Check Mate [Closed]

There were times, albeit very rare, that Mori wanted to get out of his office. He wanted to have the idea of social interaction float around in his head until he hated it, and then he would revert back into the hole he crawled out of.

Or maybe he was just high. That was probably it.

This time though, he didn't reek of it. He smoked out of his window. Now no one would chastise him.

Pawn to H4.

He chewed on the inside of his own lip as he played the move against himself, ignoring the timer. He didn't need more stress. He sat by himself, though the other chair was open. He liked to come down when it really wasn't a public recreation time. That way only the capable patients were wandering about. He really didn't want to deal with anything at the moment.

He slid several pieces across the board with ghost-like touches, knitting his brows together as the game progressed. He reached out for a handful of knock-off goldfish crackers while he played, munching them to himself and pretty much ignoring the world around him. There were a handful of patients around the television, but they paid him no mind.

He twisted a piece of wavy hair behind his ear, removing it from his line of vision as he folded his arms over his chest. He was silent, save for the soft sound of chewing coming from behind closed lips. He wasn't wearing his doctor's coat either, which made him blend a bit better. Plus it sort of smelled of pot.

A large, sandpaper rough hand fell across the back of the doctor's chair as a great mass of bulk loomed over his shoulder. Raphael's free hand reached across the chess board, swiping a black rook from the board with a white knight. His body excruciatingly close to the smaller man's, his hair would brush across Haru's cheek, though he made damn certain not to actually touch him.

The move was a good one, positioning the black bishop in a pin. Beginners luck. Besides a basic knowledge of the pieces and what kind of moves they could make, Raphael knew virtually nothing regarding chess. Slow paced board games didn't mesh well with the active Native lifestyle.

The intern lingered there a few moments longer than necessary. No doubt causing the smaller man copious amounts of stress. Of course he had learned his lesson that Haru had boundaries, but now it was imperative to know exactly where those boundaries lied. Touching was no good, but just how close could he get before it was intolerable?

The man couldn't help it. Haru intrigued him just as much as any of his patients. Sure, first impressions hadn't gone well, but Raphael felt an urgent demand to understand his coyote and all the tricks he insisted on playing. On top of that, there were the signs of wariness; the tired eyes and the almost impossibly thin waist that were concerning and it was clear that Raphael was planning on shouldering that responsibility.

"Aquatically shaped cheese crackers are nice, but I do hope you've eaten a proper meal today," the corners of his lips curled slightly as he stood up to his full height and began to walk around the table, "Dr. Mori...?"

It was no surprise that someone had been overlooking his solo game against himself when that shadow came looming over his game. Knitting his brows together, Haru moved to snap back at the male, but abruptly stopped at the sheer close-ness that was his form. He wasn't expecting the other's longer hair to brush across his face like that, and it caused him to jerk back. He did manage to refrain from growling at the other just yet.

Mori also remembered that it was he who was a dick last time and failed to apologize.

When he moved that piece, Haru hissed, gesturing to the board. "You can't just-" He glanced at the pieces and looked closer at the board, realizing that it was indeed a good move. He peered up at the other male, not really having much say in the proximity factor. What was his obsession? His eyes narrowed as the other spoke up, moving around the table. That was none of his concern. Why would he know about his eating habits?

"I've had an adequate amount of food for today." He blinked at the male. He wasn't starving. Reaching out, the male kept his eyes locked on the darker-skinned male, before placing another handful of crackers into his mouth, chewing with his mouth closed. He was rude enough the last time the male came to visit, he couldn't just tell him to fuck off.

"Don't you know how frowned upon it is to be around me?" The male wasn't a doctor like he had originally thought, upon closer inspection of his ID card. The lanky doctor made a gesture with his hands. "I'm crazy."

A considerate look passed over his face, but only for a moment as he easily swished the unoccupied chair around and sat upon it backwards. His left elbow came to rest upon the back, letting his fingertips settle against his lips. Honey colored eyes contemplated the chess board, aware of Haru's eyes upon him.

Raphael wasn't a very self conscious kind of guy.

