#Best Shared Web Hosting

[websitebuddy01]

Looking for reliable and affordable Shared Hosting in India? Website Buddy offers top-notch shared hosting solutions tailored to meet the needs of Indian businesses and individuals. With 99.9% uptime, free SSL certificates, and 24/7 expert support, our hosting plans are perfect for startups, bloggers, and small businesses. Experience seamless website performance and easy management through our user-friendly control panel. At Website Buddy, we prioritize quality and affordability, making us your trusted partner for Shared Hosting in India. Whether you're launching a new website or upgrading your hosting, we’ve got you covered!

[vnahosting]

Unmanaged Dedicated Server Hosting | VNA Hosting

Unleash your potential with VNA Hosting's Unmanaged Dedicated Servers. Gain complete control over your hosting environment, optimize performance, and run demanding applications with maximum flexibility.

[mintoreview118]

Hostinger Shared Hosting Review 2024 - Is Hostinger The Best Budget Hosting ?

Visit the link : https://mintoreview.com/hostinger

[rabineastlink]

Eastlink Cloud Providing web hosting service we take words look the believable.

[networkhostinggroup1]

A guide to safeguard your online presence by: Choosing the right Web Hosting

By considering the above steps, one can make a good choice in selecting which type of web hosting is best according to their requirement for personal or business use. Read more: https://writeupcafe.com/a-guide-to-safeguard-your-online-presence-by-choosing-the-right-web-hosting/

[serverp]

Top Tips to Build a Secure Website Backup Plans

Why Website Backup Is Crucial

Website backup is a critical aspect of website management, offering protection against various threats and ensuring smooth operations. Here's an in-depth look at why website backup is essential:

1. Protection Against Data Loss: During website development, frequent changes are made, including code modifications and content updates. Without proper backup, accidental deletions or code errors can lead to irrecoverable data loss.

2. Safeguarding Against Cyber Attacks: Malicious cyber attacks, including ransomware, pose a significant threat to websites. Regular backups provide a safety net, allowing businesses to restore their websites to a pre-attack state quickly.

3. Mitigating Risks of Hardware and Software Failures: Hardware failures or software glitches can occur unexpectedly, potentially resulting in data corruption or loss. Website backup ensures that data can be restored swiftly in such scenarios.

4. Facilitating Smoother Updates and Overhauls: Website updates and overhauls are inevitable for staying current and meeting evolving requirements. Having backups in place streamlines these processes by providing a fallback option in case of unforeseen issues.

Understanding Website Backup

What is Website Backup? Website backup involves creating duplicate copies of website data, including media, code, themes, and other elements, and storing them securely to prevent loss or damage.

Components of Website Backup:

Website Files: Includes all website data such as code files, media, plugins, and themes.

Databases: Backup of databases like MySQL or PostgreSQL, if utilized.

Email Sending: Backup of email forwarders and filters associated with the website.

Tips for Secure Website Backup Planning

1. Choose the Right Backup Frequency: Frequency depends on website traffic, update frequency, and content sensitivity.

2. Opt for Third-Party Backup Solutions: Consider factors like storage capacity, automation, security features, and user-friendliness.

3. Utilize Backup Plugins for WordPress: Plugins like UpdraftPlus, VaultPress, and others offer secure and automated backup solutions.

4. Maintain Offsite Backups: Store backups in remote data centers or cloud services for added security.

5. Test Your Backups: Regular testing ensures backup integrity and readiness for restoration.

6. Supplement Hosting Backup Services: While hosting providers offer backups, explore additional backup solutions for enhanced security and control.

7. Consider Manual Backups: Manual backups provide flexibility and control, especially for specific needs or scenarios.

8. Encrypt Backup Data: Encrypting backup files adds an extra layer of security, preventing unauthorized access.

9. Monitor Backup Processes: Regular monitoring helps identify issues promptly and ensures backup availability.

10. Implement Disaster Recovery Plans: Prepare for unforeseen events with comprehensive disaster recovery strategies.

Secure Website Backup Service with Servepoet

For comprehensive website backup solutions, consider CodeGuard Backup service, offering automated daily backups, robust encryption, and user-friendly management features.

