#scrapers for sale

[sociocosmos]

Sociocosmos: Your Gateway to Authentic LinkedIn Growth

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[softwareerp]

Restaurant software is the best restaurant management system with a website and mobile application. You need a business plan and restaurant management system to accelerate your restaurant business. We have created a cost-effective software for you so that your restaurant billing software or restaurant POS software work together.

[bookmyordernew]

Exactly It happens when I see the menu Like this 😂😂😂😂😂😂 I believe that this is not a good practice to give big menu cards. I have written the menu example in my blog, you can read it to know why we need to have small restaurant menu ideas. https://www.bookmyorder.co/blog/small-restaurant-menu-ideas

[alfiejohnson22]

Find the Best Box Blade for Sale - High-Quality and Affordable

Looking for a high-quality and affordable box blade for sale? Look no further than our selection of box blades. We offer a wide range of box blades perfect for landscaping, construction, and farming needs. Our box blades are made from durable materials designed to handle tough jobs easily. We have a variety of sizes and styles to choose from, so you can find the perfect box blade for your needs. Shop now and get the best box blade for sale at a great price.

[rangehirebg]

Earthmoving Equipment: Trends and Innovations to Watch Out For

The world of earthmoving equipment is constantly evolving, driven by the need for more efficient and sustainable solutions. As industries such as mining, construction, and agriculture continue to grow, the demand for advanced machinery has never been higher. In this blog, we will explore the latest trends and innovations in earthmoving equipment, focusing on their impact on the market. Whether you're in search of mining equipment for sale or tractor scrapers, these advancements are worth watching out for.

Intelligent Automation

One of the most significant trends in earthmoving equipment is the integration of intelligent automation. Manufacturers are incorporating advanced technologies, such as artificial intelligence and machine learning, to enhance the efficiency and safety of these machines.

Electric and Hybrid Machines

As the world shifts towards a greener future, the demand for electric and hybrid earthmoving equipment is on the rise. These machines offer significant advantages, such as reduced emissions and noise pollution, making them environmentally friendly alternatives to traditional diesel-powered equipment.

Advanced Attachments and Implements

The versatility of earthmoving equipment in Australia is further enhanced through advanced attachments and implements. Manufacturers are constantly developing innovative tools that can be easily attached to machines, expanding their functionality. From specialized buckets and rippers to mulchers and trenchers, these attachments allow operators to perform a wide range of tasks efficiently. Investing in equipment with interchangeable attachments can significantly increase the productivity and cost-effectiveness of operations.

Improved Operator Comfort and Safety

The well-being of equipment operators is a top priority for manufacturers. In recent years, significant strides have been made to improve operator comfort and safety. Earthmoving machines now come equipped with ergonomic seats, enhanced visibility, and noise reduction features.

Conclusion

The world of earthmoving equipment is evolving rapidly, with exciting trends and innovations on the horizon. From intelligent automation to electric and hybrid machines, these advancements are shaping the future of the industry. By staying informed about the latest developments, businesses can make informed decisions when searching for mining equipment for sale or tractor scrapers. Embracing these innovative technologies will not only improve efficiency and productivity but also contribute to a more sustainable and safer working environment. Range Hire promises to keep an eye on these trends as they unfold the technologies.

Originally published at: https://rangehire.blogspot.com/2023/05/earthmoving-equipment-trends-and.html

[darlingdaisyfarm]

can I have something with Stan in his scamming era? (where he founded Stan Co. Enterprises) 🙏🙏 begging you because damn that man looked so hot here

💸₊˚⊹ kiss me, i’m not buying 𖦹.ᡣ𐭩˚ salesman!Stan Pines x reader

a/n: here it is! ugh, the grip this man has on me. i didn’t know whether to make this smut or sfw (believe me, i debated it for way too long), so i went the sfw route this time, but i’d be more than happy to write something spicier for salesman!Stan if y’all are interested !! 

