provides automatic daily backups, a free CDN, and advanced security solutions. Their support team is available 24/7 via phone, chat, and ticket system, ensuring that you receive timely and knowledgeable assistance whenever needed.

SiteGround Unique Features:

SiteGround’s standout features include fully managed hosting, automatic scaling, and daily backups. They provide a dedicated support team available 24/7 via phone, chat, and ticketing systems.

Why you should choose SiteGround:

Outstanding customer support: Highly responsive and knowledgeable support team.

Scalable resources: Easily adjust CPU, RAM, and storage as needed.

Enhanced security features: AI anti-bot system, daily backups, and free SSL certificates.

SiteGround excels in customer support, making it the best choice for users who prioritize responsive and effective assistance.

Read Review →

Visit SiteGround →

Bluehost is ideal for beginners due to its user-friendly interface and seamless integration with popular platforms like WordPress. Their cloud hosting plans offer enhanced performance, scalability, and security features.

Bluehost provides a straightforward setup process, making it easy for new users to get started. Additionally, they offer 24/7 customer support and a range of helpful resources to guide you through your hosting journey.

Bluehost Unique Features:

Bluehost’s cloud hosting features include easy scalability, resource monitoring, and seamless integration with various CMS platforms, especially WordPress. Their enhanced cPanel provides a simple and intuitive user interface.

Why you should choose Bluehost:

Easiest to use: Beginner-friendly interface and straightforward setup.

Reliable performance: Solid uptime and load speeds.

Comprehensive support: 24/7 support with extensive documentation and tutorials.

Bluehost is the perfect choice for beginners, offering an intuitive interface and strong performance at an affordable price.

Read Review →

Visit BlueHost →

ScalaHosting is known for its security-centric approach to cloud hosting, offering a range of features designed to protect users’ data and applications. 

ScalaHosting is known for its focus on security, offering robust cloud hosting solutions that prioritize the safety of your data. . Their proprietary SPanel ensures easy and secure management, while the SShield security system offers real-time monitoring and protection against cyber threats. ScalaHosting’s cloud plans include free daily backups, a free CDN, and fully managed services. Their commitment to security and performance makes them an excellent choice for businesses looking to protect their online presence.

ScalaHosting Unique Features:

ScalaHosting provides innovative security features such as SShield real-time cybersecurity protection and free SPanel control panel. They also offer daily backups and free SSL certificates to enhance security.

Why you should choose ScalaHosting:

Most secure: Advanced security features like SShield and daily backups.

User-friendly control panel: SPanel is intuitive and easy to navigate.

Scalable plans: Flexible options to scale resources as your business grows.

ScalaHosting is the top choice for users who prioritize security, offering robust protection features and a user-friendly management interface.

Read Review →

Visit ScalaHosting →

A2 Hosting is renowned for its speed, providing some of the fastest cloud hosting solutions available. Their Turbo Servers offer up to 20x faster page loads compared to standard hosting. A2 Hosting’s cloud plans come with SSD storage, free site migrations, and a range of developer-friendly features. Their commitment to performance and reliability ensures that your website will run at optimal speed.

A2 Hosting Unique Features

A2 Hosting stands out with its Turbo Servers, which can load pages up to 20 times faster than standard servers. The company also provides free site migrations, SSD storage, and a developer-friendly environment.

Why you should choose A2 Hosting:

Speed: Turbo Servers for enhanced speed.

Free Migrations: Hassle-free website transfers.

Developer-Friendly: Supports multiple development tools and frameworks.

A2 Hosting is the best choice for users prioritizing speed and performance in their cloud hosting solution.

Read Review →

Visit A2Hosting →

Verpex offers exceptional value for money, providing cloud hosting services packed with features at competitive prices. Their plans include free domain registration, SSL certificates, and daily backups.

Verpex’s cloud hosting ensures high performance and reliability with multiple data center locations. Their excellent customer support and generous resource allocations make them a great choice for those seeking affordable yet feature-rich cloud hosting.

Verpex Unique Features

Verpex includes features such as free migrations, daily backups, and 24/7 support. Their cloud hosting plans are designed to offer flexibility and scalability at an affordable price.

Why you should choose Verpex:

Affordable Plans: Cost-effective hosting solutions.

Free Migrations: Easy site transfers.

24/7 Support: Around-the-clock customer service.

Verpex provides the best value for money, making it an excellent choice for budget-conscious users seeking reliable cloud hosting.

Read Review →

Visit Verpex →

InterServer stands out with its commitment to providing unlimited resources, making it an excellent choice for users who need flexible and scalable hosting solutions. InterServer’s cloud hosting plans include unlimited storage, bandwidth, and email accounts, ensuring that users have the resources they need to grow their websites.

Their infrastructure is designed for high performance and reliability, with features like daily backups, free website migrations, and 24/7 customer support. InterServer’s affordability combined with unlimited features makes it a top choice for those seeking robust cloud hosting without worrying about resource limits.

InterServer Unique Features

InterServer stands out with its unlimited resources feature, which includes unlimited storage, bandwidth, and email accounts. Additionally, it offers price lock guarantees, ensuring that users do not face unexpected price hikes.

Why you should choose InterServer:

Unlimited Resources: No caps on storage or bandwidth.

Price Lock Guarantee: Fixed pricing with no surprise increases.

Strong Security: Advanced security features to protect data.

InterServer is ideal for businesses or individuals with high resource demands, providing a cost-effective solution with extensive features.

Visit Interserver →

Kamatera offers highly customizable cloud hosting solutions, allowing users to configure their server resources to meet specific needs. Their cloud platform provides flexible scaling, a wide range of server configurations, and global data centers.

Kamatera’s pay-as-you-go pricing model ensures you only pay for the resources you use. Their 24/7 customer support and high performance make them an excellent choice for businesses with unique hosting requirements.

Kamatera Unique Features

Kamatera’s standout feature is its high level of customization, allowing users to configure CPU, RAM, storage, and other resources as needed. It also offers a wide range of server locations globally.

Why you should choose Kamatera:

High Customizability: Tailor resources to specific requirements.

Global Data Centers: Multiple server locations for optimal performance.

Scalability: Easily scale resources up or down based on demand.

Kamatera is perfect for users who need a customizable and scalable cloud hosting solution with a global presence.

Visit Kamatera →

DreamHost’s cloud hosting plans are tailored for developers, offering scalable resources, full root access, and a wide range of developer tools. Their OpenStack-based cloud platform provides flexibility and reliability.

DreamHost’s cloud plans include free bandwidth, SSD storage, and high security. Their excellent performance and developer-friendly features make them a top choice for tech-savvy users.

DreamHost Unique Features

DreamHost offers features like full root access, scalable SSD storage, and compatibility with a variety of development languages and frameworks. Its DreamCompute service allows for flexible and powerful cloud computing.

Why you should choose DreamHost:

Developer Tools: Extensive tools and APIs for developers.

Scalable SSD Storage: Fast and scalable storage solutions.

Reliable Infrastructure: High performance and uptime guarantees.

DreamHost is the top choice for developers seeking a flexible, powerful, and developer-centric cloud hosting environment.

Visit DreamHost →

How We Chose The Best Cloud Hosting Providers

Selecting the best cloud hosting providers involved a thorough evaluation process where we considered several key factors to ensure that our recommendations meet the highest standards. Below, we detail the critical considerations we made when choosing these hosts.

Unique Value

We considered any unique features that add value to the hosting service. This includes tools for performance optimization, user-friendly control panels, website builders, and integration with third-party services. These features can enhance the overall hosting experience and provide users with additional functionality that simplifies website management and development.

Performance

Performance is paramount when it comes to cloud hosting. We assessed the speed, uptime, and overall reliability of each provider. High-performance cloud hosting ensures that websites and applications run smoothly, providing an optimal user experience without downtime or slow loading times.

Support

Customer support is a crucial aspect of any hosting service. We evaluated the quality and availability of customer support provided by each host. This includes looking at support channels (live chat, phone, email), the responsiveness of the support team, and the availability of helpful resources like tutorials and knowledge bases. Excellent support can significantly impact the overall hosting experience, especially for users who may need assistance with technical issues.