Conclusion

Building a secure website backup plan is vital for protecting against data loss, cyber threats, and operational disruptions. By following best practices and leveraging reliable backup solutions, businesses can safeguard their websites and ensure continuity of operations.

[onlysslindia]

Unveiling the Secrets of Low-Cost Web Hosting: Affordable Solutions for Your Online Presence

In the vast and ever-expanding digital landscape, establishing an online presence is essential for individuals and businesses alike. When it comes to hosting your website, the cost is a significant consideration. Fortunately, the market offers a range of low-cost web hosting solutions that provide reliable services without breaking the bank. In this article, we delve into the world of Low Cost Web Hosting in Pune, exploring the benefits and features that make these options an attractive choice for budget-conscious website owners.

Affordability Without Compromise: Low-cost web hosting doesn't mean sacrificing quality or performance. Many hosting providers offer affordable plans that provide reliable uptime, sufficient storage, and essential features for hosting a website. These budget-friendly options are particularly beneficial for individuals, startups, and small businesses looking to establish their online presence without a hefty financial investment.

Shared Hosting: One of the most common types of low-cost web hosting is shared hosting. In a shared hosting environment, multiple websites share resources on the same server. This shared infrastructure significantly reduces costs, making it an economical choice for those just starting with a smaller-scale website. While it may have some limitations in terms of server resources, shared hosting is often sufficient for many websites, especially in the early stages.

Ease of Use: Many low-cost web hosting providers prioritize user-friendly interfaces and intuitive control panels. This makes it easier for individuals with varying levels of technical expertise to manage their websites efficiently. With features like one-click installations for popular content management systems (CMS) and drag-and-drop website builders, these hosting solutions empower users to set up and maintain their sites with ease.

Scalability Options: As your website grows, scalability becomes a crucial factor. Low-cost web hosting plans often come with scalable options that allow you to upgrade your resources as your website traffic and content increase. This flexibility ensures that your hosting solution can grow alongside your online presence without requiring a significant upfront investment.

Customer Support: Contrary to the misconception that low-cost hosting compromises on customer support, many providers offer responsive and helpful support services. While the level of support may vary among providers, reputable low-cost hosting companies understand the importance of assisting their customers promptly and efficiently.

Freebies and Additional Features: To remain competitive, many low-cost hosting providers sweeten the deal by offering freebies and additional features. These may include free domain registration, SSL certificates, website builders, and marketing credits. These extras can add significant value to your hosting package without increasing the overall cost.

Reliable Uptime: Website uptime is critical for maintaining an effective online presence. Reputable low-cost hosting providers invest in robust infrastructure to ensure reliable server uptime. While no hosting solution can guarantee 100% uptime, a good low-cost hosting service strives to keep downtime to a minimum.

User Reviews and Reputation: Before choosing a low-cost web hosting provider, it's essential to research user reviews and assess the provider's reputation. This can provide insights into the actual experiences of other users, helping you make an informed decision about the reliability and quality of the hosting service.

Conclusion:

Low-cost web hosting opens the doors to online opportunities for individuals and businesses on a budget. With a plethora of options available, it's crucial to evaluate your specific needs, research providers, and choose a hosting solution that aligns with your goals. Affordable hosting doesn't mean compromising on quality, and by exploring the features and benefits of low-cost web hosting, you can embark on your online journey with confidence and financial prudence.

