Amusement
It is very amusing watching Watanuki try to play chess.
The way he plays is laughable- throwing his characteristic fits over every single lost piece. (Especially when halfway into the game Watanuki is missing half his pieces and Doumeki has a flawless wall around his king.)
He lectures Watanuki because he cannot really help it- tells him about the entire object of the game, brainless, and above the WHO THE HELL IS BRAINLESS? he tells him about the necessity of sacrifice, you-who-is-brainless, and Watanuki snarls something centering on king should not be all-important, heartless, and Doumeki rolls his eyes and says, the game is not real life, idiot.
Watanuki looks away after that statement, and says, yeah, well, you should hear Yuuko talk sometimes. I swear all that woman thinks of everyone around her are as pawns.
Doumeki is suddenly struck by Yuuko's matter-of-factness in everything she does and Watanuki's emotionality in everything he does, and thinks that yes, that witch is too cruel to expect him to offer up others for his own well-being and then the archer looks at Watanuki's slightly sick expression and the red-streaked playing board and then he thinks that maybe that this is what she is teaching him to avoid.
She's a bitch, life's a bitch, and maybe she's trying to get Watanuki used to the bitchiness of life because he cannot stay in her shop forever.
Or maybe she's just trying to gross Watanuki out. Doumeki certainly doesn't know, and doesn't want to.
Sometimes it applies in real life, he points out to take Watanuki's mind off the gurgling sounds some of the 'taken' pieces are now making.
shouldn't, he mutters, and just sweeps the whole thing into a bag to avoid looking at it.
Yes it does, says Doumeki in lieu of pointing out that he was winning, I've taken hits for you before.
Precisely, Watanuki says from under his bangs; and that is really everything right there.
Playing chess with Watanuki is amusing. Discussing it with him is disturbing.
Using it as a metaphor for their life is bad for the soul.
-end-