Note, this fanfic is 100% going on ao3 when it's completed. I'm just posting this here because I haven't posted anything in a while.
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The Scottsdale Plaza was bustling with life as citizens roamed the crowded streets. It seemed everyone was trying to rush their way in separate directions towards whatever afternoon activities they had planned, whether that was hanging out with friends, spending time down at croquet, or in Boa's case, speed-dating.
While a plaza this crowded may've been considered unusual back in the old Scottsdale, in Scottsdale 2 it felt that everything was this busy at all times. Scottsdale: Multi-Mode's launch was almost two weeks ago, yet it seemed like the number of new users were climbing with every day. Scottsdale was changing, and everybody wanted to be a part of it. Just recently, the board elected someone new to step up and join their ranks after the announcement of Marty's sudden departure. Of all the choices, Hernandez ended up being the most popular with the Board as he had past experience as a CEO and was well-respected for an uploaded human.
Despite how busy it was, Boa had little trouble getting to the bar where speed-dating was held. Her status as Scottadale's top influencer made her seem intimidating to any citizen who crossed her path. One wrong move and their social status could be demoted within an instant.
The entrance to the bar was lower than the rest of the plaza. There was a curled staircase leading to an arch-like cutout in the white cement wall. On either side of the entrance was a fern plant in a pot-like structure that extended from the entrance. Right above the entrance was a neon sign with the bar's name, "Tinas'". The text was written in a bright red; on top of it was a skull with flamed eye sockets in the same burning color. While the bar's name looked like a grammatical error at first, any regular would know the title was a reference to the shared name of the two owners.
As Boa began to near Tinas', she spotted a familiar face near the restaurant's staircase. "Oh, Melba! Hey, I didn't realiz-z-ze you were into s-s-speed-dating?" Boa yelled from a few meters away, raising her voice enough to catch her best friend's attention as she approached. The shattered heart-shaped citizen turned to face the fluffy pink boa slowly, her expression blank. Melba seemed rather dazed, as if lost in thought.