For more details, visit us :

Cheapest Shared Hosting in India

Best SSL Certificate Providers in India

Creative Web Design Agency in Bangalore

Cheapest Domain Provider in Chandigarh

[ifocusblogs]

Unveiling the Power of Cloud VPS Servers: A Game-Changer in Web Hosting

In the ever-evolving landscape of web hosting, Cloud VPS servers have emerged as a powerful and flexible solution, revolutionizing the way websites and applications are hosted. Traditional hosting methods are gradually giving way to the scalability, reliability, and efficiency offered by Cloud VPS servers. In this article, we'll delve into the world of Cloud VPS servers, exploring their key features, benefits, and why they are becoming the go-to choice for businesses and individuals alike.

Understanding Cloud VPS Servers

What is a Cloud VPS Server? Cloud VPS (Virtual Private Server) is a virtualized server hosted on a cloud computing infrastructure. Unlike traditional hosting options, where a single physical server hosts multiple websites, a Cloud VPS server operates within a virtualized environment. This means that resources like CPU, RAM, and storage are dedicated to each virtual server, providing better performance, security, and customization options.

Key Features of Cloud VPS Servers:

Scalability: One of the standout features of Cloud VPS servers is scalability. As your website or application grows, you can easily scale your resources up or down to meet the changing demands. This ensures that you only pay for the resources you actually use, making it a cost-effective solution.

Reliability: Cloud VPS servers are built on a redundant and distributed infrastructure, minimizing the risk of downtime. In traditional hosting, if a physical server fails, all the hosted websites go down. With Cloud VPS, if one server fails, another takes over seamlessly, ensuring continuous operation.

Customization: Cloud VPS servers offer a high level of customization. Users have the flexibility to choose their preferred operating system, install custom software, and configure the server environment to meet their specific needs. This level of control is crucial for businesses with unique hosting requirements.

Security: The isolation provided by virtualization enhances the security of Cloud VPS servers. Each virtual server operates independently of others on the same physical machine, reducing the risk of security breaches. Additionally, many cloud providers offer robust security features, such as firewalls, DDoS protection, and regular security updates.

The Benefits of Cloud VPS Servers

Cost Efficiency: Cloud VPS servers follow a pay-as-you-go pricing model, allowing users to pay only for the resources they consume. This cost-efficient approach is particularly beneficial for small businesses and startups with budget constraints.

Performance: With dedicated resources, Cloud VPS servers offer consistent and reliable performance. This is crucial for websites and applications that require fast loading times and smooth user experiences.

Reliability and Uptime: The distributed nature of cloud infrastructure ensures high availability and uptime. Cloud VPS servers are designed to handle traffic spikes and fluctuations without compromising performance.

Flexibility: Cloud VPS servers provide a high degree of flexibility, allowing users to upgrade or downgrade their resources based on their current needs. This agility is essential for adapting to changing business requirements.

Choosing the Right Cloud VPS Provider

When considering Cloud VPS hosting, selecting the right provider is crucial. Factors to consider include:

Performance and Reliability: Look for providers with a track record of high performance and reliability. Check user reviews and testimonials to gauge the experiences of other users.

Scalability: Ensure that the provider allows easy scalability to accommodate the growth of your website or application.

Security Measures: Prioritize providers that implement robust security measures, including firewalls, encryption, and regular security updates.

Customer Support: Reliable customer support is essential. Choose a provider with responsive and knowledgeable support teams to assist you in case of any issues.

Conclusion

Cloud VPS servers represent a paradigm shift in web hosting, offering a dynamic and scalable solution for businesses and individuals alike. The benefits of cost efficiency, performance, and flexibility make them an attractive choice in a digital landscape that demands adaptability. As technology continues to advance, Cloud VPS servers are likely to play an increasingly central role in shaping the future of web hosting. Consider making the switch to Cloud VPS and unlock the full potential of your online presence

[vnahosting]

Windows Cloud Server Hosting | VNA Hosting

VNA Hosting offers cutting-edge Windows Cloud Server solutions. Benefit from scalable resources, 24/7 support, and robust security to power your mission-critical applications.

[not-terezi-pyrope]

Often when I post an AI-neutral or AI-positive take on an anti-AI post I get blocked, so I wanted to make my own post to share my thoughts on "Nightshade", the new adversarial data poisoning attack that the Glaze people have come out with.