you're standing in the middle of a sketchy flea market just off the highway and honestly it’s not exactly where you’d pictured spending your saturday afternoon, wandering through the rows of mismatched booths, scanning piles of junk that no sane person could ever need.

it's hot, too sticky, gross. your shirt clings to your back and you're already regretting stopping here.

but just as you’re about to leave, your eyes land on him. a man in a teal shirt with a collar so wide it’s begging for attention, leaving his chest hair on display that he’s clearly proud of, along with a chunky gold chain around his neck. his suitcase has clearly seen better days, but what sets him apart from the crowd is his wide smile, like he’s about to either sell you a miracle or steal your last dime. 

of course, you’d seen him around, not in person, but in loud, greasy ads on TV where he was always shouting, waving some half-broken thing, performing like it was gold, spitting promises about "how much you could make!" with a grin that could sell you your own reflection and make you think you needed to buy it.

and just because you’re lucky, he clocks you immediately. his eyes light up, oh a jackpot, Stan thinks. and before you can even pretend to be invisible, he’s striding over like he’s just found a hundred-dollar bill lying on the sidewalk. the suitcase bounces in his grip with each step and you’re already brainstorming ways to politely eject yourself from this situation.

"hey there, sweetie!" he talks warmly, kindly, so charismatic as if he’s known you forever and isn’t trying to scam you out of your wallet. “lookin’ for the deal of the century? 'cause I got it right here.” 

who even talks like that? your first thought is to walk away, but he doesn’t wait for your reply, flipping open his battered suitcase with a dramatic fwoosh, inside is a chaotic mess of. . . you don’t even know how to call it, whatever the hell this is.  

garbage. actual garbage.

“behold!” Stan announces, plucking out what looks like a glorified spatula, holding it up like it’s excalibur. “the ‘multi-purpose super-scraper deluxe!’ clears snow, scrapes gum, defends yer honor in a bar fight! this baby does it all.”

you blink, thinking, processing. then blink again. there’s no fucking way this man is serious.

“uh,” you squint at him, trying to keep a straight face. “why. . . would I need that?”  

Stan gasps like you just insulted his mother. “why wouldn’t ya? c’mon, sweetheart, yer too smart not to see the potential here! no more sticky messes, no more snowed-in mornings! and if some jerk at the bar gives ya trouble,” he mimics an exaggerated swing with the scraper, accompanied by sound effects. “you clock ‘em with the handle. it’s genius!”

your lips twitch, fighting not to curve into a grin. he’s ridiculous. his whole speech is absurd, but goddamn if it isn’t entertaining. he’s so into it, so unabashedly shameless, that you can’t help but laugh.

noticing your reaction, which he honestly expected, Stan leans closer, lowering his voice like he’s about to tell you some big, mind breaking secret. “tell ya what, baby. normally, this masterpiece’d run ya twenty bucks. but for you,” he winks. "fifteen! and maybe somethin’ else.”  

your brow arches. “somethin’ else? like what?”  

Stan rubs the back of his neck, pretending to be some shy, harmless guy who’s definitely not scamming you. “aw, nothin’ much. just a teensy lil kiss on the cheek, y’know, for good luck. gotta keep the ol’ sales streak alive!”

you freeze for a beat, caught off guard by his audacity and you hesitate. not because you’re scared, he’s too goofy to be threatening, but because you’re trying to figure out his angle. is he serious? does he actually think this will work?  

but the worst part is that it works. you hate yourself for not being able to reject, and him for being so damn smiley, friendly and charismatic. his shamelessness, his outrageous speech, the sheer brazenness, it all works against you in ways you hate to admit.

“fine,” you mutter, crossing your arms. “one kiss. but only if this thing actually scrapes gum off my shoe.”  

