( mute as he is, dextera gives the impression of his personality in other ways. it's something of a beloved fascination of makoto, and one that feels nostalgic where it roosts in the hollow of his chest, so he has to assume he felt similarly about the other young man in horos before this. dextera is an individual, in makoto's mind, characterized by an earnestness that is somewhat contradictory in how it is bold and yet fragile all at once. this is a picture that he has pieced together of him over the past few weeks, assembled by his demeanor, his reactions to makoto's (more than occasional) provocation, the brief cascades of conversation they find themselves entertaining one another with. the way dextera plays chess is yet another non-verbal lens with which he can peer into his psyche, and he takes to it eagerly; he always is when it comes to opportunity to better understand him.
there are many that would take these moves at face value; there are just as many that would underestimate or take for granted dextera or his positions based on their own personal misconceptions. one thing that he took to heart when better learning this game in Hell is that, in chess, you do not play the pieces on the board — you play the personality of the person sitting opposite you. it is a contest of wills abstracted through the game's rules and restrictions; it's why he had learned to play so differently against J than datenshou (and why he can't even imagine kieran, or maybe even fjord, having the patience for a game).
makoto knows how to play the slow, cautious game. he's done so many times, and they could continue to plot out the steps to that laborious waltz, or they could accelerate things just to see what happened. he responds only with a subdued arching of a brow, giving a similar thoughtful pause as he considers what to do next.
he senses dextera's eyes on him, so he looks up to hold his gaze for a long, unblinking moment. then he gives him a faint smile, reaching out to take the bishop that had been so tantalizingly offered to him; whether or not he recognizes the play and plays into it knowingly or not is just as hard to read as the demon is by default, but one thing is for certain: he is having fun. he doesn't particularly mind if he loses, especially if it's in the event of playing a little loosely — all the better to tease out a bold dextera, a risk-taking dextera, one that he can basically sense inwardly glowing with contentment.
he is very fond of this version of him, he thinks. )
no subject
there are many that would take these moves at face value; there are just as many that would underestimate or take for granted dextera or his positions based on their own personal misconceptions. one thing that he took to heart when better learning this game in Hell is that, in chess, you do not play the pieces on the board — you play the personality of the person sitting opposite you. it is a contest of wills abstracted through the game's rules and restrictions; it's why he had learned to play so differently against J than datenshou (and why he can't even imagine kieran, or maybe even fjord, having the patience for a game).
makoto knows how to play the slow, cautious game. he's done so many times, and they could continue to plot out the steps to that laborious waltz, or they could accelerate things just to see what happened. he responds only with a subdued arching of a brow, giving a similar thoughtful pause as he considers what to do next.
he senses dextera's eyes on him, so he looks up to hold his gaze for a long, unblinking moment. then he gives him a faint smile, reaching out to take the bishop that had been so tantalizingly offered to him; whether or not he recognizes the play and plays into it knowingly or not is just as hard to read as the demon is by default, but one thing is for certain: he is having fun. he doesn't particularly mind if he loses, especially if it's in the event of playing a little loosely — all the better to tease out a bold dextera, a risk-taking dextera, one that he can basically sense inwardly glowing with contentment.
he is very fond of this version of him, he thinks. )