I've read the paper and here are my takeaways:

Firstly, this is not necessarily or primarily a tool for artists to "coat" their images like Glaze; in fact, Nightshade works best when applied to sort of carefully selected "archetypal" images, ideally ones that were already generated using generative AI using a prompt for the generic concept to be attacked (which is what the authors did in their paper). Also, the image has to be explicitly paired with a specific text caption optimized to have the most impact, which would make it pretty annoying for individual artists to deploy.

While the intent of Nightshade is to have maximum impact with minimal data poisoning, in order to attack a large model there would have to be many thousands of samples in the training data. Obviously if you have a webpage that you created specifically to host a massive gallery poisoned images, that can be fairly easily blacklisted, so you'd have to have a lot of patience and resources in order to hide these enough so they proliferate into the training datasets of major models.

The main use case for this as suggested by the authors is to protect specific copyrights. The example they use is that of Disney specifically releasing a lot of poisoned images of Mickey Mouse to prevent people generating art of him. As a large company like Disney would be more likely to have the resources to seed Nightshade images at scale, this sounds like the most plausible large scale use case for me, even if web artists could crowdsource some sort of similar generic campaign.

Either way, the optimal use case of "large organization repeatedly using generative AI models to create images, then running through another resource heavy AI model to corrupt them, then hiding them on the open web, to protect specific concepts and copyrights" doesn't sound like the big win for freedom of expression that people are going to pretend it is. This is the case for a lot of discussion around AI and I wish people would stop flagwaving for corporate copyright protections, but whatever.

The panic about AI resource use in terms of power/water is mostly bunk (AI training is done once per large model, and in terms of industrial production processes, using a single airliner flight's worth of carbon output for an industrial model that can then be used indefinitely to do useful work seems like a small fry in comparison to all the other nonsense that humanity wastes power on). However, given that deploying this at scale would be a huge compute sink, it's ironic to see anti-AI activists for that is a talking point hyping this up so much.

In terms of actual attack effectiveness; like Glaze, this once again relies on analysis of the feature space of current public models such as Stable Diffusion. This means that effectiveness is reduced on other models with differing architectures and training sets. However, also like Glaze, it looks like the overall "world feature space" that generative models fit to is generalisable enough that this attack will work across models.

That means that if this does get deployed at scale, it could definitely fuck with a lot of current systems. That said, once again, it'd likely have a bigger effect on indie and open source generation projects than the massive corporate monoliths who are probably working to secure proprietary data sets, like I believe Adobe Firefly did. I don't like how these attacks concentrate the power up.

The generalisation of the attack doesn't mean that this can't be defended against, but it does mean that you'd likely need to invest in bespoke measures; e.g. specifically training a detector on a large dataset of Nightshade poison in order to filter them out, spending more time and labour curating your input dataset, or designing radically different architectures that don't produce a comparably similar virtual feature space. I.e. the effect of this being used at scale wouldn't eliminate "AI art", but it could potentially cause a headache for people all around and limit accessibility for hobbyists (although presumably curated datasets would trickle down eventually).

All in all a bit of a dick move that will make things harder for people in general, but I suppose that's the point, and what people who want to deploy this at scale are aiming for. I suppose with public data scraping that sort of thing is fair game I guess.

Additionally, since making my first reply I've had a look at their website:

Used responsibly, Nightshade can help deter model trainers who disregard copyrights, opt-out lists, and do-not-scrape/robots.txt directives. It does not rely on the kindness of model trainers, but instead associates a small incremental price on each piece of data scraped and trained without authorization. Nightshade's goal is not to break models, but to increase the cost of training on unlicensed data, such that licensing images from their creators becomes a viable alternative.

