Ohohohoho! Here is the second in the Surviver Contest entries, where the prompt was a picture of a masquerade mask and the word 'exploit' and...well, there you have it.

Playing Mind Games With Kuro-Sama

"I don't like this."

"There, there. Calm down, Kuro-tan."

"I can't see anyone's faces!"

"You're not supposed to. It's against the rules when out of the house in this world, silly."

"Where'd the kid run off to, anyway?"

"Over there," Fai said calmly, pointing toward a young boy and girl. "This world's Tomoyo-chan is in that pretty, light-violet dress, and Syaoran-kun is in the darker purple suit."

Kurogane huffed, pushing the plain black mask up the bridge of his nose while hitching up the elastic string that held the cover in front of his eyes and mouth. It was - according the the harried and erratic shop keeper who, upon seeing the traveler's lack of proper facial attire for being out all but thrust three masquerade masks into their hands before buffering them out of his shop - rude to do such things in public, but the tan ninja could care less. This world already had too many rules about exposing your own face, and he thought it silly, even if the idiotic blond next to him thought they were fun and had even gone out and bought them fancy ones for the party they were currently attending. Fai had just gone all out for this ball, though, even before Mokona had 'mekoy'ed when passing the dancing hall, which was undergoing decorations for the evening's events.

Neither Syaoran, nor Kurogane knew exactly how he'd managed it, but the blond had procured two invitations for the evening, and when he returned back to the miserable hovel they'd been rented under the title of an inn with two dresses, two suits and a date for the youngest of the travelers, Mokona had jumped for joy, and both she and Fai had set about the arduous task of persuading the other two to attend. Syaoran had been easy. It was Kuro-tan that took some work.

"Is there any danger."

"Well, no, but -"

"Are those damned vampires hunters going to be there or something?"

"No, but -"

"Then why on earth do you two need me to go along with you!?"

But they'd worn away at him eventually, chipping at Kurogane's patience and resolve with constant jabber and chit chat and then, finally, throwing up his hands and storming out of the room, the ninja had yelled "Al-fucking-right already!! I'll go, now you two, shut up with the waltzes!" before storming out of the room as the white pork bun and mage high-fived happily.

One thing Fai had failed to mention until the possible was exactly how formal this event was going to be. So formal that, aside from the large, garish and utterly ridiculous masks and dresses was that everyone had to come in a male-female pair. And it appeared, in light of only finding one date between three men, Fai had improvised.

And now here they were. And Kurogane was intending to get heavily drunk.

"Hyuu, hyuu. Kuro-sama. Let's go dancing!"

"No."

"Alright, then. Let's go talk to this world's version of Yukito-san and Touya-san!"

"No."

"The buffet table?"

"No."

"The drinks?"

"No." And now Kurogane was just being difficult.

"But, Kuro-samaaaaaaaa~" Fai whined in response, sprawling dramatically across the table and tipping his mask down in order to peer pleadingly over the top of it. "We've just been sitting here at this table! For the whole party - and, look! Syaoran-kun's having fun over can't we~?"

Kurogane 'tch'ed irritably and looked away from the blond - pointedly ignoring the whining child-of-a-man wearing a dress in the next chair over - reclining in his golden-painted chair and glaring off into space. He was, in actuality, quite surprised that Fai let him sit in peace and quite for the time being - which was also amazingly suspicious, and so the tan man made a point to keep a subconscious eye on the blond for at least a little bit. Then he completely ignored him.

Which made it all more of a shock when there was suddenly something warm and heavy and dressed in a black dress with red trim and extravagant and feathery masquerade mask in his lap, pulling at his face and smiling like no one's business. Kurogane stiffened, stilled by shock for a time before he balked and made to push the mage off him. Not that it worked. Fai refused to budge.

"Get off!"

"But, Kuro-sama, I'm bored~!"

"Get off! I will not be your entertainment!"

"Ah, but Kuro-fancy's my date, tonight, isn't he?"

"I will not be your 'date'!"

"Won't be Fai's date? Be Yuui's, then!" And here, Fai ruffled his hair affectionately and then ducked to the side to avoid a violent swipe at his head.

"I will not be Fai's date, or Yuui's date - I will just not be yours in general!" And Kurogane was just about ready to violently push the blond off his lap and unceremoniously dump him on the floor when he realized that...Fai was straddling...And leaning forward so that their...their....touching...and - WOAH!

Fai giggled as Kurogane's glare shot into a look of disturbed surprise. "Tehehe...Wanna be my date, now?"

"N - what the hell are you doing!!?"

Fai shrugged. "Nothing...just copying what those couples in the corridors where they thought no one could see them. I saw them on my way to the bathroom."

"What - what's your point!?"

"...Kuro-sama..." and at this, the obnoxiously bubbly and vivacious voice that Fai favored more often than not dropped an octave and he leaned in father, rosy-painted cheeks flushed under the effects of the alcohol he'd consumed over the evening and the state of close proximity that the two were in. "...Now will you dance with me?"

He considered resisting again, but then there was that...that damned rocking motion again, and Fai was laughing lightly, and people were starting to give the two of them slightly disgusted looks, and Syaoran was trying to usher Tomoyo-chan away from anywhere they could possibly see the two adults from, and the blond man in his lap had fisted his hands in the material of his skirt and was hiking it up, exposing smooth, pale ankles strapped into tiny red high heels that matched the bejeweled mask he wore and the thin strips of red lace sewn into the otherwise black material of his ball gown. And snickering more.

"N...no..."

"Not even...One. Quick. Waltz?"

"G - get off."

"You..." and now Fai's hands had moved from his own clothing to the belt line of Kurogane's pants. "...First."

"Why, you little -"

"ACK!"

Woosh!

Thump.

A whine. "Kuro-push! You didn't have to be so rough!"

"You were molesting me!! In front of EVERYONE! How was I supposed to be?"

"Gentle, caring, sweet, loving -"

"Shut - shut up!"

"Aw, Kuro-sama, you're blushing!"

"I AM NOT!"

"Yes, you are~" Fai sang, but before the enraged ninja had the chance to scream and shout and pound the damned blond man into pulp like he wanted to, the mage was on his feet and smiling, dusting off his dress and waving at a few of the people who were currently staring at them in shock. "But, ah well. I suppose Kuro-rough doesn't want to have any fun. Not that we can, now, anyway...Mokona found the feather."

"She...what?"

"Oh, yeah. Mokona found Sakura-chan's feather while we were out shopping. We just thought it would be nice if we all had a break, and you and Syaoran-kun cut loose for a little bit, so we decided we should come here tonight!"

"Why...why...YOU LITTLE PIECE OF SHIT!" and the brunette ninja sprung to his feet, knocking over the tiny chair he had been sitting in and nearly upsetting the table as he rushed past it to chase the damned blond mage, who turned and all but sprinted across the dance floor and out onto the moon lit, lawn of the manor.

Even after the two were gone, the guests could still hear:

"HYUU! KURO-SAMA'S ANGRY! ANNNNGRRRYYY!!"

"GET BACK HERE YOU BASTARD! I'LL TEACH YOU TO MESS WITH ME!"

"HAHAHAHHHHAHAHAHAH!"

xDD Leave...comments? -rolls around laughing-