Security

Security features were a significant factor in our evaluation. We examined the security measures each provider implements, such as SSL certificates, DDoS protection, regular backups, and compliance with security standards. Robust security features protect sensitive data and ensure the integrity of websites and applications hosted on these platforms.

Pricing

Affordability and value for money were also key considerations. We compared the pricing plans of each host, looking for competitive rates that offer excellent value. This includes assessing what features and resources are included in each plan and ensuring that there are no hidden costs. We aimed to recommend providers that offer a good balance of cost and quality, making cloud hosting accessible to a wide range of users.

Scalability

Scalability is essential for businesses that anticipate growth. We looked at how easily users can scale their resources up or down with each provider. This includes the flexibility to upgrade or downgrade plans and the ability to add resources like storage or bandwidth as needed without significant downtime or technical hurdles.

FAQs

What is cloud hosting?

Cloud hosting is a type of web hosting that uses multiple servers to balance the load and maximize uptime. Instead of relying on a single server, websites and applications are hosted on a network of connected servers, providing greater flexibility and reliability.

How is cloud hosting different from traditional hosting?

Cloud hosting differs from traditional hosting by distributing resources across multiple servers, reducing the risk of downtime and improving scalability. Traditional hosting often relies on a single server, making it less flexible and more vulnerable to outages.

What are the benefits of cloud hosting?

The main benefits of cloud hosting include enhanced performance, better scalability, improved reliability, and robust disaster recovery options. It also offers automatic updates, flexible pricing, and easy resource management, making it ideal for growing businesses and high-traffic websites.

How do I choose the best cloud hosting provider?

To choose the best cloud hosting provider, consider factors such as performance, customer support, security features, pricing, scalability options, and additional features like backups and monitoring. Reading reviews and comparing the specific needs of your website or application can also help in making an informed decision.

[datapeakbyfactr]

Starting Your Digital Transformation Journey 

Small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) can benefit greatly from digital transformation, which involves integrating digital technologies into all aspects of the business. This transformation isn't just about technology—it's about reshaping the way businesses operate and deliver value to customers.

Key Steps to help get you started on your journey.

1. Assess Your Needs 

Begin by conducting a thorough analysis of your current business operations. Identify areas where digital technologies can bring the most benefits, such as customer service, sales, marketing, and internal processes. Consider the specific challenges your business faces and how digital solutions can address them. 

2. Set Clear Goals 

Define specific, measurable objectives for your digital transformation journey. Whether it's increasing customer satisfaction, improving operational efficiency, or boosting revenue, having clear goals will help guide your efforts and measure success. Make sure your goals align with your overall business strategy. 

3. Choose the Right Tools 

Select digital tools and technologies that align with your business needs and goals. This could include customer relationship management (CRM) systems, cloud computing, automation software, and data analytics tools. Ensure the chosen tools are scalable and can grow with your business. 

4. Invest in Employee Training 

Your employees play a crucial role in the success of your digital transformation. Provide comprehensive training and support to help them adapt to new technologies. Offer workshops, tutorials, and ongoing assistance to ensure everyone is comfortable and confident with the changes. Encourage a culture of continuous learning and innovation. 

5. Implement Incrementally 

Roll out digital transformation initiatives in stages to manage risks and ensure a smooth transition. Start with pilot projects to test new technologies and processes, gather feedback, and make necessary adjustments before scaling them across the entire organization. This approach allows you to learn from early experiences and refine your strategy as you go. 

6. Monitor Progress and Adjust 

Continuously track the progress of your digital transformation efforts. Use data and feedback to evaluate the effectiveness of your initiatives, identify areas for improvement, and make necessary adjustments. Regularly review your goals and strategy to ensure you're on track and adapt to changing market conditions. 

7. Learn from Success Stories 

Look to other businesses that have successfully undergone digital transformation for inspiration and insights. For example: 

A local bakery integrated AI-driven inventory management to forecast sales and reduce food waste, leading to a 20% increase in sales within three months. 

A boutique hotel used data analytics to offer personalized guest experiences, resulting in a 10% increase in guest satisfaction and repeat bookings. 

These success stories highlight the potential benefits of digital transformation and can provide valuable lessons for your journey. 

“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. ”

— Lao Tzu

Common Challenges and How to Overcome Them 

One of the common challenges businesses face during digital transformation is resistance to change. Employees may fear the unknown or worry about job security. To overcome this, communicate the benefits of digital transformation clearly and involve employees in the planning process. As stated in the steps above, provide comprehensive training and ongoing support to help them adapt confidently to new technologies. 

Budget constraints can also be a significant hurdle. Start with small, impactful changes that offer a high return on investment. Explore funding options such as grants, subsidies, or flexible payment plans from technology providers. Emphasize the long-term cost savings and efficiencies gained through digital transformation to justify the initial investment. 

Lastly, a lack of technical expertise can pose challenges for SMBs. Consider hiring consultants or partnering with technology providers who specialize in digital transformation. Invest in training and upskilling your current workforce to develop the necessary technical skills. Leverage industry networks, forums, and communities to share knowledge and gain insights from other businesses that have successfully implemented digital transformation. 

By addressing these common challenges with strategic solutions, businesses can navigate their digital transformation journey successfully and unlock new opportunities for growth and innovation. 

The 3 Top Industry Trends in Digital Transformation  

1. AI-Powered Automation: AI continues to revolutionize industries by automating routine tasks and providing advanced insights. From customer service chatbots to supply chain optimization, AI-powered automation leads to faster decision-making, lower operational costs, and improved customer satisfaction. 

2. Rise of Low-Code and No-Code Platforms: These platforms allow organizations to create and deploy custom applications without writing code, democratizing software development and enabling non-technical employees to build tools that fit their specific needs. This trend is expected to become even more widespread in 2025, empowering small businesses to innovate quickly and stay agile in a competitive market. 

3. 5G Connectivity: The rollout of 5G networks will enable faster and more reliable internet connections, supporting the growth of IoT devices and real-time data processing. 5G connectivity enhances the capabilities of digital transformation initiatives across various industries, enabling businesses to leverage advanced technologies like augmented reality, virtual reality, and smart cities to deliver better customer experiences and improve operational efficiency. 

Embarking on a digital transformation journey can seem daunting, but with careful planning and a strategic approach, SMBs can unlock new opportunities for growth and success. By assessing your needs, setting clear goals, choosing the right tools, investing in employee training, implementing incrementally, and continuously monitoring progress, you can position your business for long-term success in an increasingly digital world. 

Learn more about DataPeak:

[champstorymedia]

Empower Yourself: Harness the Power of Technology with These Handy Tips and Tutorials

Introduction: In today’s digital age, technology plays a crucial role in our daily lives. From smartphones and laptops to smart home devices and wearable technology, there are countless ways to utilize technology to enhance productivity, efficiency, and overall well-being. In this article, we will explore various tips and tutorials to help you harness the power of technology and empower yourself…

[fusiondynamics]

Available Cloud Computing Services at Fusion Dynamics

We Fuel The Digital Transformation Of Next-Gen Enterprises!

Fusion Dynamics provides future-ready IT and computing infrastructure that delivers high performance while being cost-efficient and sustainable. We envision, plan and build next-gen data and computing centers in close collaboration with our customers, addressing their business’s specific needs. Our turnkey solutions deliver best-in-class performance for all advanced computing applications such as HPC, Edge/Telco, Cloud Computing, and AI.

With over two decades of expertise in IT infrastructure implementation and an agile approach that matches the lightning-fast pace of new-age technology, we deliver future-proof solutions tailored to the niche requirements of various industries.

Our Services

We decode and optimise the end-to-end design and deployment of new-age data centers with our industry-vetted services.

System Design

When designing a cutting-edge data center from scratch, we follow a systematic and comprehensive approach. First, our front-end team connects with you to draw a set of requirements based on your intended application, workload, and physical space. Following that, our engineering team defines the architecture of your system and deep dives into component selection to meet all your computing, storage, and networking requirements. With our highly configurable solutions, we help you formulate a system design with the best CPU-GPU configurations to match the desired performance, power consumption, and footprint of your data center.

Why Choose Us

We bring a potent combination of over two decades of experience in IT solutions and a dynamic approach to continuously evolve with the latest data storage, computing, and networking technology. Our team constitutes domain experts who liaise with you throughout the end-to-end journey of setting up and operating an advanced data center.