Once again we see that the intended impact of Nightshade is not to eliminate generative AI but to make it infeasible for models to be created and trained by without a corporate money-bag to pay licensing fees for guaranteed clean data. I generally feel that this focuses power upwards and is overall a bad move. If anything, this sort of model, where only large corporations can create and control AI tools, will do nothing to help counter the economic displacement without worker protection that is the real issue with AI systems deployment, but will exacerbate the problem of the benefits of those systems being more constrained to said large corporations.

Kinda sucks how that gets pushed through by lying to small artists about the importance of copyright law for their own small-scale works (ignoring the fact that processing derived metadata from web images is pretty damn clearly a fair use application).

[serverp]

Start Your Website Journey with Shared Web Hosting | Serverpoet

Shared web hosting is a perfect solution for beginners and small websites owner. At Serverpoet, we provide a comprehensive hosting solution and a supportive team to guide you on any issue. Start building your web presence today with us.

[feminist-space]

"Artists have finally had enough with Meta’s predatory AI policies, but Meta’s loss is Cara’s gain. An artist-run, anti-AI social platform, Cara has grown from 40,000 to 650,000 users within the last week, catapulting it to the top of the App Store charts.

Instagram is a necessity for many artists, who use the platform to promote their work and solicit paying clients. But Meta is using public posts to train its generative AI systems, and only European users can opt out, since they’re protected by GDPR laws. Generative AI has become so front-and-center on Meta’s apps that artists reached their breaking point.

“When you put [AI] so much in their face, and then give them the option to opt out, but then increase the friction to opt out… I think that increases their anger level — like, okay now I’ve really had enough,” Jingna Zhang, a renowned photographer and founder of Cara, told TechCrunch.

Cara, which has both a web and mobile app, is like a combination of Instagram and X, but built specifically for artists. On your profile, you can host a portfolio of work, but you can also post updates to your feed like any other microblogging site.

Zhang is perfectly positioned to helm an artist-centric social network, where they can post without the risk of becoming part of a training dataset for AI. Zhang has fought on behalf of artists, recently winning an appeal in a Luxembourg court over a painter who copied one of her photographs, which she shot for Harper’s Bazaar Vietnam.

“Using a different medium was irrelevant. My work being ‘available online’ was irrelevant. Consent was necessary,” Zhang wrote on X.

Zhang and three other artists are also suing Google for allegedly using their copyrighted work to train Imagen, an AI image generator. She’s also a plaintiff in a similar lawsuit against Stability AI, Midjourney, DeviantArt and Runway AI.

“Words can’t describe how dehumanizing it is to see my name used 20,000+ times in MidJourney,” she wrote in an Instagram post. “My life’s work and who I am—reduced to meaningless fodder for a commercial image slot machine.”

Artists are so resistant to AI because the training data behind many of these image generators includes their work without their consent. These models amass such a large swath of artwork by scraping the internet for images, without regard for whether or not those images are copyrighted. It’s a slap in the face for artists – not only are their jobs endangered by AI, but that same AI is often powered by their work.

“When it comes to art, unfortunately, we just come from a fundamentally different perspective and point of view, because on the tech side, you have this strong history of open source, and people are just thinking like, well, you put it out there, so it’s for people to use,” Zhang said. “For artists, it’s a part of our selves and our identity. I would not want my best friend to make a manipulation of my work without asking me. There’s a nuance to how we see things, but I don’t think people understand that the art we do is not a product.”

This commitment to protecting artists from copyright infringement extends to Cara, which partners with the University of Chicago’s Glaze project. By using Glaze, artists who manually apply Glaze to their work on Cara have an added layer of protection against being scraped for AI.

Other projects have also stepped up to defend artists. Spawning AI, an artist-led company, has created an API that allows artists to remove their work from popular datasets. But that opt-out only works if the companies that use those datasets honor artists’ requests. So far, HuggingFace and Stability have agreed to respect Spawning’s Do Not Train registry, but artists’ work cannot be retroactively removed from models that have already been trained.

