Get to Building 104

'Get to building 104. You have 60 minutes. Fail and face erasure. -The Reapers.'

Well, it was... to the point at least, Larxene supposed. She shifted awkwardly, opting to keep the phone in her hand rather than flash Namine again and put it back in the pouch.

Damn it, of all people why did it have to be Namine?! Her colleagues in the Organization would be embarrassing but at least she could bank on the fact they were allied. The brat that killed her, well there was no way being naked around someone would be anything other than humiliating but at least she could snap at him. Namine though, she used to be so pathetic, she was the last person Larxene wanted to be cowering around.

But how else was she meant to act? The only other option was baring everything and she did not want to do that.

"Building 104," Larxene said, doing her best to snap. "Any idea where that is?"

"I saw a 104 outside," Namine said. "It won't be hard to find."

Right. Outside. Larxene's cheeks heated further; she should've figured that, the building wouldn't be in the underpass. She'd have to go out onto the streets of... wherever this was.

What had the Reaper said? She was technically dead if she was in this game, so regular people wouldn't be able to see her, even if she could see them. Just Reapers, just other Players like Namine, unless she was in some specially marked location.

Though that didn't erase how it would feel to be out in the open. Damn it, why couldn't she have kept her clothes?!

"Lead the way," Namine said, smiling sweetly.

Larxene was never going to get used to this version of the girl, with her entry fee taken away. Larxene quickly swallowed, steadying her voice.

"You first, brat," Larxene said. She was not letting her ogle her ass. "You said you saw it. Prove it."

"Stay close," Namine said, just as faux-innocently. "We're partners after all. If one of us dies, so does the other."

"Then don't push your luck," Larxene said.

The girl was still smiling as she turned around, and without a moment's hesitation walked out of the shadow of the underpass and out into the open street. Larxene steadied herself, quickly slipped the phone back into the pouch when Namine faced away, and began to move after her.

She adjusted her arms, making sure they offered her all the modesty she was ever going to get. One was still in a V over her tits, the other over her cunt, even just adopting the pose making her blush.

A squeal escaped her lips the first second she was in the open; she was out on an admittedly quieter street, but that didn't distract from the feeling of the passers-by being so close to her nude body. Larxene stumbled back, cheeks blazing.

No one turned. Businessmen, students, countless people clearly trying to look cool all wandered past her; Larxene's arms shuffled, nervously trying to keep covered.

Still, no one looked. Well no one except Namine, who turned and watched her impatiently.

"Wasn't there a time limit?" Namine said.

Right. Sixty minutes. Fuck.

Namine stretched out her hand, palm facing outwards; somehow digits were emblazoned on it. 48:52. It was counting down; huh, apparently Players got to know how long they had to complete the task. Larxene suppressed the urge to move her hand and look at her palm, at least until she was somewhere private. If there was any such place.

Bracing herself, Larxene walked out onto the street properly.

She picked up her pace. Despite herself she kept glancing from side to side, brushing shoulder to bare shoulder with the locals and blushing each time, sometimes even whimpering.

The air seemed almost to fizz against her skin, lingering, ensuring there was no way for her to forget how she looked. What must she seem like, ass out behind her? Hopefully no one could see...

There was a loud, appreciative whistle. Larxene shrieked and suddenly sprinted around a corner, past Namine; she didn't know if that was some Reaper/Player taking a look at her, or just a living local looking at something completely different, but she wasn't going to take the risk!

Quickly she turned, pressing her back to the wall of an adjacent building and silently praying she hadn't just flashed her ass to her partner. Namine's smirk offered no answers.

"Thought you wanted me to lead the way?" Namine said.

"I- shut up!" Larxene said.

Yelping was apparently her best resort; it was hard to think of her usual put-downs like this. She flushed further.

They'd walked past a statue of a dog when something suddenly leapt out at them. Larxene wanted to say Heartless, but it didn't seem quite right; whatever it was, it was something in the same vein. Some kind of monster.

Damn it...

By instinct she threw a thunder spell at it, knocking the creature back. It vanished in a pulse of static; somehow Larxene had the feeling most participants in this game didn't have her type of magic.

And then she remembered that to use that spell, she'd gestured. Quickly she drew her arms back over her body, flushing again; Namine watched her with a raised eyebrow.

And somehow it got worse. The building with a giant '104' set into the top was visible now they were out from the underpass, and nearby too; they were just near a horrifying busy crossing. Larxene drew back, crouching behind the statue, hating the quaver in her voice.

"Hey. Brat. Go find some other way around," Larxene squeaked.

"We're on the clock," Namine said.

"You've got over half hour!" Larxene yelped.

"And there are barriers up around the city," Namine said. "The Reapers seem to keep them there. There's no getting anywhere they don't want us."

Larxene whimpered. That figured...

She took a deep breath, peering out around the statue's plinth. The crossing was... packed. It was a wonder anyone could move. A fraction of the crowd was going past her too, despite her hiding place; just so long as no one could see her...

Telling herself that wasn't making it any easier. She was in the middle of a city without a stitch on, encourging thoughts could only go so far!

Oh god, and all the other Players would be heading to Building 104. She whimpered; she was heading right for a place where everyone would be able to see her.

Fuck. She had to do this, didn't she?

"Once we're alive again, I am sending you right back here!" Larxene hissed.

She swallowed again, and then started sprinting, arms still hugged around her body as she braved the heaving throng of people. A whimper escaped her lip at each moment of contact, cheeks blazing red and her bright green-blue eyes wide. The blonde made it through to the foot of the building-

And shrieked as Namine patted her bare shoulder blade, letting her know she was there. Larxene squeaked, whirling around in the hope of at least getting her behind out of her partner's view.

"Another Player, huh?" someone said behind her.

Larxene yelped again. Fuck, she'd known there would be more here! Panicked, Larxene glanced around; she spotted a few silver pins, just like the one Namine wore and the one she had in her pouch, but there were enough people gathered that she couldn't pinpoint who was what.

Instead, the blonde sprinted right towards the doors to Building 104, ducking through and gasping in relief at the cover. It was better than being out in the open. And while no one could see her, she could find some private spot, take stock of the situation, and-

She'd barely made it a couple of steps in before she realised people were staring. A lot of people were staring, right at her, her red cheeks, her crotch only concealed behind a shaking, remarkably dainty hand, her chest hidden only by a slender arm.

Too late, she caught sight of a sigil painted on the ground. Apparently this was one of those places Players were visible to normal people; no doubt she could shop here if she had a mind to.

Larxene squeaked. Unsurprisingly, shopping was not at the top of her list of priorities.