With a profound understanding of modern digital requirements, backed by decades of industry experience, we work closely with your organisation to design the most efficient systems to catalyse innovation. From sourcing cutting-edge components from leading global technology providers to seamlessly integrating them for rapid deployment, we deliver state-of-the-art computing infrastructures to drive your growth!

What We Offer The Fusion Dynamics Advantage!

At Fusion Dynamics, we believe that our responsibility goes beyond providing a computing solution to help you build a high-performance, efficient, and sustainable digital-first business. Our offerings are carefully configured to not only fulfil your current organisational requirements but to future-proof your technology infrastructure as well, with an emphasis on the following parameters –

Performance density

Rather than focusing solely on absolute processing power and storage, we strive to achieve the best performance-to-space ratio for your application. Our next-generation processors outrival the competition on processing as well as storage metrics.

Flexibility

Our solutions are configurable at practically every design layer, even down to the choice of processor architecture – ARM or x86. Our subject matter experts are here to assist you in designing the most streamlined and efficient configuration for your specific needs.

Scalability

We prioritise your current needs with an eye on your future targets. Deploying a scalable solution ensures operational efficiency as well as smooth and cost-effective infrastructure upgrades as you scale up.

Sustainability

Our focus on future-proofing your data center infrastructure includes the responsibility to manage its environmental impact. Our power- and space-efficient compute elements offer the highest core density and performance/watt ratios. Furthermore, our direct liquid cooling solutions help you minimise your energy expenditure. Therefore, our solutions allow rapid expansion of businesses without compromising on environmental footprint, helping you meet your sustainability goals.

Stability

Your compute and data infrastructure must operate at optimal performance levels irrespective of fluctuations in data payloads. We design systems that can withstand extreme fluctuations in workloads to guarantee operational stability for your data center.

Leverage our prowess in every aspect of computing technology to build a modern data center. Choose us as your technology partner to ride the next wave of digital evolution!

[mkcecollege]

Cloud computing is revolutionizing the engineering landscape, offering innovative solutions to manage vast amounts of data efficiently. With cloud platforms, engineers can store, process, and analyze data in real time, eliminating the need for expensive on-site infrastructure. This technology enhances collaboration by enabling seamless access to shared files and projects across geographies. Moreover, the scalability of cloud services ensures that engineering teams can adapt to varying project demands without operational disruptions. Advanced tools like AI and IoT integrated into cloud systems further streamline tasks such as predictive maintenance and smart design. Security and compliance, once major challenges, are now bolstered by robust encryption and governance frameworks in cloud solutions. Additionally, reduced costs and increased agility empower startups and large enterprises alike to innovate faster. The adoption of cloud computing is not just transforming engineering processes but also paving the way for smarter, data-driven decision-making. As this synergy grows, the future of engineering is set to be more collaborative, efficient, and innovative. Cloud computing truly bridges the gap between technical creativity and practical execution. To Know More: https://mkce.ac.in/blog/the-intersection-of-cloud-computing-and-engineering-transforming-data-management/

[sierraconsult]

Sierra Consulting Inc has joined forces with Monday.com to provide businesses with tailored CRM services that enhance customer relationship management. This partnership utilizes Monday.com's comprehensive CRM platform to develop solutions that improve efficiency and productivity in areas such as managing customer interactions, optimizing sales processes, and enhancing team collaboration.

[techtoio]

Exploring the Latest Trends in Software Development

Introduction The software is something like an industry whose development is ever-evolving with new technologies and changing market needs as the drivers. To this end, developers must keep abreast with current trends in their fields of operation to remain competitive and relevant. Read to continue .....

[allcodeaws]

AWS Computing Services | AllCode

Experience seamless scalability and unmatched reliability with AllCode's AWS Computing Services. Empower your business with flexible cloud solutions tailored to your needs. From compute power to storage and networking, AllCode leverages the full spectrum of AWS services to optimize performance and drive innovation.

[ezaccesscommunications]

Website: https://www.ezaccesscommunications.com/

EZ ACCESS COMMUNICATIONS is a reputable telecom expense management specialist, offering a range of services including expense management, network solutions, IT solutions, mobility solutions, voice solutions, and security solutions. With over 50 years of experience, the company is known for its efficient, honest, and professional approach. EZ ACCESS COMMUNICATIONS provides unbiased consultations and strives to deliver the best in-class telecommunications services, ensuring customer satisfaction through open communication and expert support.

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/savacom-palm-coast

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[esourceful]

The Future of DevOps Enhancing Efficiency through Automation

Get ahead in DevOps with automation 🚀

Discover how automation is propelling DevOps into the future and making processes faster, better, and more efficient in this insightful infographic.

Share with a friend who would find this infographic useful.

[ittotalcare]

Best Cloud Storage for Small Business

Are you starting a new business? IT Total Care, Inc. can take your business to the next level of operations, cloud storage, and IT support. Our trained experts focus on making and keeping your IT environment hassle-free. https://www.ittotalcare.com/storage-retrieval-and-data-protection/

[champstorymedia]

Tech Made Easy: Simple Tips and Tricks for Navigating the Digital Landscape

Introduction In today’s fast-paced digital world, navigating the ever-changing landscape of technology can be daunting. However, with the right tips and tricks, mastering tech can be made easy. Whether you’re a beginner looking to improve your digital skills or a seasoned tech enthusiast seeking to stay on top of the latest trends, this guide will provide you with valuable insights to help you…

[dilfstar]

ONLINE LOVE !

brother!leon x sister!reader 4.3k words. warnings ! incest, piv, rdr n leon r both idiots, insecure n loser!rdr :] dubcon, somno, breeding notes ! gigi loser w no job and mostly online friends :( sorry this took so long 2 write i was trying not 2 kms 😛

The high pitched ping from your computer let you know he finally replied to your message. Almost an entire day later… It’s whatever! He’s probably just busy, right? There's no way he's already tired of you… Right?

You ran over to your desk, slipping on a random sock on the floor, bumping into the corner of a nearby end table. You looked down at the aching spot, already seeing the beginning of a bruise appear. “Damnit, Leon! Learn how to clean your shit!”

The chair squeaked as you sat down, floorboards groaning when you rolled closer to the desk. Your eyes focused on the screen, the spinning loading wheel making you want to scream. “Hurry up…” Your thumb was between your teeth while you anxiously watched the screen, eyes lighting up the second your messages with him loaded.

lskndy98 : hey! sorry i took so long :( work has been kicking my ass heh… dollstar : omg no problem :) i totally get it ! what’s ur job if u don’t mind me asking?  lskndy98 : im a cop. i work at the local precinct. not the best job… but it pays well! dollstar : omg no way??? ur lying! my brothers a cop too LOL

The conversation went on for hours. You were in love with a guy you’ve known for a little more than week. A guy you met in some random chatroom. A guy that could be a serial killer for all you know! It’s whatever. Doesn’t even matter, does it? He’s hot enough. At least his body is… He hasn’t exactly shown you his face. Which makes sense… Was this weird? This was weird. Imagine if your friends found out! Or even worse– Your brother.

Leon would never let you live this down. He’d call you a freak, a loser. Fucking asshole. He’s the loser and freak. Not you! He’s the one that spends all his free time holed up in his room… on his computer… talking to people online… Okay, maybe you two weren’t so different, but it doesn’t matter. You’re better than him!

Sure he was older and he had a job and he was your parents favorite. But, what does that matter? You actually have friends and someone that likes you. You: 1. Leon: 0.

Maybe… just maybe. You were a loser too. You didn’t even know this guys name and you wanted to marry him? Yeah. You’re as lame as Leon. Worse even. He had a steady income! You had nothing.

The knocking on your door frame snapped you out of your thoughts, head whipping around to face whoever was bothering you. The sight of Leon instantly made you want to vomit. “What do you want? I’m clearly busy.”

He scoffed at your words, pushing off the wall with a grunt, face twisted into one of annoyance as he walked over to you. The look was immediately wiped away when he got closer. Explicit messages covered your computer screen. He laughed at you. He actually laughed at you!