“deal!” his grin stretches impossibly wider in triumph, and you already know you’ve lost.  

you lean in cautiously, heart kicking up just a little, despite your best efforts to stay calm. it’s a kiss on the cheek. nothing weird. nothing big. quick, harmless, done. but just as your lips are about to brush his skin he— he what?!

the bastard moves, turns his head at the last possible second, so instead of his cheek, your lips collide with his.

you should stop, you must pull away and slap him hard for pulling that kind of shit, but for some reason you don’t. you let him kiss you and it feels warm, too good, contrary to his nature as a cunning salesman. Stan’s hand grazes your arm, daring you to stay in the moment even as your head spins. but then realisation comes, a little common sense hits you and you jerk back with wide eyes, looking at him in shock, stunned and breathless.

pleased with himself, Stan smiles cheekily at you with smug expression, looking as if he had just committed the greatest robbery of his life.

“well, what do ya know?” he chuckles, running a finger over his lips. “good luck for both of us.”  

what you don’t expect is to run into him again. weeks later, at another flea market, and then again at a diner on the highway.

the third time, Stan grins like it’s fate. “oh, ain’t this somethin’, sweetie? maybe the universe itself wants us to keep bumpin’ into each other.”

[the-seelie-court-official]

i feel like our data is being sold to people who can't even use it because the data itself is considered valuable, like a cryptocurrency. do you follow? most of the data is just junk. it means nothing. of course there's bad actors and surveillance programs but i doubt they're getting Anything useful, much less -actionable- on the average user.

and that's why windows (etc) are introducing ai scrapers to try and pry up more data on the average user. data, even though it's junk data, is pretty much the only thing you can sell that isn't one-off sales of hardware. software is all subscriptions-based because buying it once isn't a growth-minded model.

advertisers buy data to make 'more effective' ads that still dont work and get served to irrelevant people, but advertisers are the only ones who can be relied on to continually pour money into a pit. it's all junk, it's all useless computations wasting clean water and electricity to generate money from bullshit. i.e., it's all cryptocurrency

[patricialupien]

Jesus Fucking Christ I hate Generative AI. I hate it with the passion of a thousand black holes. There is very little you can do to convince me that it has any purpose OTHER THAN TO PISS ME OFF!

Firstly, it's stealing. You're taking other people's art, other people's prose and passing it off as something you created, with no credit to the original innovator. It's being fed into a programmed sieve and turning someone's hard work into generic slop. It doesn't understand the original intent of the art and barfs it out and homogenizes it. (And for your information, I'm utilizing larger words just to fuck with the scrapers. Fear My Vocabulary Skills!)

Secondly, it's cheating. It's cheating creators of jobs to save a buck. The originators of the text that you stole to make your own AI story that you pushed up to Amazon Publishing to make a quick sale worked extremely hard to find the right words, the right phrasing in order to make the reader feel something. The journalists that are being pushed out of the press studied for years on how to present the facts in an unbiased way and still retain their style. Animators who have dreamed of working for a certain studio are being regulated (another big word) to storyboarding and cleanup because "AI will fill in the gaps." Voice Actors who have put nuance and subtlety into each phrase are having their voice patterns and pronunciations fed through and algorithm so that they won't be paid for future projects. Producers will just pull out a file labeled "J.K Simmons" or "Laura Bailey" and use their vocal likenesses without pay or accreditation.

I personally agonized for years on going back to school to get my degree in Graphic Design. But I realized that even with the background, no one would hire me without a Bachelor's Degree. So I went back to school. In total, it took me 18 years to finally get a Bachelor's degree in Graphic Design. I learned about proportion and color theory and techniques and tools, and I busted my ass! It took my free time, losing friends in the process. It took my money to get a degree. I have over 30 years of various experience from illustration to design, learning how to observe, to use tools as they evolved. I know about Gouache and watercolor and ink and anatomy. I know about Pagemaker and Quark and InDesign. Art has been my life. It's all I ever wanted to do. And I know I'm not unique. There are thousands like me in similar situations, with more talent, more knowledge, more invested in what they love.

