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9/15: Prompt: Chess/Strategy. A game of mental chess interrupted by flirting.

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The Game of Kings And Lovers

Ami and Saitiou sat together, a chess board between them. The game was a favorite pastime of the two. They never spoke during a game, instead left to their own thoughts on sizing up the opponent. Except one was focused on playing the game and one was focused on his opponent.

'Queen's pawn as an opening,' Ami observed, watching Saitou make his first move. 'My opening will be strategic. After that I'll play rectionary. Best way to counter his wild card style.'

'Let's see,' Saitou reflected as soon as his fingers were off his chess piece. He scanned Ami from top to bottom in an effort to get a better feel for how his girlfriend was feeling. 'A few buttons undo but not enough to see cleavage. There is a one button difference between sex and exhaustion. So she's feeling tired from her internship and sex isn't the answer.'

'A Quick Gift becoming a Lasker Sacrifice,' Ami mused, adjusting her glasses. Her eyes didn't leave the board.'I fell for it last but not now.'

'She's frustrated. Good,' Saitiou pondered, reading his beloved's body language. She was playing the game, but he was playing her. 'Throw her off and she becomes even more focused on the game. Her body will betray her and reflect on how she's really feeling.'

'To reverse such a play,' Ami focused. 'I need to sacrifice one pawn and move on to keep the defensive edge.'

'She's not overly tense so she doesn't need a shoulder rub,' Saitou observed, trying to devise the best way to pamper his girl genius. 'She is not tapping her foot erratically so she's not starving but she's occasionally putting her fingers near her mouth so food is on her mind. She would probably welcome either ice cream or a donut after this game.'

'He's leaving his queen open,' Ami noticed, double checking the board to make sure she wasn't falling into a trap. A smile formed on her face when she realized there was no trap. 'He's too dependent on utilizing his knights in this game. I'll take the queen and then work on incapacitating the knights.'

'Tomorrow the internship has her doing surgical observation so there will be a lot of standing around,' Saitou noted, his eyes flashing towards his fridge. 'A traditional Japanese breakfast complete with salmon will help start the day. Tamagoyaki in a bento for lunch will help. Am I out of eggs?'

'One knight down,' Ami reflected, her lip twitching in an effort to hold back a smile. 'Once I get the other, the game is mine.'

'I need to make sure she doesn't try to pick up a textbook the rest of the night and make sure she mentally turns off for the night,' Saitou reflected, wishing he could look on his phone so he could check his 'To Watch With Ami' list. 'If she protests and insists she needs to study more, we'll look through the documentaries. If she doesn't, maybe I can suggest the new Pixar movie. She was working so much we didn't have a chance to catch it in theaters.'

'His other knight is gone, wait,' Ami stopped herself after removing Saitou's second knight. As soon as she did she realized something she hadn't before. 'How'd his pawn get so far? He could turn it into a queen if I don't do something but wait, if I move right I can checkmate first. I just need to…'

'Best to wrap this up so I can get to work on helping her relax before her day tomorrow. Let's see where I'm at,' Saitou focused, actually taking a strategic look at the chess board. 'Hmm. five moves for a believable defeat and 7 for me to turn it around. Defeat is quicker. Better throw the game.'

"Ah here we are, checkmate!" Ami proclaimed, successfully boxing in Saitou's king. "I did it! You really need to work on your game strategy."

"I guess you're right," Saitou admitted with a shrug. "Hey how about we get a few snacks, maybe a donut or two and come back here and watch the next Pixar movie. You have a long day tomorrow at your internship and need to rest."

"That sounds amazing," Ami acknowledged, standing up and heading to the coat closet.

"Great," Saitou smiled, content to see Ami so happy. " Also let's get some eggs. I'll make you a Tamagoyaki for your lunch tomorrow."

"Again, that sounds amazing," Ami added, slipping on her shoes. "I have to say you're being very humble in your defeat."

"Oh I wasn't trying to win," Saitou replied, getting his shoes on himself. "I was working on my observation skills."

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Six down, one left to go. Ami is a character who will get so lost in her work she'll forget to eat. She needs someone who is watching out for her needs. Saitou, having a high intelligence regarding body language, tries to be abreast of Ami's needs so she doesn't burn herself out. In contrast, Ami helps Saitou focus and actually challenges himself instead of simply being an individual who is too smart for his own good without anyone to ground him.

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