“I think there is this clash between backgrounds and expectations on what we put on the internet,” Zhang said. “For artists, we want to share our work with the world. We put it online, and we don’t charge people to view this piece of work, but it doesn’t mean that we give up our copyright, or any ownership of our work.”"

Read the rest of the article here:

https://techcrunch.com/2024/06/06/a-social-app-for-creatives-cara-grew-from-40k-to-650k-users-in-a-week-because-artists-are-fed-up-with-metas-ai-policies/

[maevebabyy]

TRICK OR TREAT

daniela avanzini x fem reader

summary - you end up going to the halloween party that your best friend, daniela, has been bugging you about for ages.

tags - fluff, wlw, kissing

disclaimers - mentions of alcohol

a/n - happy halloween! (not proofread but tbh when do i ever 😭🙏)

wc - 2.2k

the halloween hype starts weeks in advance. everywhere you turn, decorations are popping up– ghosts and skeletons in front yards, spider webs in store windows, and the scent of pumpkin spice lurking around every corner.

it’s almost impossible to ignore, and you try your best to, shrugging off invitations and announcements about costumes and parties with a smile and polite “maybe.”

of course, it’s your best friend daniela leading the charge. halloween is her favourite night of the year, and the one time she can pull out all the stops and go unapologetically overboard. she brings it up over and over, dropping hints about “the party of the year” and how it won’t be the same without you. you figure she’s just being daniela– relentlessly enthusiastic, her eyes practically glittering as she launches into details about the great halloween party her friend, lara, is hosting.

in her world, halloween is a sacred night for letting loose and transforming into someone else for a while. she has that bright energy about her that’s infectious, making you feel guilty for not feeling the same way. but every time she gives you that look– the hopeful one, with her head tilted just a little and her bottom lip pushed out in a pout– you have to remind yourself why it’s a “no.”

crowded spaces, loud music, and costumes just don’t have the same thrill for you. and the idea of navigating all that noise and chaos while everyone’s hyped up on alcohol and adrenaline? you’ve decided it’s just not for you.

but daniela doesn’t give up. every day, she’s back with new reasons to convince you. the costumes she’s planning, the outfits she’s narrowed down (several, of course– she still hasn’t decided between being a devil, a vampire, or a fairy). she even shares plans for her makeup, using you as a sounding board as she describes her ideas with absolute passion. you feel a little bad, knowing you’re not going, but she’s daniela, and she can get excited enough for the both of you.

-

finally, halloween night rolls around. the sky has that deep october shade of midnight blue, and the air is crisp and cool, with the faint scent of burning wood drifting in through your apartment window from somewhere down the street. it’s a perfect night for spooky activities, and you’re in the thick of it– on your couch, buried under a pile of blankets with a popcorn bowl by your side, ready to dive into a horror movie marathon.

the illuminated led clock read 8:08 pm as you start the first movie of the scary movie series. just then, your phone lights up, a familiar name popping up on the screen.

dani 👯‍♀️: “you’re really not coming?? 😭”

of course, daniela would do this. you can practically hear her voice as you read it. she’s done this every halloween night for as long as you’ve known her, trying to drag you to whatever halloween party she’s been convincing you to go to. she can never quite understand why you’d want to spend halloween as a homebody.

you sigh, a little amused, but mostly unmoved, typing back a response.

“dani, i love u, but we been over this 😭🙏 parties just aren’t for me

there’s no response, and you assume she's finally given up when a moment later, the door to your apartment swings open, and in comes daniela herself, horns and all, leaning dramatically against the frame.