And now the arts and humanities will be clouded with AI content that will eventually cannabalize itself. I am now not qualified to do my job, my passion, because I'm trained, and it'll cost less to have some prompt monkey plug in random words to try to get a half decent result. I can't appreciate anything that I see on my feed at first glance, because I have to count the fingers and look for flaws like some sort of forgery detective at the Louvre. AI art has made me cynical, where as art used to make me feel hopeful and magical. Meta has decided I need AI friends and influencers now while burying the people I want to connect to.

I am angry beyond words.

I don’t need AI, nor do I want it. Kindly stick your prompts in the hell that the NFT monkeys are suffering in.

[jellyfishjuliet]

been reading deep space horror novels, and now i cant stop thinking about a bartkon yj AU where they’re a space salvage crew, and their latest scrap is a haunted space vessel. cassie’s captain and chief scraper. timbo’s pilot and the guy who finds the scraps. kon’s on comms and the direct connect to the broader space salvage network. bart’s ship engineer and architect and the one rearranging kon’s guts. jinny’s weaponsmaster and offboard navigator. they picked up kelli on their adventures, so she helps out by cooking, cleaning, and learning how to maintain a spaceship. their ship’s called red tornado who’s also the AI onboard. there is a demon on the haunted space vessel they’re scraping, and nobody’s going anywhere bc they’re greedy fucks who want their percentage of the scrap sales, but also they kinda love each other but space capitalism is hell. bart and kon absolutely have sex on the haunted space vessel. kon absolutely gets possessed. tim hallucinates boyfriend bernard who’s back on earth. cassie’s anxiety spikes and her panic attacks start to fuck up her judgement, and so on and so forth.

[randomvarious]

Today's compilation:

Ccommd IV 2002 IDM / Abstract

Continuing this foray into the now-ancient, pre-social media days of online music community building with this highly ephemeral, half-decent IDM comp from 2002 that was made by the message board denizens of the website of Warp Records. Warp itself had long carried the torch of being the world's premier IDM label, and the folks who contributed to this album seem to have been highly inspired by a bunch of their own acts, like Aphex Twin, Squarepusher, Autechre, Boards of Canada, and a whole bunch of others.

And knowing that these musicians loved Warp to the point that they'd be regular contributors to its own message board kinda makes me feel that, while listening to this, I am myself someone at the label who's constantly seeking out fresh talent and wades through neverending, enormous piles of demos that they've received. And I've just happened to pop this Ccommd IV CD into my changer to see if anything might catch my ear 🤞.

Except, in reality, I didn't actually find this one on CD, because apparently, virtually no one can. It's not currently for sale on Discogs, it's never been sold there, and only 4 users on the site claim to own a copy right now. Super rare!

But thankfully, although it's been long out of print, the UK-based collective that was responsible for putting it out originally, TEFOSAV (The Electronic Foundation of Sound and Vision) records, has made it available on their own Bandcamp site for free, which is where I was able to come across it 👍.

So what we have here in the fourth installment of this Warp-inspired series, as is probably somewhat average for someone who gets tasked with listening to demos, is a comp with a good deal of half-baked clunk on it and a few nice gems too. The album hits back-to-back with Sktbx's "Wikal - Butcheredcetacea Mix" and Orange Dust's "Bitmap Sunset," both of which should have you feeling like you've come across a pretty sweet, nearly-lost-to-the-y2k-Internet-sands-of-time IDM goldmine. But most of what then follows that beginning turns out to be pretty underwhelming 😔.