“No way… You're flirting with some random guy? How long have you even known him?” He leaned over you, practically on top of you as he stared at your screen. Your hands moved as fast as possible to click out of the tab. Your cheeks were burning with shame, the thought of shooting yourself seeming more and more appealing with each second.

“It’s… It's none of your business! Go away!” You pushed him back, getting out of the crappy office chair to shove him out of your room. Why did he have to come in and see all of that? Idiot, idiot, idiot was all that repeated in your head. All thoughts clouded with pure embarrassment at your worst enemy finding out you were sexting some random dude on the internet.

Leon, on the other hand, felt like he was about to vomit. You were really talking to some dude you didn’t know? Yeah, sure, he was talking to some girl he didn’t know… but it was different! This girl wasn’t just using him for nudes like the guy you were talking to was. You didn’t deserve that. You deserved someone good. Someone that could take care of you. Leon could do that for you. If he wasn’t your brother. Don’t be weird!

His jealousy was normal, right? It was just a big brother being worried about his sister. Nothing more. So what if he felt sick about some loser messaging you, talking about fucking you. He’s just being protective, yeah?

You spent forever taking pictures for him. All kinds of unnatural angles and poses to show off your body in a flattering way. Tits squeezed into the tightest bra possible. You didn't even look like yourself. Good.

It was pathetic, really. Trying to impress a guy whose face you haven't even seen. What would your parents say if they saw you like this? They'd laugh at you just like Leon did. Maybe everyone was right about you being a loser. No job, no school, only friends are people you met online… This guy would change everything though! He has to!

Each picture was worse than the last. Wrong angle, bad lighting, face in it. He couldn't see you. Not yet. It had to be the perfect moment! (When you two got married and he couldn't back out!)

After another hour, you finally got it. The perfect picture to send. One that made you look like some edited catfish on instagram… but all natural! With a few quick swipes, you opened the messages between the two of you, uploading the photo as fast as your shitty internet would allow.

Your thumb hovered over the send button, refusing to just inch forward and press it, an invisible force field blocking you from sending the photo. “It's just a body pic… What's the worst he could say?” The words barely audible as they fell from your lips, your thumb hitting the screen soon after.

Dots appeared a few seconds later, disappearing just as fast as they appeared. This went on for what felt like an eternity only for his message to be something stupid. Something so incredibly lame and stupid. “Nice. 👍”

Nice.

Nice.

He said “nice” to a picture of you in next to nothing. Who says that? Is he stupid? He has to be… Why else would he reply like that?

You frowned at the screen, the thoughts in your mind becoming increasingly negative with each second. Maybe you weren't as pretty as you thought. Maybe you gave him the ick. Maybe you-

It doesn't matter. He’s just a random dude you met online. You’ve never even seen his face! So what if he thought you weren't hot? He's probably some sleazy neckbeard that scrolls reddit all day. Whatever.

Ding!

lskndy98 : fuckkkk lskndy98 : just came so hard lskndy98 : you wanna see? lskndy98 has sent you an image!

Oh. Oh. He was big. His hand could barely wrap around his cock. Cum dripping down the side of it and onto his hand… All because of you.

You were speechless, every single thought that was running through your head vanished. So he did think you were hot! A hot guy thinks you're hot! 

Okay, so you don't exactly know that he's hot… but he is big. It counts, right? Whatever. You're the reason there’s cum dripping down his thick cock. Someone thought that your body was worth something! All of that time spent getting the right angle was so worth it now!

dollstar : omg 0____0 dollstar : was tht rlly bcus of me?? dollstar : ur making me blush… <3

You couldn't stop staring at the picture, everything else being blurred out, your mind entirely focused on him. The phone slipped into your hand, holding the picture close to your face as the other one slipped down into your underwear. A soft sigh escaped you the moment your fingertips made contact with your clit.

You could feel the pleasure crawling through your veins, your breathing suddenly becoming ragged and heavy. Each brush of your fingers made you dizzier than before. All ability to process your surroundings flew out of your head.

Knock, knock, knock.

You dug your teeth into your lip, not hearing the heavy beating on the door. Your mind was in such a haze you failed to notice Leon standing in your doorway staring directly at you until it was too late. A loud shriek bounced off the walls and into his ears as a throw pillow came flying at his face. 

“Get out! Get out! Fucking perv…!” Any previous sexual feelings you had jumped out of you the second you saw your brother’s face. How long was he standing there? Why were you related to such a creep…

The air in the room was heavy once you finally stepped into the kitchen, an awkward, ashamed look was plastered on your face as you approached Leon. 

“...Hey.” Hey? That's the best you could come up with?

“Uh, sorry about… earlier. You weren't meant to see that. Let's just try to forget about it, yeah?” Simple enough for him to understand. At least you hoped it was.

All he did was nod at you, barely acknowledging your presence. He stayed glued to his phone, turned slightly away from you. 

“Hello? I’m talking to you, asshole.” You stepped towards him, turning him around to face you, absentmindedly looking down and making eye contact with the very obvious bulge in his pants. Oh.

It was as if time froze. Your eyes were locked onto his dick, like it had its own pair and was battling you in a staring contest. This could not be happening. Your older brother, the guy you’ve fought with for years, was hard for his own sister. Disgust overtook your body as you ran to the bathroom, barely making it to the toilet before puking your guts up.

How could he do that to you? What kind of sick freak gets hard for his little sister? It felt like millions of tiny bugs were crawling over your skin, the taste of vomit resting on your tongue as you hid in the bathroom with the door locked. What about all those years together growing up? Eugh, did he feel like this back then too?

You stared at the door for what felt like hours, waiting until it felt safe enough to leave and go back to your room. Carefully, you twisted the doorknob, tip toeing on the wooden floors to get to your destination. 

You flipped the lock on your door as soon as you got in, making sure he couldn't try to peep on you. The only comfort you had was the hot, faceless stranger on your phone even though he was just words on a screen. God, your life really was pathetic. The only guy that's ever been interested in you probably lived across the country and your freak of a brother wanted to fuck you. 

Your back was against your door as you messaged whatever he was to you. To make things worse, you two still haven't decided on what you were. Each new thing that you realized only seemed to make your night worse. Maybe you weren't meant to be happy or enjoy your life. You were probably some sort of monster in a past one and this was just karma finally getting you back.

dollstar : hey… you there? dollstar : could use some company dollstar : lol lskndy98 : what's up??

The only thing that was able to comfort you was venting to your eboyfriend about everything that was wrong in your life without fully going into detail about just how horrible it was. He can know your brother sucks without knowing why… There's no need to drive him away just yet.

The next few days were filled with you thinking about how to approach Leon. You couldn't let this situation stay like this forever, you had to work something out with him. But every time you tried coming up with something, you got too scared to talk to him. What if it happened again?

After taking a few shots to loosen yourself up, you made your way to his room, gently knocking on the door. It creaked open, giving you a nice view of his bedroom and the door to his bathroom. You’re not sure why, but it felt like something was pulling you in towards the bathroom, putting you under a trance to take a peek inside. I mean, it's not like it’ll hurt anyone to snoop through his things. He's probably not even in there!

Your fingers wrapped around the knob, turning it even after hearing the shower running. There was no way for you to stop yourself, your body was moving on its own. You cringed as the steam hit you, immediately enveloping you in a gross, wet heat. The humidity in the room made you want to gag, distracting you from the main thing in front of you.

The vomit taste that's been resting on your tongue the past few days melted away as soon as you laid your eyes on his lean body in the shower. The way the droplets of water dripped down his toned abs made your thighs squeeze together.

No! No! He’s your brother for crying out loud! Don't be a gross pervert like him. 

Without saying anything, you left and went straight to your room. The whole thing shouldn't have been so… hot! You two were related for crying out loud. Connected by blood. It was wrong! But, it really turned you on, the taboo aspect of it sending a dangerous shock through your veins. 

A thought popped into your head, one that made you dispose of your clothes and crawl into bed, camera mode on your phone ready in your left hand. He’s in the shower, right? So, he shouldn't bother you for a bit… You have about an hour. Just enough time to make a certain someone a sweet video!

The moment the camera started recording you began touching yourself, dragging your fingers over your thighs, wincing softly but covering it with a moan when you pressed too hard on the bruise from earlier. The feeling that flowed through your body when you made contact with your clit set your skin on fire. Each touch already too intense for you to handle.