“you’re really not going to make this easy, huh?” she whines, hands on her hips, glaring playfully.

she’s committed to her devil look– crimson lipstick, black eyeliner sharp enough to slice, and a skin tight red dress that somehow blends daring and classy in a way only the cuban girl can pull off. a pair of red horns peek through her golden curly hair, and a long black cape drapes over her shoulder, trailing behind her like a second skin, her red wings underneath.

you linger on her appearance for a moment longer than you’d like to admit, taking in the costume. you knew she was going as a devil, solidifying her choice a few days prior, but somehow you hadn’t pictured her like this– even more bold and confident, her usual energy amplified to a whole new level.

you’re snapped out of your thoughts however as daniela threw your keys onto your lap.

why did you ever give this girl your spare keys to your apartment?

you laugh, setting the remote aside and picking up your spare keys. “didn’t you get the hint, by, like, the third time i said no?

the latina sighs theatrically, throwing herself dramatically onto the couch next to you. “come onnnn. everyone’s going to be there. plus, it’s halloween, and it only happens once a year! this is basically, like, a holiday for people like me.”

“people who love noise and chaos?”

“yes,” she says, crossing her arms with a pout. “but also people who like to let loose a little. try new things! and… okay, people who are maybe also a little dramatic.” she shoots you look. “it’s fun! besides, i already know you’re going to get bored. i’m trying to save you from missing out on another great halloweekend!”

“highly unlikely,” you retort. “halloweekend is just an excuse for people to get drunk three nights in a row. besides, i’ve got movies, popcorn, and peace and quiet. sounds pretty great to me already.”

she huffs, pretending to be offended. “fine, fine,” she says, standing up in defeat, though she throws a little pout over her shoulder. “but just you wait. you’ll wish you’d listened to me.”

with that, she finally lets herself out, leaving the apartment feeling weirdly quiet in her wake. you settle back on the couch, restarting the first scary movie, convinced that you made the right choice. the lights are dim, the popcorn’s still warm, and the apartment is all yours once more.

but half an hour later, you find yourself scrolling through your phone. your instagram feed flooded with new stories and posts– photos of everyone in costume, videos of the party, and endless photos of the function.

what stood out to you the most though was the photos with daniela in them, her smile bright, her devil horns glinting under the flashing flights. even from a distance, she looks like she’s having the time of her life, and you can practically hear her voice in every photo that captures her laugh.

you’re about to put your phone down when daniela sends another text,

dani 👯‍♀️ : “wish yiu w ere here rn”

daniela was obviously already feeling a little tipsy judging from the way she texted. there’s a pang of something– maybe a little fomo, maybe even the slightest twinge of protectiveness. and then, against all common sense, you find yourself standing up and heading to your closet.

you dig though old clothes, trying to piece together something that could pass as a costume. after looking through a few options, you find it— a white dress, simple but just daring enough to feel like a costume. a quick search through your jewellery box turns up some silver accents, enough to give you a glimmering, almost ethereal look. by the time you’re finished, you’re not exactly sure what you’re going as… maybe an angel? or some kind of celestial spirit? either way, it feels good— different. you barely recognize yourself in the mirror.

taking a deep breath, you grab your phone and text daniela back.

“i guess i could come out for a bit”

her response is instant,

dani 👯‍♀️ : “YESSS abiut time!!!”

-

when you arrive, the party’s already in full swing. music pulses through the air, mingling with laughter and shouts, and lights flash from every corner of the crowded house. the smell of alcohol weighed heavily in the air as you weave your way though the costumes, searching for daniela. you finally spot her in the kitchen, laughing with a group of friends. but the moment she sees you, her laughter halts mid-sentence, and her eyes widen.

she makes her way over to you— stumbling a little bit along the way—, her gaze traveling over your outfit with something between surprise and… something else, something you can’t quite place. she raises an eyebrow, giving you a slow once-over.

“weeellll, look who-” she hiccups, giggling a little, “look who finally got in the spirit of halloween.”

you shake your head softly, “how much have you had to drink, dani?”

the cuban girl giggles at the question, “don’t worry, just enough is all!” she clears her throat, focusing her eyes, “but seriously! you’re actually here! am i that drunk?”

you give a little shrug, accompanied with an easy-going smile, trying to hide how nervous you feel under her intense gaze. “nope, i’m very much here. and, it was a last minute decision.”

her lips curve into a smirk, but there’s a softness in her expression, almost like she’s seeing you again for the first time. “last minute, huh?” she shakes her head with a chuckle, then sways lightly on her feet. “and here i thought angels were supposed to be innocent. you look… incredible.”

you feel your cheeks heat up. “i didn’t think anyone would actually notice that i’m an angel.”