Late in the year when he was 15, Raphael rode with Mr. Red Clay and a few of his other classmates in a red minivan to the Paiute Reservation for the autumn Pauwau. After two hours the van sputtered to a halt, seemingly out of gas. Even as Mr. Red Clay apologized, Raphael walked for fifty minutes along the side of the road in full regalia to the nearest station. The inside of the little mart silenced while all movement ground to a halt as soon as he entered. It should have been nerve wracking, but Raphael found it insulting, so he looked as many of them in the eye as possible, purchased a container of gasoline and calmly trekked back. Since that time whether it be disgusted looks, appalled looks, or angry looks, they all rolled off his shoulders like water. Raphael was quite content and happy in his own skin with his own heritage.

The Native lifted his eyes and chuckled at that last line. Crazy? Not likely. Intriguing, rude, different, secretive, peculiar, provocative, offensive, spurring, challenging; those words fit him. But not crazy. "You don't have to worry about that, I'm not exactly Mr. Popular here either, but thanks for your concern," Raphael picked his words carefully, certain the smaller man would deny any such interest.

Now that he was boldly taking Haru in once more, he stole a trio of goldfish crackers, popping them into his mouth before the other could protest. Would his coyote be more squeamish under his gaze or with the fact that Raphael's hand contaminated his food?

Doctor Mori didn't even know what to do with this man. He really was stunned by the fact that someone had taken any interest in him. It was always the other way around. Whether it be for any reason whatsoever.

He wasn't expecting the other to stay. When he took up the chair across from him, Haru mentally cursed himself for leaving it there. He simply figured no one would bother him. As no one ever did. Though with how upfront this man was the last time he came to his office, he probably would have grabbed any nearby chair and brought that over instead.

Was he planning on playing against him? The thought made Haru arch an eyebrow. And it was right about then that the much larger male spoke up. The doctor's lips pursed together and he silently chewed on his cheek, having finished those crackers in his mouth already. Instead of choosing words, Mori simply made a sound in slight disapproval back at the other.

Leaning back a bit as the bunny-man's hand reached across the chessboard and stole his food, Haru glared at the male. Fine. "What's with your interest in me all of a sudden?" His hand reached out for that small bag of crackers and moved them onto the other side of the table for the male to have as many as he wanted.

Raphael's tongue squeezed through his teeth and arced across his lips. Sudden interest? That was harder to answer than he expected. It was difficult to explain  a spirit vision to a non-Native, if anyone would come off as crazy it would certainly be him.

"Is it wrong to be interested?" Raphael's eyes narrowed, his voice particularly emphasizing the last word.

He watched with mild amusement as Haru's hand floated above the chess board and offered the crackers. Was he abandoning them now? Or was this another game of chess and he was maneuvering his pieces?

Haru may have been confused and agitated, but Raphael's excitement was as piqued as it had ever been.

Haru would have taken strange or crazy over this. It would likely make more sense to him. Resting his elbows on the tabletop, his eyes looked down at the board, sliding his fingers to move another piece across the table; finally countering the other move made earlier.

"In me, it is." He made a visual sweep of the pieces, before resting his chin against his fingers, staring back at the other male at the table. "You will find that I am horrible company, and really quite bland. So let me save you the trouble." He really was rude, offensive, and aggressive. And that was on a good day. He tapped his long fingers against his lips, before moving one to run through his hair. His foot kept tapping beneath the table, cautious not to rock the pieces.

His head canted, studying the sudden onslaught of movement. Was Haru nervous? Frustrated? Angry? "This is your subtle way of telling me to go away?" Again, Raphael snickered, his voice deep and steady. "You don't even know my name, Dr. Mori." The Native pitched forward and slid a bishop across the board. It was an extremely poor move, leaving his king wide open.

His coyote was trying to trick him, but Raphael was about as stubborn as they came in situations such as this. Haru would have to try much harder then that to shake him. Perhaps it was already bordering on obsession but a vision of Ish-apia was nothing Raphael could take lightly, the members of the tribal council had said as much. There had to be a reason the coyote god manifested itself as one wavy haired, aggressive, hornet's nest of a man and based on Raphael's conclusion the best way to find out what was inside was to kick it.