“You like that…? ‘ts all for you…” Well, kinda. Sure, most of it was for the guy you've been thirsting over for weeks, but a small, tiny part was from seeing your brother naked, no matter how hard you tried to deny it. He just looked so good. All that training at the academy and mornings at the gym really paid off. He had to be like, the hottest guy you've ever seen. Even if he was your brother!

He was big too. You only got a slight glimpse of it but it was the biggest you’ve ever seen. Though, it’s not like you’ve seen many. It looked heavy, like it’d hurt your mouth. Maybe that's why all the girls in school talked about him like he was a God. He definitely looked like one…

Another part of you wondered how he’d be in bed, even if it was gross to think about at first. Would he be gentle or rough? Would he make sure you came first? Or leave once he was done? Was he any good at it? You needed to know- No! Stop it! What's wrong with you?!

You fingers stop moving instantly, thumb pressing the stop recording button as you moved to sit up. How could you do this? Touching yourself to the thought of your brother… The guy that practically raised you. Something has to be wrong with you for you to find him hot enough to fantasize about.

Whatever, it's not like anyone will know. Just send the video and forget why you took it. Simple. Easy. Not hard at all. So why couldn't you move? Why was there a little voice in your head telling you not to send it to some stranger when there's a hot guy in your house? Fuck- Stop it!

You focused in on your phone, sending the video with a few pictures from before.

dollstar has sent lskndy98 an image! dollstar : hope u like it :p dollstar : thought of u the whole time… wish u cld help :(

Weird. He usually responds almost instantly… Maybe he's busy with work or in the shower or something. It doesn't matter, it's not something to worry over. None of this is anything to worry about. It's normal to feel like this once in your life, yeah? Yeah. It has to be. It’s too late to focus on anything that big anyways. As soon as your head hit the pillow you passed out, drifting off into a sweet dreamland filled with visions of you and your mystery man. 

Leon turned the hot water off, grabbing a white towel as he stepped out of the shower, wrapping it around his waist. His first instinct was to check his phone, see if anyone at work had called him. Nope! Just a message from his sorta girlfriend!

His eyes shot open as he clicked on the notification, being hit in the face with a video of her touching herself. For him! Her fingers looked so nice moving around her thi- Ouch, nasty bruise. Looks like the one his sister has… In the same place, on the same leg. Same shape and everything.

No, no, no, no. This was not happening, especially not after that night a few days ago. He stared at himself in the mirror, all color drained from his face, a sickly feeling creeping up on him.

Why did he have to be hard right now? He just found out the girl he's been talking to for weeks is his sister… He jerked off to pictures of her! 

He set his phone on the counter, leaning forward to try and stop the sudden dizzy spell and urge to vomit on all of his stuff. This was just a horrible nightmare, right? He would wake up tomorrow morning and forget all about it, go back to normal. But, you looked so cute all needy for him, even if you didn't exactly know it was him. One little listen to it couldn't hurt.

The first moan after he hit play hit him like a wrecking ball, sending a shock to his system as he listened to the video, hearing it bounce off the bathroom walls. Your little noises just sounded so pretty, he couldn't help how hard he was getting for you. 

“Leon!” The high pitched whine from the video almost made him short circuit. You said his name. Sorry, you moaned his name. You were thinking about him while touching yourself and you didn't even realize before you sent it! He couldn't hold it in anymore, he was gripping the edge of the counter so hard his knuckles were white. God, why would you do this to him?

He walked out of the bathroom, still dressed in only the small towel around his waist and his phone on the counter still playing the video of you. He made his way to your door, standing outside of it for what felt like a decade. Slowly, he twisted the doorknob, sneaking into the darkness. 

The close he got to your sleeping figure the more control he lost. You just looked so perfect… so soft. His hand crept towards your face, wiping away a small line of drool. He really shouldn't be doing this to you.

Leon crawled onto the bed, dropping the towel on the floor. He peeled back your blankets and pulled your panties down, mouth watering at the sight of your cute little cunt, all wet for him. It was like his fingers had a mind of their own as they moved through your slit, collecting your essence on the tips. He brought them to his mouth, groaning out in pleasure at the taste. Well, it's too late to stop now…

He inched closer, spreading your legs apart just enough for him to fit in between them. You looked so beautiful like this, only wearing a bra, eyes shut so peacefully, cunt exposed for your big brother. His thumb hovered over your clit, barely brushing against it. He was still too hesitant to fully dive in.

He took a deep breath as he began to circle your clit, watching the way your face twitched in your sleep as he touched you. “Yeah, jus’ like that…”

Each sound you made was pure heaven in his ears. Every little whine or moan made his heart threaten to jump out of his chest! He pushed two of his fingers into your needy hole, craving something inside of it. So easy, it was sucking him in. How desperate were you for some action?

He made sure to be gentle, not wanting to wake you up just yet. Each thrust of his fingers was so delicate, simply stroking your walls, as if he were trying to memorize them in exact detail. He might not get this chance again, so why not milk the most out of it? No pun intended.

Too engrossed in your pretty pussy, Leon failed to notice you beginning to wake up. Your eyelids fluttered open as the strange feeling down there started to mess with you. “Huh…? L…Leon? What are you-”

You gasped loudly, pushing him away as you scooted back to the headboard, trying to put as much distance between the two of you as possible. “Fucking freak! Get out!” 

Why wasn't he more scared of getting caught? Why did he look so okay with this?!

He cooed at you, shaking his head as he crawled back over to you. “Not gonna do that, princess. I think we both know what you really want… Saw that video after all. Been trying not to think about you since that night I caught you. You're just making it too hard.”

Your heart dropped to your stomach. All of the pieces slowly connecting in your head. Same age, same initials, same job. You’ve been almost dating your brother this whole time!

He used your confusion against you, pulling your body just enough to make you lay down, giving him an opportunity to pin your wrists onto the bed. “I think I deserve the real thing after you’ve been teasing me for months, don't you?” 

The moonlight pouring in through the window reflected off his teeth, only making his sinister smirk that much more intense. You should be terrified right now. Trying to push him off or scream for help, not dripping onto your sheets.

All you could do was nod, pouting up at him with a scared look in your eyes. You did want this… You just didn't know it would be with him.

He held both of your wrists with one hand, moving the other one back down to your pussy, resuming his actions from a few moments ago. His touch was different than anything you’ve ever felt before. All of the lame hookups you had in the past were nothing compared to this. Your fingers didn’t even feel this good! His were so thick and long… You already felt so full.

It wasn't even 3 minutes until you came, your big brother’s fingers working on you like some super powered vibrator. Your back arched off the bed, wrists burning as you tried to pull them out of his grip. It all felt too good, your nerves were on fire, all of it hitting you like a 90 pound weight.

You shuddered as he pulled his digits out of you, coated in your juices, shining under the moonlight. He wiped them on your sheets, trying to get back to you quickly. Gross.

He moved around, lining up the tip of his aching cock with your sensitive hole, teasing you a bit before pushing in slowly. His head fell forward, bottom lip caught between his teeth as he tried not to scream. You felt so perfect around him, like you were made for him!

He released your hands, propping himself up on his forearms as he laid over you, slowly beginning to move. Soft groans and grunts fell from his pink lips. All of the prettiest sounds coming from the prettiest boy.

“Could’ve been doing this for so long… Fuck- Could've been making you feel good for such a long time… ‘m sorry, baby. I’ll make it up to you… Promise.” You could barely hear what he said, head too fuzzy to process anything other than the way the veins on his cock dragged along your walls.

It was all better than you could've imagined. All the stories you heard that you thought were disgusting at the time were true. He was a creepy, perverted asshole but he’s the best in bed. You’ve never felt more alive than now, stars appearing above your head as pleasure began to take over again.

“Leon, please!” You whined, wrapping your arms around his neck to pull him in closer. Your thighs were around his waist, not giving him a chance to escape even if he wanted to. He rolled his hips into you, making sure to take his time instead of rushing things like he’d usually do with a girl.

“I know, I know. I’ve got you… Don't worry.” He mumbled it against your neck, leaving sloppy, wet marks behind as he moved all over your skin. You were his now, he had to make sure everyone else knew too.