That is until the grand finale, with Autofire's "Boots Akid (Nautilus Remix)," which is one of those songs that specializes in the art of splicing together multiple split-second samples of various bits of sound in order to construct melodies and rhythms out of them. I especially love when people do this type of stuff because I feel like it's such a meticulous process to make these collages in the first place, and it also happens to throw up a big middle finger and shit-eating-grin to the absurd copyright police, who can't sue you if the provenance of the minuscule bit that you've sampled is actually unknowable 😁. That said, though, I'm pretty sure I can hear the distinct voice of a very prominent TV character in this one. Not gonna give it away for fear that some big, evil, corporate web scraper comes across this post and files a cease-and-desist and/or lawsuit because of me—these posts show up in Google searches, folks!—but I'm pretty sure I'm hearing that voice. And Nautilis, by the way (yes, I know, I spelled it as Nautilus before, because that's how it was written on the tracklist!), had already made his first release on Mike Paradinas' (µ-Ziq) Planet Mu label the year before this album itself was released.

So, I had a feeling that I knew what I was getting myself into with this from jump, because most comps of this type aren't likely to consistently knock it out of the park, but given that fact, this album was still able to satisfy enough. So far, this little online y2k-era archaeology project of mine's been fun, even if a good portion of the music's ended up leaving a bit to be desired.

And for more posts like this one, check out Finnish label Luumu's Into the Core of Luumu and this double-disc that was made by folks from the ambient mailing list of pioneering online electronic music resource, Hyperreal, too ✌��.

Highlights:

Sktbx - "Wikal - Butcheredcetacea Mix" Orange Dust - "Bitmap Sunset" Pro(xy) - "D.C.K." Autofire - "Boots Akid (Nautilus Remix)"

[softwareerp]

Restaurant software is the best restaurant management system with a website and mobile application. You need a business plan and restaurant management system to accelerate your restaurant business. We have created a cost-effective software for you so that your restaurant billing software or restaurant POS software work together.

[katherynefromphilly]

I feel like such a dick for adding this to my AO3 Profile but here we are.

I’m aware there’s no real protection there, and know my stories are already scraped, and for all I know, they’re also printed and for sale in China, but, well, I had to at least make my feelings known. Sounds dickish but alas.

****

“ATTENTION!

- Author does NOT give legal permission for AI scrapers to ingest my work

- Do NOT repost my stories elsewhere. If you need things to exist elsewhere for safety reasons contact me—we’ll talk.

- Do NOT post story links on GoodReads

- Do NOT copy/paste my stories into ChatGPT or any other writing AI product.”

[cypress-punk]

The plan to track unity installs involves Spyware they're baking into the engine. That's the 'proprietary software'.

I haven't seen any information confirming that they actually intend to put Spyware into the Unity runtime, it wouldn't surprise me if they did though. However the proprietary stuff I mentioned in an earlier post was described as an internal thing that they spoke of as if it already existed. That implies that the Spyware is already there or that it's some other means of data collection, likely some kind of scraper monitoring storefronts and info from developers.

Unity devs would probably know if there was Spyware already present because there would be anomalous network activity out of their apps, unless it's very, very good Spyware which I simply don't believe Unity would be capable of inserting into their product successfully. And if it is there, and no one knows, then that's grounds for more lawsuits.

In any case I really doubt there's any form of Spyware that could give them accurate info on the number of installs. Also if it's built right into the Unity runtime I imagine it wouldn't take much time for people to crack it open, find it, and circumvent it. No matter how they intend to do this, and I genuinely believe they don't actually have a plan, the shot callers just made this policy and told their techs to make it work without consulting anyone with a brain to find out if it was even possible, it won't work. Especially since they're trying real hard to not give anyone any details on this system, that leads to believe there is no system.

Also the way you can tell this is all bullshit is that it has completely skipped over the reasonable, actually possible, able to be put into practice form of rent seeking you would expect someone like Unity to enforce and thats profit sharing. It makes way more sense to demand a cut of each sale because you can actually track that information very easily. But they've gone for an impossible, greedy pipe dream because they realized that a game, once sold, can be installed more than once and want to try and squeeze blood from the wrong fucking stone.