Thus, Raphael was prepared to be stung -- several times if need be.

When the other doctor spoke up again, Mori smirked. Glancing up from the board once more, he looked the other right in the eyes. "Bingo." Of course he wanted him to go away. He wasn't too fond of the other, though he really had no reason not to be.

To his following statement, Haru rolled his shoulders. "True." He would have asked how he knew his own, but everyone knew who he was. And not in a good way. When the taller male moved that piece across the board, the doctor furrowed his eyebrows. "No." He grabbed the piece and slid it back across the table where it started. "If you are going to play against me, at least try." He narrowed his eyes up at the male. "I'm testing my brain, not spoon-feeding it." He looked at the board, and decided which move would be the other's best choice, but said nothing. Was that beginner's luck earlier? Or does he actually know what he's doing?

And he never asked for his name. How rude.

A knowing smile crossed the Native's face. He took note of his own behavior; he was smiling more around Haru than he did at any other time. It must have transformed his usual scowling looks into something very foreign. However, he couldn't help but smile, Haru was absolutely amusing to him. Cold and uninviting in one breath while... still cold, but open to the idea of him staying in the next. His frequent swings left Haru completely unpredictable to Raphael and the taller man thrived in that kind of unknown.

He stitched his brows together as he turned his attention back to the board. 'If you are going to play against me, at least try.' Alright, he thought, challenge accepted. He took his time, sweeping his attention over the available pieces and making a mental map as to where they could go and what pieces could stop them. He observed which pieces could be sacrificed, which were vital. The game offered strategy skills but nothing he could use in reality.

"You play often then? The rumors surrounding your aptitude must be correct." Calloused fingertips pawed at his knight to swipe at a pawn. It seemed the most logical move to him. After a short while he added, "And my name is Raphael Gives Light," with a coy grin.

Unknown.

A great way to describe the doctor indeed.

Mori stared at the board, narrowing his eyes at the pieces and waited for the other male. What was he going to do? He wasn't expecting him to talk. Why would you? It was a game of minds. His listened carefully, before scoffing somewhat loudly. "How you flatter me so." Haru looked across the small table at the other , before adding. "I know that's not true. The only rumors that surround me are the ones about my drug habits and my short fuse. Both of which are true." He didn't look up from the board as he spoke, but instead trailed the man's knight as it moved along the board.

That was a bit more acceptable. In a calculated flash though, Mori's well-hidden rook slid across the board by way of nimble fingers and immediately took that knight away from the other. Perhaps a show of dominance. As the male announced his own name, Haru had to refrain from telling him that he didn't ask. Instead, he said something else that was equally as douchey.

"Is that your name, or a book title?" He finally looked up at the man in which he now knew as Raphael. He thought.

The loss of the knight was a bit disappointing, but didn't come as a shock. In a way it was quite metaphoric of this strange developing give and take the pair had growing. Steal some goldfish, lose a stronghold. Offer your name, gain a mouthful of snarkiness.

"Ah! Strung out, hotheaded, and a sense a humor?" Brows arched as if impressed. "I've hit the jackpot!" He grinned, voice dripping sarcasm as he referenced the stereotypical archetype of the Native American casino. He wasn't upset, though. He'd heard worse. Besides he'd figured non Natives were simply dismayed that their names weren't also complete sentences.

Mulling over the loss of his knight once more, he pushed a pawn forward in attempts to lure Haru's own knight forward. "You, on the other hand, could use a lesson in flattery." More goldfish found their way past his lips. "What else about you is true?"

In Mori's mind, there was no relationship forming. If he didn't have a damn good memory, the doctor would have loved to simply forget any of this happened. When Raphael spoke up, Haru stared at him.

God he needed a hundred cigarettes.