He leaned into you harder as his pace got sloppier, his orgasm building up. He inhaled your scent as he came inside of you, filling you up like you were always meant to be. Leon almost collapsed on top of you, using the last bit of strength he had to roll the two of you over with him still inside.

“Sorry I woke you up… Jus’ had to make sure you knew who you were really talking to..”

[marcelloshdz]

very very

summary: dating coworkers is never easy, but you and marcello promise to make it work. marcello x snl coworker!reader. requested by anonymous.

“y/n? are you busy?” you heard a voice ask. you turned from your computer, finding marcello walking into your office.

“i wish i was, but i can’t focus. what’s up?” you asked as he sat down on the couch across from you.

“writer’s block?” he asked, and you nodded. “me too. that’s why i wanted to come talk to you. you wanna bounce some ideas off each other?” 

“sure.” you and marcello spent a few hours in your office, as other writers and cast members came in and out, adding to your idea clouds. 

you’d been a writer at saturday night live for a few years, starting just before the beginning of season 47. the following summer, you met marcello during his audition process. you hit it off very well, and quickly became very close friends after he was hired at the show. you collaborated a lot when it came to writing material for the show. he always came to you for help when he couldn’t come up with ideas, or was having trouble finishing sketches. and you did the same with him. it helped that you had very similar senses of humor, and were close in age, so you understood each other very well.

as it was getting later, everyone was leaving, and you were packing up to leave yourself. you flipped through the pages of your notepad before putting it away, shaking at your head at the messy scribbles of sketch ideas from the night.

“let’s hope some of these stick by tomorrow.” you sighed. you slid the notebook into your backpack and walked out of your office.

“hey. you headin’ out?” you asked just as marcello walked past you.

“yeah, i was just coming to say good night to you first.” he said with a smile. he walked with you out to the parking garage, the two of you making small talk as you walked through the halls of the studio. 

he walked you to your car, you wished each other good night, and went your separate ways. once you got home, you suddenly got a burst of energy, and ideas were flowing through you. you finished a bunch of sketches that you and marcello started together, and started some other ones based off of other ideas that were thrown around throughout the night.

the next day, you returned to work, full scripts loaded on your laptop. you set your things down in your office, took your computer out of your bag and walking down the hall to marcello’s dressing room that he shared with michael longfellow and devon walker. just as you came close, marcello started walking out, saying something to the guys, almost running into you.

“y/n! hey.” marcello said with a wide smile. 

“speak of the devil.” you heard longfellow say softly as marcello focused on you. you ignored it, focusing on marcello before you spoke.

“so, when i got home last night, i was suddenly full of ideas and finished a bunch of the sketches we started yesterday. i’d love to run some by you, if you aren’t doing anything.”

“even if he was, he’d stop what he was doing.” devon said to michael, and they both began snickering with each other.

“alright, let’s go talk in your office.” marcello said, cheeks flushed, gently pushing you away from his dressing room. you walked with him down the hall, trying to push what just happened out of your mind.

you got back to your office, sat down at your desk and marcello sat awkwardly back on the couch.

“sorry about all of that.” he said, avoiding your gaze and twiddling his thumbs.

“dont worry about it.” you said to him, shrugging. he nodded, and you pulled up the scripts on your desktop as marcello moved closer to you. you read through them, and started coming up with ideas of which cast members would be best suited for the roles. 

before the table read that evening, you and marcello had pitched some of your new sketches to the host for that week, which they fortunately loved. they made it to the table read, and were just as funny as you’d hope they would be as the cast was getting into their characters.

once the line up for the show was posted after the read thru, you noticed that three of the five sketches you pitched that week made it to through.

“look at us.” you said to marcello as you stood in front of the cork board.

“always winning. what we do best.” he laughed as you shared a high five.

the rest of the week went by and it was finally show night. the show was amazing, your sketches were getting a ton of laughs, and you were so happy to be in the writer’s room, watching and laughing with everyone.

“i don’t know what it is about you and marcello, but you two always come up with such incredible stuff.” one of the other writers said to you.

“thank you.” you said with a soft smile. you felt your face flush before turning your attention back to the tv.

once the show ended, you made your way to the after party, marcello immediately finding you in the crowd. 

“there you are. i was worried you left without saying good bye.” he said to you, leaning against the bar and ordering a drink. 

“i would never.” you said, feigning offense. he smiled at you, shaking the ice in his cup. you sat silently for a minute before you spoke again. “you okay? you look like you’ve got something on your mind.”

“i do, but i cant figure out how to word it.” he said. 

“is it about what devon and michael said earlier?” you asked and he nodded. 

“i’m sorry if it made you uncomfortable or anything. we were just talking about you, and and i may have admitted to having a crush on you.” your heart began racing at his words. 

“oh!” you took a deep breath. “i don’t know what to say.”

“we’ve been friends for a long time, and we’ve gotten really close over these past few years. i love having you in my life, and i love how supportive you are to me, all of your friends and co-workers. you make me laugh, and i love getting to work with you every day. it’s really no surprise to me that i’ve developed feelings for you.” he paused to take a breath. “i’m sorry, i don’t mean to spring all of this on you all at once.”

“ay, marcello. you don’t have to apologize. that whole interaction was admittedly weird, but i didn’t even think about it for that long.” you said to him. 

“so, nothing to say about me admitting to having a crush on you?” he asked, raising an eyebrow at you.

“well,” you began, taking his hands in yours. he faced you and stepped closer to you. 

“oh no. you’re about to break my heart, aren’t you?” he asked, and you shook your head. 

“no.” you laughed. “marcello, i like you too. i’ve liked you since the first time you ever came to me for writing advice.”

“that was three years ago!” he laughed. 

“says the man who just admitted to having a crush two minutes ago.” you teased. “look, i was too nervous to say anything. and i didn’t want to complicate our work relationship. there was just something about watching you pay such attention to the detail in your sketch writing, and dedicating so much time to make everything you write as perfect as you can. your work ethic is so incredibly admirable.” you explained. he stepped closer to you and you wrapped your arms around his waist. “you’re such a good friend to everyone, you make me laugh like no one else. plus, i think you’re very very cute.” 

“very very?” he asked, and you nodded. “well, good for me.” he laughed. his placed his hands on your face, rubbing his thumbs across your cheeks. “i also think you’re very very cute.” 

“glad we’re on the same page there.” you smiled. you watched marcello’s eyes flit between yours and your lips. you gave him a small nod, and his lips were suddenly pressed against yours. as you kissed, a million butterflies swarmed in your stomach. you felt like a huge weight was lifted off your shoulders, now that you finally told marcello about your feelings.

he pulled away and smiled, resting his forehead against yours.

“look, marcello, if we’re gonna do this, i don’t want this make things weird for us at work if we don’t work.”

“i don’t like that you’re already betting against us, but i see where you’re coming from.”

“i’m not betting against us, i’m just being pragmatic. i want to be with you, i do.”

“and i want to be with you. that should be enough for us to want to give us a shot.”

“okay.”

“yeah?”

“yeah.” you said with a smile, kissing him again. 

you and marcello decided to cut the night short, heading back to your apartment. you spent the rest of the night together, happy that your feelings for each other were finally out in the open, and that you were finally getting together. you knew that you were going to work hard and making sure this would work, but you knew that he was going to be worth it.

[rydengg]

A Chilling Encounter at the Gas Station

REDDIT

Woosh. Woosh. Woosh. The wind whipped against each lamp post as I passed them on the two lane strip of road that connected my house to the nearest - well, anything west of it.

I would normally have no reason to drive this far in the opposite direction of civilization but, unfortunately, my time is often lost to the screen of my computer or tv. By the time I realized how hungry I was, the clock on my lock screen read 1:24 A.M. and maybe in a more densely populated area, that wouldn’t be a problem, but this town is a church town. Like, a church every day of the week type of town. Nothing is open past 10.

Meanwhile, if you drive a ways out in the opposite direction, you’ll find a mediocre little gas station in, more or less the middle of nowhere. The place hadn’t been updated since 1974 but they carried some of the best snacks. The fact that the weirdo boss had a knack for exclusively hiring pretty cashiers was just an added bonus for a small-town closeted bisexual like myself. Even if he hadn’t; my fridge was empty and thus, the journey was necessary.