[rangehirebg]

Mining Equipment And Tractor Scrapers: Their Uses

Civils and earthmoving equipment play a crucial role in the construction and development industry. These heavy-duty machines are designed to perform a variety of tasks that would be difficult or impossible to accomplish by human labor alone. In this blog, we are going to discuss two types of equipment that are mining equipment and tractor scrapers.

Mining Equipment

Mining equipmentcan be used in a variety of ways, depending on the specific needs of the mining project. Mining equipment hire can be used to conduct exploration activities in a new mining area. This may involve drilling, sampling and mapping the area to determine the viability of the site. However, when it comes to mining equipment hire, it is suggested to determine your mining requirements and choose the specific equipment that your operation requires. Research the different brands, models, and types of mining equipment available in the market. Consider the features, benefits and limitations of each option, as well as the reputation and reliability of the manufacturer.

Tractor Scrapers

Tractor scrapers are versatile pieces of heavy equipment used in construction, mining and agriculture for a variety of tasks, like earthmoving to easily move large amounts of dirt, sand, or gravel in a short amount of time and land leveling to ensure that the surface is even and flat. In addition, tractor scrapers can be used for various agricultural tasks, such as building terraces, digging irrigation canals, and preparing seedbeds.

If you are looking for earthmoving equipment for sale, consider connecting with Range Hire. The firm can provide hard to find equipment or solutions for your specific project needs. Not just earthmoving equipment, but you will also get tractor hire, specialist equipment hire and fleet solutions, and topsoil rehabilitation services – all at competitive rates.

View Original Source Here - https://sites.google.com/view/range-hire/blog/mining-equipment-and-tractor-scrapers-their-uses

[datascraperhub]

Acquire business leads based on country. A wide range of companies is available from Data Scraper Hub for your analytics, marketing, and sales needs. Get the data in JSON, Excel, and CSV formats.

[because-she-goes]

the garden

warnings: some swearing & angry nora. Enjoy!

Nora walked out of the grey, new york sky scraper and was immediately hit by the chill in the air, but blinded by the sun. A freezing cold March morning in Manhattan. However, Nora was acting like it was August. Positively beaming and walking down the busy sidewalk with a bounce in her step, she couldn’t wait to call Matty with the news. Nora, being the incredible woman she is, had just sold one of her more intricate pieces to a buyer from The Whitney Museum for just under $85,000. An absolutely ridiculous number for Nora to wrap her head around, but a minuscule number in comparison to the art world where her colleagues have sold pieces for $30 million before even having their morning coffee.

The Whitney being a place Nora has revered for years, making it a life-goal in college to have a piece in their modern art section one day. A true pinch me moment. The piece she had sold was quite bold and brash, which the buyer liked about it - needing something to stick out among their hundreds of dazzling works. She had painted it after Matty had told her about the band being invited to play SNL. She had been inspired by the longevity of the television program and the art it produced, New York and artists like Rothko, Pollack, Kline. Remembering her teachers using the term “Abstract Expressionism” to describe what she was going for. However, she remembered halfway through that abstract expressionism was more 50s-60s than the time period she was interested in. Leaning more into postmodernism (a word she taught Matty), she looked to the works of Baldessari where dots were placed on people’s face in photographs. She took the idea of the dots and ran with it, using her thickest brush and dipping it into contrasting colors, she placed huge dots in sections of the piece - covering some spots and leaving others blank or revealing the splatters underneath. An ode to the New York art scene with a dash of California. It had taken her weeks to figure everything out and research it all.

The work had been sitting in her studio, waiting to find a home for months. At this point, she was just waiting for the wire transfer to go through and be confirmed by her bank - then she’d celebrate and officially tell Matty the news, not wanting to get ahead of herself incase the deal fell through. Walking down W 15th and turning onto 10th, she makes her way to the Starbucks Reserve to get an 11am pick me up, she orders the hazelnut latte and gets Matty one of their specials, a whiskey-barrel aged coldbrew. Taking the two coffees to go and hailing a cab, she makes her way back uptown to her apartment in Hell’s Kitchen. One of the greatest financial decisions she has ever made was taking the money from her first sale and putting it towards buying a New York apartment back in 2016, before the price for everything sky rocketed. Not having to worry about rent anymore was a blessing in and of itself.