And he could use a lesson in flattery? Mori smirked. "It's unlikely that I'd ever use it." He watched that move made on the table. He didn't like receiving flattery, nor did he like to use it. He paused to the question, but slid his hand across the board and disregarded that moved pawn, instead going for the back of Raphael's defenses, where it seemed defenseless. He really wasn't good at this.

"Nothing. I'm full of lies and mystery."

Raphael folded himself up, his arms crossing over the back of the chair while his back arched and stretched, hunching over to allow his chin to rest on his wrist. Ah, to be inside the head of Haru Mori. What the hell was it like in there? The man was much too heavily guarded, it would probably take a very long time to even crack those defenses. So what had lead Ish-apia to materialize in the body of the lanky Asian doctor?

Lies and mystery. Interesting choice of words. The native began an in depth study of the man across the table. On the outside he was fairly neat and well kept. His eyes followed the sloping curve of the other mans brows, the gentle arc of his eyelids, the subtle signs of sleeplessness just under the sockets. He chased the straight line of his nose, took in the shape of his mouth, particularly the corners where the line between full lips just barely curled up. Haru had a strong jawline and an obvious adams apple that bobbed every time he swallowed a mouthful of fish. His shoulders were lean and his arms were thin making his hands appear slightly too large. Raphael lingered on his hands a moment, the fingers long and slender, too refined to any other man.

Raphael's inspection was thorough as honey colored eyes took in copious amounts of details yet found nothing physically as to why Ish-apia would compel him to this particular person.

It seemed like forever before Raphael moved his own hand across the board, his queen sweeping a pawn away. "I'd venture to say there's more to you than that, Dr. Mori." His considerable gaze still unwaveringly heavy upon his company.

Inside his head, huh? It was a warzone in there. No one deserved to have to be in there. But it fit the doctor well, and he liked it. It was his own personal space and no one could bother him. Cracking his defenses? No one had really tried, but it would likely be near impossible.

Mori would have loved to assume he wasn't being analyzed right now, but Raphael had made it quite clear that was his goal. As the male across from him practically undressed him with his eyes, Haru stared back at him.

He was so awkward. Mori simply watched the other man, curious as to how he was being perceived. He was unsure as to why he was still there, to be honest. He was being an exceptional dick. Nothing out of the ordinary though. "See anything interesting?" He peered at the other. "This is the second time you've looked me over like that. What are you searching for?" When he came to the office, the same thing happened.

Surprisingly his questions weren't as rude as they could have been, for someone who keeps getting stared at. Maybe next time, he'd flip out. When that pawn was moved, Haru finally broke eye contact and glanced down to the board, listening to his words. His foot still tapping away.

Quickly he responded to make a move against that queen. No one used their most powerful piece against basic pawns unless they had a good reason. Haru didn't take her away just yet, but was instead setting the stage. Glancing back up, the man brought one of his long fingers to point at the side of his own head. "I've been here for a long time, and I can assure you that anything else in there," He sideways smiled. "is something you're rather not dive into."

'Your whiskers and tail,' he almost replied aloud to Haru's question, which made him grin momentarily. He found himself wondering what kind of reaction he might endure from saying such things. Would Mori roll his eyes, declare he'd had enough nonsense and stalk off? Would he laugh and attempt to drug him up again to see what other ocular hallucinations occurred? Raphael honestly wouldn't put either option beyond him. He hadn't made it known, but he had seen a bit of what Haru had been doing beyond his office door. It wasn't too hard to see over that wavy haired head.

But how to explain his surveillance? Visual interrogation was something that was of importance to Raphael. Deep, dark thoughts and behaviors had a way of visually revealing themselves in one way or another. A quirk in the mouth, a tick in the eyes, a repeated hand gesture; perhaps even constant tapping feet. These visual clues were the best way for Raphael to see into a patients mind regardless of the words that were on their lips.

Not that he regarded Mori as another patient. There was definitely something different here. Haru was a colleague. He was high functioning, clever and smart. He was here doing the same work as Raphael himself albeit in very different ways. His fascination with the doctor was most likely because Mori's difference seemed to be self inflicted.