That night, the entire feeling as I pulled my shitty little Civic into the parking lot of the Glorious Day Gas ‘n Go was off. Even before getting out of my car, I could see the girl behind the cash register through the large storefront windows. She was absent-mindedly braiding a strand of pin straight brown hair before letting it go, allowing it to unravel and repeating the process again. I recognized her, actually. Kathleen. She wasn’t necessarily THE popular girl back in school but she was certainly well liked, even though pretty much everyone agreed that Kathleen was a bit of a ditz. An airhead. The less nice girls would call her stupid but she really wasn’t. More than a little absent-minded; definitely, just a sweet girl with her head in the clouds.

Shit, I’d remembered just then that the GDGNG has a window service only policy after certain parts of the night. The main counter stood in the center of the building but there was a smaller version near the door, one which contained a small metal hatch and drawer, where you’d have to do your transaction when it was really late. This was annoying as the attendant would have to shop for you. I couldn’t remember whether or not it kicked in at 1 AM or 2, but I figured I’d have to approach the building and find out either way, so I got moving.

Shutting off my car, I got out, slamming the door closed. Kathleen made no effort to move towards the night drawer, so I went for the door and found it unlocked. So, I shopped like normal. She continued to play with her hair, seeming at least somewhat aware of my presence but not quite responding with the normal “hello” or “welcome in” greeting most of the girls were likely required to say.

I found myself shopping a little slower than usual, stealing glances back at her to see if she’d moved, somehow kind of knowing in my skin that she’d still be standing there, playing with that same strand of hair. She wore the required “uniform,” mainly street-clothes but with a small apron that would normally be white but she’d clearly tried to DIY dye hers pink. I’d already known from school that this was a regular thing she was known to do with much of her clothing. If she couldn’t buy it pink, she was gonna make it pink.

Her eyes were locked into an empty stare out the large front window, her mind seemingly somewhere different. Not to either end of the road. Just out into the nothingness that surrounded that gas station. She had been doing so from the moment I’d pulled in and by then she still really hadn’t stopped. There was a strange feeling growing in the air, although my awareness of it was at the time chalked up to the lateness of the evening. I tried my best to mind my business as I grabbed a few small bags of chips, some microwavable noodles, a bag of peanut butter m&ms, two packs of gum, and a mountain dew.

The sound of me setting the products quietly on the counter startled Kathleen - her name tag reading KATY with two glittery little bubble stickers shaped like pink butterflies on either side - out of her odd trance. I felt my heart skip a beat when her gaze broke from the window and turned to me. It was like I had snapped her out of a dream and she wasn’t quite awake yet. “Oh, shit, you aren’t supposed to be in here.” It seemed like she was saying it more to herself than me, which she also became aware of and put on some semblance of the “customer service” act everyone who’s ever had to work with the public knows too well. “Sorry, I mean our front doors are supposed to be locked. I can check you out here though, just don’t tell my boss.” I could tell she’d said this to lighten the weird static in the entire building but there was a hollowness to it that started to make my stomach turn.

Katy didn’t immediately move to start scanning my items - although she did cease fiddling with her hair - and instead, continued talking. “I’m not used to night shifts. My co-worker’s kid is sick and I had to change my whole routine - my boyfriend was NOT amused.”

My tummy started feeling even more sick and yet there was a strange… pull I had to her, like I was unable to disengage and address how truly strange the situation felt or just why such a normal exchange had my skin feeling like static. “Oh man, Kathleen, I’m sorry to hear that. Men can be such assholes.” I said, letting out a fake chuckle afterwards that was surprisingly convincing for how utterly disconnected I felt from everything around us. Katy’s hands returned to her hair though she did seem a bit more present in the moment. She chuckled too. There was a slight glimmer of recognition that came after that. “You went to Harrington, too.” she said with a hollow smile. “Yeah, I think I was two grades below you.” I shuffled my body weight from one foot to the other. The handful of words between the two of us felt like they stretched across hours already. I was barely thinking of the snacks anymore or my growling stomach.

“Everyone in high school used to use my full name, but Dan is the only one who calls me Kathleen anymore.” Her fingers that had once been easily looping her hair in an effortless little braid now began to look a little stiff and clumsy, although Katy didn’t seem to notice it. “I prefer to be called Katy.” She trailed off and her gaze had returned to the exact same spot out the window. The little glimmer that I could feel was waning.

I tried to keep the conversation going in hopes she’d snap out of it. “It’s been so long, I'm glad to see a familiar face at least - the face of a friend.” We really didn’t interact much at all back in the day, but this intentional choice of wording brought back a little bit more warmth into the exchange between us. Still, it didn’t fully penetrate to break the blank behind her eyes. “Definitely! I feel like I’m either always working or hanging out with Dan. I can’t remember the last time I did something fun...” She trailed off again a little bit before snapping back to normal, picking up and scanning my items. “That’ll be $7.54.” Katy said the words but didn’t reach out her hand at all to grab the cash. After several seconds of silence, I set the ten down on the counter. She looked at it but didn’t pick it up, instead pushing a button on the cash register that popped the drawer open.

Empty. Like, empty empty. “Huh.” The inflection - or lack thereof - in her voice sent a chill down my spine. “I think I forgot to stock my drawer when I came in tonight.” Katy pushed the drawer back closed and allowed her gaze to float back to the window. I began to think that maybe she’d taken something - like pills or molly or whatever - that wasn’t agreeing with her. She’d be far from the only person who’s gotten inebriated and then was suddenly called into work, maybe she was just having a bad reaction.

“How do you feel right now, Katy?”

Katy didn’t respond, not to that or several other verbal tries to get her to respond; even the lightest conversation or the most direct questions. Without thinking much of it, I reached across the counter and gently shook her left shoulder.

Several things happened in quick succession. The touch of her skin gave my hand a shock. Small, but it hurt. It disoriented me, too. Katy began to gasp in a panic but the air and the sound was more reminiscent of someone trying desperately to swallow puke. There was a gooey burbling sound, too, but I couldn’t figure out the location it was coming from. She stumbled backwards and that same elbow knocked several packs of loose tobacco to the floor, a few of which burst open and spilled behind the counter.

We both stood there frozen for a minute, not saying anything to one another. Katy now had both her arms wrapped tightly around her chest, almost hugging herself while still gazing out that window. Despite this, she was aware of the mess. “Fuck.” she said under her breath - or rather OUT of breath.

I realized at that moment that had few options; I could get the fuck out of there, call for help, and leave her alone + possibly strung out in an empty gas station - or I could accept that I’m already in this weird fucking situation and try to get this girl some help, or at the least see her through whatever trip or high she was experiencing. So far, behaving as normally as possible had worked to keep Katy from spinning back into a daze, so trying to be helpful seemed a good way to normalize the situation.

“Katy, do you have a broom? Where do you keep your cleaning supplies? We should clean this up or something.” I was taking measured breaths, doing everything in my natural ability to achieve calm even just for myself at that point, not only for her sake. Still, the task was harder than it should’ve been; it wasn’t hard to think. It was more like my brain felt like a steel trap while my body waved from autopilot and fight/flight/freeze.

“Over there.” She pointed to the little narrow hallway that led to the bathrooms. I didn’t look where she pointed then. I could only stare at her face.

Katy’s mouth was bleeding. Not badly, but her teeth were thinly coated in blood. I thought “This girl isn’t just high. This girl is not well.” She needed help and although my brain told my body to grab her and leave, I felt myself instead moving towards the hall and bathrooms.

Something in my body said “you need to get the broom” although it made little sense to do so. I just had to get that broom, head back to the counter, get Katy and get out. I cleared my thoughts and moved with nothing on my mind but the task at hand until I felt my palm on the handle of the broom. There was no sense of relief from this and the desire to get the hell out only compounded as I turned myself around, not getting all the way before freezing in front of the women’s bathroom. The door was wedged open a bit by something pink.

My stomach didn’t just hurt anymore. A thick wave of nausea started to fester at the lowest part of my belly and my heart began to race as I gently pushed the door with my free hand. It was a pink slip on shoe. More importantly, these were Katy’s pink slip on skate shoes. Puke fought its way up my throat as opening the door revealed more of the scene.