Swiping in to her building and saying hi to her doorman Bennie, she makes her way up to her home. Opening the door, she sees Matty at their kitchen table with his headphones blaring a demo George had sent him, she remembers that at this point its 6pm in London. Kissing the crown of his head and handing him the cold brew, she goes to check her bank account not expecting anything just yet. To her shock, there it is already. Talk about a new york minute! She excitedly runs out to Matty and rips the headphones off his head like a child wanting their parent’s attention immediately.

“Hey, I was working on something?-“

“And now you’re not! Guess what, baby!”

“What?” He asks almost begrudgingly.

“I sold that painting today! The SNL one I made way back in December is going to the Whitney, they just wired me the money!!” She is practically screaming at this point, not caring which of her neighbors hear her.

“Wait, baby you did? Oh my god thats fantastic, Muffin! I am so proud of you!” Exclaiming as he remembers when he first heard about her art from Adam at a party. He had shown up late to Carly’s birthday party after going out for drinks with Nora. Adam jokingly asked if he was on a date, Matty proudly said yes. Carly and Adam asked for her name and they nearly dropped dead when he said it. Adam had been a massive fan of Nora’s since way before she met Matty, astonished he was able to land someone like her - someone who may as well be his twin they were so alike.

“Thank You, Handsome! And guess what team is in town…”

“Oh brother, not the Knicks and Lakers again…”

“You are too good sometimes, ya know that?”

“Unfortunately.” He remarks blandly, he hates basketball. He never understood what was so interesting about guys running up and down a court putting a ball in a hoop, but he watched the Knicks since Nora loved them. She could rattle off any piece of their history without even hesitating. She had been to the garden more times than Matty could even count. Her father is a huge Knicks fan and when he found out he was having a daughter, he put a little pink Knicks ball in her nursery.

Quickly saving half her earnings and setting it aside before she forgot, she logged into her MSG account and got her usual. Floor seats, next to the home bench, in the corner. Best seats in the house. Matty still looking like someone had spilled hot soup on him, Nora decides to cheer him up a bit. She has a single connection at the garden and knows that Matty has always wanted to go in through the VIP entrance, not the performers one or the general admission lines. 5 hours until tip off, plenty of time to text Marco and see what strings he could pull.

“Baby, I’m gonna shower….” she says over her shoulder while walking to their en suite bathroom.

At that, Matty’s mood is totally turned around and the man is falling over himself to get to her before she shuts the door. “Right behind you, gorgeous!”

— 2 hours later —

In her Brunson jersey and a pair of Matty’s baggy jeans, she steps out of their bedroom. Taking a last look at her makeup, she applies a final coat of mascara and a swoosh of blush. Checking her teeth for lipstick and deciding she is ok, she waits for Matty.

In his Randle jersey she bought for him last year and sweatpants, he steps out. Fixing his hair and spraying on the cologne Nora loves. Lavender, mint and a little hint of smoke fills the air around him. She inhales and sighs, relaxing at just his scent.

“Ready to go, Handsome?” She asks, grabbing their house keys, her wallet and phone from the tray at the door.

“I guess, do you want me to drive?”

“Sure.” They walk down to the parking deck hand in hand, her body buzzing like a live wire with anticipation of tip off.

She gets a text from Marco, “All set, Boss. Just wave your ID when you get there and I’ll walk you guys in.” She sends back the little smile emoji.

New York was surprisingly pretty empty tonight, everyone must be home watching she thinks. Matty pulls up the artists entrance without issue.

“Keep going, we are going a different way.” She instructs, pointing towards the next entrance by the corner - more secluded and less opportunity for paparazzi to get their picture.

“What have you done now, Gorgeous?”