When his company spoke up again Raphael startled. For a brief moment he wondered if his thoughts hadn't been aloud after all. Or, he thought, maybe Haru was just as good at reading those subtle visual manifestations.

On the board, he knew something was amiss when the doctor spared his queen. "With all due respect, Dr. Mori, I do think I'd enjoy a swim," Raphael gestured towards Haru himself with a nod of his head. His index finger hooking the queen and dragged her back under the protection of the bishop.

God he was weird. More strange than himself, even. When his question went unanswered, the doctor narrowed his eyes. "I don't like being ignored." Not even a little. "So answer the question. Why do you keep staring me up and down?" Or else he wasn't going to tolerate it much longer.

He simply stared back at the male, awaiting some sort of reasoning. However, when he answered his other statement instead; Mori didn't know what to say. What the hell did that mean? He wanted to be inside of his head? "My mind would eat you alive." He couldn't handle it. Running his tongue along his teeth, the doctor glanced at the board.

Now it was his turn to ignore the other. Let's see how much he liked it, shall we? He ignored the fact that Raphael retreated his queen almost immediately. A smart, but rookie move. Go ahead and waste your turns jumping around the board. Haru was building an attack force. He began to march his piece forward, taking a simple pawn in the process. If Raphael looked closely enough, he would notice that near all of Mori's pieces were placed across the board in a way so that he could corner the other completely.

Mori's increasing frustration meant it was probably time to lay it all on the line. Angering the doctor to the point of avoidance wouldn't make his quest for answers any easier. Clearing his throat he met the other man's eyes and held them. "I study you because I'm interested in you. I'm interested in you because I've had a vision." He paused waiting for laughter, incredulousness, even some kind of outburst to vilify how ridiculous it probably sounded. But to Raphael there was nothing ridiculous about it. Visions and rituals had been a part of his life since the moment of his birth. He knew he wasn't crazy.

"This is also the reason I desire to know who you are, Dr. Mori. You tell me the madness of your mind will devour me, but no outside source could ever match wits with the depravity that is our own spirit. Since my childhood I've participated in vision quests with my people. We use drugs and plants to strip our minds of earthly interference, we fast for days and wander in the sun until our skin blisters all for a better understanding of our purpose and the world around us. I've taken part in sun dances, Dr, Mori." At this time his hand actively sought and pressed against his own chest, touching the scars that resided in the flesh of his pecs just above the nipples. "I've been pierced with talons and I've danced for 36 hours without food or drink, staring at the sun and wailing at the moon until exhaustion just to commit myself to my people. You are not Shoshone, Dr. Mori, I am certain this sounds like madness to you. But I am also not you, I know your mind will sound like madness to me. However, don't underestimate my ability to understand you. I believe there is a reason your drugs delivered a vision to me, I only wish to understand why."

Raphael let go of a deep breath and sat back, his cornered chess pieces neglected in the wake of his speech.

Quite frankly, Mori wasn't ready for a response. He was ready for the other much taller man to continue creeping on him, until he eventually left the small table. When he spoke up about a vision, Haru's leg stopped tapping underneath the table.

Well he knew about visions. At least enough to know that he's had something similar himself. Of course Raphael didn't stop there. He had to go on and on about Native America soul-searches or something similar. He might have visually seen the interest fade from Mori's eyes as quickly as it came.

A part of him thought it attention-worthy, but it left rather quickly. He did ask for an explanation though, and he received one. A lengthy one, at that. And for a moment he wished that he didn't have an insatiable curiosity in life. "What was your vision of me?" He glanced at the board, before gesturing with his fingers. "Make a move." He wanted to hurry up and win this.

Raphael shifted his body on his chair, his gaze sweeping the chess board and his impending doom. For a fleeting moment he had the urge to overturn all of it and scatter the live and fallen pieces on the floor together. Instead he placed one calloused fingertip on his king and kept it there, as if contemplating a move. Would it be more wise to lay it down and resign? Metaphorically, that was the last thing he wanted to consider.