Katy was laid on her back with her limbs spread out. Her jeans, t-shirt, and hodge-podgely pink dyed apron were stained in copious amounts of slowly darkening and drying blood. It pooled out widely beneath her. A rather large hunting knife stuck out of the left side of her chest, right dead in the heart. Her head was turned to the side and her eyes stood open, staring blankly. It wouldn’t occur to me until days later that she’d been facing the same direction I’d seen her staring the entire time. One skinny little braid sat over her shoulder, half undone and saturated in blood. Her name tag, “KATY”, had miraculously remained unsullied by any carnage.

Surprisingly, the puke that had begun to build went back down. The nausea washed back away and it felt that I was instead caught in the river-like current of electricity that had been carrying my every movement from the moment I tapped on Katy’s shoulder. I gently let the door rest back in place before dragging the broom and dust pan to the counter. Katy still stood there in some strange defiance of the horrible reality of her own demise. She didn’t move to grab the broom but I didn’t move to help her clean it up, either. I just leaned it next to her and moved back to the front of the counter.

“So…” my voice shook, but surprisingly not nearly as much as I thought it would. “Who else has been in tonight?” Katy’s eyes fluttered with some level of lucidity. “I…. I guess I don’t know.”

I couldn’t tell you what guided me through that conversation. It wasn’t wit. It wasn’t knowledge. It wasn’t overwhelming compassion. I felt like an audience member if nothing else. I listened to myself ask all the right questions as if nothing was wrong though it was hard to pay attention to the answers. Katy continued to deteriorate right in front of me. Her breathing became wet sounding - a familiar thing I realized I’d heard when she had gasped earlier. Blood began to seep from under her apron, left side obviously, and eventually much more from her mouth.

“Dan killed me, didn’t he?”

He had.

Katy being a “ditz” wasn’t the only chat around the town. Dan had gone to school with us too. He had always been the violent type of jock with a garbage personality to match their bad reputation, and everyone knew that. The two of them, Katy and Dan, didn’t get along in high school. I still don’t know how they ended up together down the line.

It had only gotten worse with age as alcohol inevitably became involved. That’s how this shit always goes. Dude becomes a monster. Somehow the girl gets blamed. Before her death, everyone said she was too stupid to leave or liked the attention or whatever.

Anyway, that’s just word around a small town.

I couldn’t tell her for sure what had happened, but I knew she had to know inside somehow.

“I don’t know, but you do.” the words once again sort of came without thought. It’s odd to hear your own voice and yet… not quite recognize it.

She lifted a now off color arm up to awkwardly wipe her mascara tears. It was a lethargic and clumsy attempt by fingers that seemed stiff as stone. Every moment appeared to be bringing havoc upon her form. “I always forget to lock that stupid fucking door. I saw him coming but I really thought he couldn’t get me….” Even in that moment, I somehow still thought “she's so beautiful.” She rested against the back counter and slid down into a crouching position while burbling in a nauseating sounding way and choking out one self-deprecation after another. This only lasted for a minute or two before the tears ceased and Katy absent-mindedly stood back up.

With clumsy hands, she grabbed my items from the bag they’d been in and put them into a new bag before repeating (or rather sputtering through little trickles of black thick blood) “that’ll be $7.54.” I picked up the ten and handed it to her once again. She grabbed it this time and I felt that shock of energy again. She didn’t do anything with it; just kept grasping it in her hand.

I still look back now and wish something more profound had come out of my mouth at that moment but instead, only a simple gesture came to mind. “Thanks, Katy. Hit me up sometime, I’d really like to catch up. I think we’d make good friends.” Kathleen said nothing but smiled. Blood still poured from within.

The next few minutes were a blur but, as I’d later see on security footage, I more or less went through the motions. I left the store and got into my car before picking up my cellphone to call 911. I came back to a somewhat coherent level about halfway through the call when I was sobbing profusely as some poor emergency operator tried their damndest to decipher my words.

Dan knew Katy had a tendency to forget to do lock-ups, especially when she was alone. He knew he could confront her without costing her that job and set off to do so that night. Katy thought she’d locked the door. She ran to hide in the bathroom and the gesture of her running away pissed Dan off enough that he pulled the hunting knife he brought with him just about everywhere. She got most-way into the bathroom, he lunged in after her. Being a hunter gives a person knowledge about anatomy and killing cleanly, so I guess he had no problem plunging that thing directly in a way that would puncture her heart. He didn’t expect to nick her lungs but it didn’t matter. Her heart bled into her lungs. She died too quickly to understand what happened to her.

Being a hunter made him a more capable killer with a weapon but it didn’t make him smart about getting away with murder. The security camera caught him doing everything except the act as well. It didn’t take law enforcement but a minute to figure him out. He was caught in the middle of a half-assed suicide attempt after the security footage was watched and the knife was traced back to him. The first half of the security cams were enough to fry him. We know what he did.

After his crime, Dan left the GDGNG in an emotional frenzy, only coming back for a moment to ransack the cash register in hopes of making it look like a robbery before getting into his truck and leaving. About thirty minutes pass, then this odd mass of dark black purple and blue opalescent light and camera fuzz slowly moves from the hallway back into the middle of the counter space, behind the cash register. Ten more minutes pass, my car pulls into the parking lot.

Every time I touched her - it, the light, I DONT KNOW - I was seen in the video actually touching it. Just watching, I could feel some semblance of that same feeling, just in the very tips of my fingers. It all went the same way. It handed me my things, it held my ten dollar bill - that really stuck with me at that moment because up until then, I wasn’t sure if any of it had happened at all or if I was truly losing it. That was proof to me; seeing those detectives and doctors faces of puzzled disbelief seeing the very same thing I was.

The second half of the tape was left out of criminal proceedings, naturally.

Yet after a while of fruitless treatment, the doctors sat me down and were frank with me; there is no explanation for what’s happening - not one they’re realistically finding - unless they pick one and just assign it to me. Eventually, they ruled it was a “temporary bout of psychosis brought on by trauma” essentially saying that finding “a dead girl” was too much for my brain to comprehend. They gave me a clean bill of mental health, they gave me back my shit, and let me leave.

I hadn’t cried in a while at that point but sitting there in the same clothes (yeah they didn’t even give me something clean to leave with) with the gas station store bag packed in with my wallet, car keys, and random shit that was in my pockets… Well, yeah. It reasonably brought on the waterworks. I pulled out the keys and my wallet but stared at the rest for a while before finally pulling out the generic THANKYOU THANKYOU THANKYOU plastic bag.

A mountain dew, some noodles, chips, chocolate, and gum. I picked up each and held them in my hands for a moment before moving onto the next one. I could’ve waited until I got home but knowing this would probably be my only quiet moment before family absolutely smothered me like I knew they wanted to, I felt I needed to do it then. I got to the last item, a pack of pink bubble gum. The weight and density felt off and the shape of the brightly printed packaging was bulging at the corners. With shaking hands, I removed the somehow untampered plastic wrap to find what I already knew in my heart would be there.

A name tag, pristine. Printed KATY with tiny little pink butterfly bubble stickers.

The Glorious Day Gas ‘n Go was closed within the month of that horrible incident. All four pumps had already been removed by the time I left the hospital. Even though that little corner store was barely even part of our shitty church town, the embarrassment of a passion killing at a gas station was not a lovely look and the owner was quickly elbowed out of business and eventually out of town.

What I didn’t expect to later find out was the overflowing compassion for Katy. Nobody blamed her for not locking that door. Actually, come to find out, the owner could’ve set it to automatically lock and chose not to. He felt Katy would only learn to be less absent minded that way. People didn’t see it that way.

People held memorials. There were quite a few photos, bears, flowers, and other things now placed lovingly outside the building. People loved her more than she gave herself credit for.

It’s been a while since then and I consider Katy a dear friend and someone close to my heart. The story of her death has become more of a local scandal and I suppose one day it will become urban legend, though as far as I know, nobody knows the truth of what happened to me that night.

I saw her one more time; just once. I drive out there every few months, just to remind myself of her. I think I lingered the longest the year anniversary of that night. Right before I went to start my car to head back home, I felt that familiar static energy in my fingertips and it caused me to look up at the deeply dilapidated building one more time.

The silhouette of a person stood where the cashiers counter once was.

l swear, she way toying with her hair.