“Me? Oh nothing, just nothing at all!” She can’t even look him in the eye, he’d know whats going on right away.

He pulls into the private area and shows security his and Nora’s ID, both having to provide birth date confirmation.

“April the 8th, 1989”

“June 16th, 1992”

They get the okay to enter, see Marco and they’re escorted up to the floor seats. Matty looking like a child seeing Disney for the first time. This entrance has a full bar, private club and even a small portrait gallery of all the celebrities who have been to the garden over the decades.

Tip off and the first quarter happens before Matty can even process everything. Nora however is on her feet, yelling and berating the Knicks bench to get a move on and “pass the damn ball!” He laughs, how could someone so sweet and unassuming as her be the person in front of him - geminis man! He shakes his head lightly.

Half time is a blur and before they can even scarf down their hot dogs and fries, it is the 4th quarter. Knicks are up by 5 with 6 minutes left. Matty and Nora now both being the most obnoxious ridiculous sports fans in the building, yelling and high-fiving people around them whenever another point is scored. Nora can’t believe the sight before her, thee Matty Healy yelling at RJ Barrett to get his shit together while his mouth is full of concession stand food and cracker jack. She has never loved him more, she thinks.

4 minutes left, tie game. They are fuming. Nora is practically in a trance watching the game, refusing to acknowledge anyone around her. Matty not even paying attention to the score, just fully enjoying seeing her so worked up over a silly basketball game.

He then gets an idea….

“Hey Sunflower… I’m a little thirsty. Do you mind grabbing me a Fanta?” He yells in her direction, eyes still glued to the game.

“What? Now? Theres not even 5 minutes left, Handsome, this’ll be over any second!” She promises, trying to appease him and get him to just be patient.

“Yeah, I want one before they close - for the ride home ya know? My throat feels like razors from all the salty food you Americans eat!”

“Oh for fucks sake, Matty! Fine, I’ll go!” Running up the stairs as quick as she can and bolting to the concession stand closest to her spot.

“One Fanta, ASAP pronto hurry!” She rushes out to the poor teenager working. Eyes watching the monitor above him.

Randle hits a 3, the Knicks up again!

She rejoices, still waiting impatiently for the damn soda. I mean my god how long does it take to hold a squirt gun to a cup!!

“That’ll be $2.75 ma’am…” the teenager turns back around to her holding the precious soda. She throws a $5 at the kid and sprints back to Matty.

“Here you go, honey!” She shoves it towards him. He takes one sip, looks at her and says one of the most enraging things she has ever heard…

“It’s Diet! Who orders a diet Fanta, this is vile holy shit!” He proclaims.

Smoke comes out of her ears. She grabs the cup roughly and marches back to the kid.

“Fucking diet Fanta, you moron! Who would want a diet Fanta!!” The poor kid looks at her and shrugs, grabbing another cup and different squirt gun filling the vessel with soda at a snail’s pace.

Nora checks the monitor again. 1 minute left. Tied. Brunson steals, goes towards the basket and just as he scores, the kid hands her the new soda. Forgetting to pay she turns to the seats and out rushes the crowd hooting and hollering. Defeated, she her shoulders and head drop. She sees Matty emerge, hands him the soda and they go back to the car in complete, deafening silence.

Trying to get back into her good graces, he pulls out a stuffed Knicks bear from behind him. It is adorable, impossibly cute. Softening, Nora wipes a tear inching down her cheek at his thoughtfulness and wraps her arms around his neck. Holding him tightly to her and never wanting to let go.

“Congratulations on the sale again, baby. Tomorrow we celebrate for real… fancy dinner, shopping, art museum the whole nine yards. Pulling out all the stops for you, my little artiste!” He says into her ear, voice dripping in pride.

She kisses his cheek in agreement and thanks, settling back in her seat with a rosy flush to her cheeks. Holding onto the bear, she doesn’t imagine another place where she’d rather be than with Matty celebrating.