As far as he was concerned the words he spoke were necessary. A point well proven and hopefully put into terms plain enough that Mori could understand him. He had also taken notice when the small tremors that barely shook the table had stopped and that flicked a small twinge of intrigue to life. Perhaps Mori was listening after all?

"I saw you as Ish-apia, the coyote god," he replied, his hand moving again, pushing a bishop across the board as he made up his mind to press on until the last piece fell.

That would have made Mori's day. Flip the table and scatter the pieces. He would have been rather pissed. Instead he didn't and the doctor stared at the finger resting on the king.

Come on, make a move.

Mori was indeed listening. He usually did, but it was mostly selective. When the native finally spoke up again, Haru's eyebrows lofted and he leaned back a bit, folding his arms against his chest. A wide smirk crossed his features as he took in the news.

"You think I'm a coyote god?" His grin spread, showing a bit of his own teeth; it was rather fitting actually. And sure enough, the other male wasn't offended at all. It figured.

"Fantastic." Yep, he was pleased. Pushing back off of the chair, he moved forward with his next piece, casually closing in on the male's opposing force.

Raphael Gives Light laughed. A deep rumble that shook his chest and burst from his throat. A great, toothy smile all but hid his eyes while deep crows feet shot from the corners like rays of light. And he did so entirely upon seeing an honest expression on Mori's face for the first time. "You're full of shit," he countered, his voice light with humor. With renewed vigor, he contemplated his next move carefully. There was no way victory was at hand, but he'd make Haru struggle for it and thus his piece retreated, falling back to further protect the king.

"Ish-apia is not just a coyote god, but the coyote god. To see a vision of him is a honorable thing. I hope... you will tolerate my urgency to understand."

He's full of shit? Mori arched a single brow at that statement. Maybe he was, but at least he wasn't being compared to the god of caring or love. That would ruin his day.

Mori's eyes traversed the board, watching as the giant man moved his piece back. He was catching on. Too bad he wouldn't win.

When Raphael continued talking, Mori shrugged his shoulders. "I don't give a shit what you try and understand." Even after all that, he didn't really care for the other doctor. "All I know is that I expect not to be stared at anymore." He began to chew on one of his hangnails. "It's not very polite." He looked across the board, eyeing the male.

Yes, don't be rude now. His long fingers walked across the board and grasped a basic pawn, moving it forward.

The pawn seemed like a stupid move, however knowing what (little) he did of Mori's mind it was part of a larger, more intricate plot. Raphael studied the chess board the same way he did the doctor just moments ago; nothing rude about it really, at least not in his mind. Just an intense gaze that echoed the vigor of the laboring cells of his brain. Internally, he moved ahead several turns, anticipating where certain pieces might be moved, which ones could be sacrificed and which ones were vital.

For now, it was most logical to push his own pawn into the way and stop that particular advance.

So, back to the topic of Mori. Shameless studying was now out of the question as well. With that, the doctor's rule book seemed to be growing exponentially faster than he was able to navigate it. There had to be another way to dig a little deeper then.

The large Native would figuratively step back this time, but keen eye contact through dark lashes would still be made. Raphael by no means had his tail between his legs. "Apologies for the rudeness."

Raphael was of course correct in his assumptions about the doctor's pawn. He was always playing at a larger picture.

For being a bit of a creeper, Raphael was rather quiet. And of course the doctor thought he had won for the moment, with the way the other fell silent like he did and even apologized again. Of course the apology wasn't heartfelt. Mori just liked the way that he felt somewhat in control with this man.

Which was likely false, but he could let his mind take a victory for once. At this point in the conversation, the doctor didn't really have anything to say, so again his foot tapping came into play, along with the lovely habit of chewing on his nail skin. He wasn't good at striking up conversation with people, nor did he really desire it. Mainly, he wanted to play chess. A game of the mind.

But here it goes regardless. "You said that my tranquilizer caused you to see me as this coyote god?" He glanced at the male across the table. That was interesting, as he didn't alter this one. It was the standard hospital issued injection. It shouldn't have caused any adverse reaction like that. Now, his own? Yeah he could have seen that.