“oh, trust me,” she says, glancing around the room, “people noticed.” her eyes flick back to you, a glint of mischief in them. “which is exactly why i’m going to cover you up before anyone else gets any ideas.”

before you can protest, she slips off her cape and drapes it over your shoulders, adjusting it to fit snugly around you. her fingers linger on your shoulders as she pulls you closer, her touch warm and steady. “can’t have people thinking they can mess with my angel,” she murmurs, her voice low and almost possessive.

you glance up at her, caught off guard by the sudden closeness, her face inches from yours. the party fades into the background, the music and noise replaced by the steady sound of her breath, the faintest hint of her perfume— mixed with the alcohol she’d been drinking— lingering in the air. her eyes lock onto yours, and there’s a spark between you, something unspoken, but undeniably there.

“should we find somewhere less crowded?” she suggests, her hand still resting on your arm, her words slightly slurred. you nod, letting her lead you to a quieter corner outside, where the night air feels cool against your skin.

out here, the stars shine bright, and the noise of the party fades into a distant hum. daniela leans against the wall, her devil horns tilted playfully, and crosses her arms, watching you with a mixture of amusement and something softer.

“you know,” she says, her voice quieter now and a bit more playful, “i wasn’t just trying to get you here for the party. it’s more fun with you around.” she stumbles slightly as she shifts her weight, catching herself with a laugh.

you meet her gaze, feeling your heart race a little faster. “really?”

she laughs, nodding, her cheeks slightly flushed. “yeah. this might sound cheesy, but i just…like having you here.”

for a moment, neither of you speaks. she steps closer, her hand lifting to brush a stray strand of hair behind your ear, fingers grazing your cheek. “i don’t usually get all sentimental on halloween,” she whispers, a hint of vulnerability in her eyes. “but maybe i’ve always wanted an angel by my side.”

you swallow, the words settling between you, heavy and sweet. her hand lingers by your cheek, her gaze flicking down to your lips before meeting your eyes again, as if waiting, hesitating, right on the edge of something. the tension is thick, and you can’t shake the feeling that she’s waiting for you to make the first move.

in a moment of courage, you lean in slightly, your heart pounding as you search her gaze for any sign of what she wants. the air between you is electric, charged with unspoken words. daniela's breath hitches, her eyes sparkling with mischief and something deeper, and in a heartbeat, she closes the distance.

her lips meet yours, soft and warm, igniting a fire that spreads through you. it’s a kiss that feels like everything you’ve been waiting for, a mix of sweetness and urgency. you can taste the faint remnants of her drink, and it only makes you want her more.

as her hands slide to your waist, pulling you closer, you sink into the kiss, feeling her smile against your lips, as if she’s just as surprised by this sudden spark as you are. the kiss deepens, and you lose yourself in the warmth of the moment, the chaos of the party fading into the background.

finally, you pull away, breathless, your foreheads resting against each other as you both smile. “maybe next year, i’ll help you pick out something a little less… dangerous,” she says softly, her breath warm against your skin.

you arch an eyebrow, a teasing smile forming on your lips. “dangerous?”

her laughter dances in the air between you, playful and light. “oh, absolutely. you’re hiding something under those angel wings.”

you chuckle, feeling the warmth spread through you. “well, i guess you’re not the only one who can surprise people.”

her smirk returns, full of mischief and charm. “i make no promises,” she whispers, her voice low, “but i’ll take my angel back inside.”

and as she leads you back to the party, her hand in yours, you can’t help but feel grateful you ended up going to this halloween party after all.