Title: The Dr. Phil Series
By: Queen Beryl
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I got this idea while watching the Dr. Phil show. It was a sudden epiphany, I thought: hey, I can make anime characters go on the Dr. Phil show! And thus, this little "Dr. Phil Series" was born. For this "episode" we will be featuring characters from Fruits Basket. I'm going to be writing this for other animes too if people feel that it's good enough. Sit back and enjoy! Oh, and I would like reviews to know if anyone likes my warped way of thinking or not!
I do not own the anime Fruits Basket or the Dr. Phil show. And if I did, I would be RICH! Rich, I say! But, alas, I am not. Just a faithful anime watcher!
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Chapter One: Meet Kyo
"Today on the Dr. Phil Show," Dr. Phil McGraw started, sitting in a chair that was raised on a platform. He slightly adjusted his very fashionable red tie, smiling at the camera. "We will meet a gentleman named Kyo Sohma, who seems to have a problem. Take a look at the video."
The video plays so the audience and home viewers will see the situation. A very handsome and scowling Kyo Sohma, decked in tan cargo pants and a tight black shirt that reveals his well-defined upper body, is seen; he runs a hand through his amazing (and natural) orange hair, his burgundy eyes staring at the camera.
"Hi, Dr. Phil, I'm Kyo Sohma, and I have a terrible habit of snapping at people who mean a lot to me, as well as the people I hate." Images of Kyo yelling at people appear on the screen. Then a picture of Tohru Honda appears, sweat dropping as Kyo glares at her, his mouth open in a silent shout.
"There is this girl, whom I adore, but I can't seem to keep my cool. Whenever she does something stupid, I just can't help myself: I yell and tell them things that aren't true. So many times she's tried to comfort me, and I told her to go away and I never wanted to see her face again. Of course, I instantly regretted it, but once the words were said, I couldn't take them back. Dr. Phil, help me to control my temper and know what to say to Tohru, and others, instead of shouting harsh, untrue phrases."
The last image on the screen is of Kyo looking away from the camera, his arms crossed haughtily over his muscled chest. The cameras pan and focus in on Kyo and Dr. Phil. The older, slightly balding, gentleman smiles at the screen as he turns to Kyo.
"Now, Kyo, you say that you can't help yelling at people. And this is for no reason?" Dr. Phil asks. Of course, every viewer knows the answer, because they just watched the video, but for the sake of formalities and stupid people who are very dense, the question is asked.
"Yes. I just explode and say horrible things that I don't mean to." Kyo admits, shifting slightly in his chair. He's wearing black cargo pants and a deep red shirt. A few female members of the audience (and ones at home) swoon silently.
"Well, let me tell you something, Kyo. What if I were to tell you that I didn't think that this behavior was caused by tension?" Dr. Phil clasps his hands casually in front of him. All eyes are upon him because, of course, this is a rhetorical question. It's a statement in disguise, like 80% of questions out there. So Kyo and the viewers sit silently, hanging on Dr. Phil's every statement.
"We're going to take a commercial break and when we get back, I'm going to tell Kyo Sohma exactly what I believe his hostile actions are caused by."
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Various commercials slide on the screen and after a few minutes, the "Dr. Phil Theme Music" is heard and more images of Kyo are shown. A little slide appears of Kyo at Shigure's house, yelling at Yuki. OF course, the cameras are set up perfectly for the insight and viewing pleasure of the audience at home and in the building.
"I'm going to beat you this time, Rat Boy!" Kyo shouts at Yuki.
"Don't you get tired of saying that?" Yuki mutters, unperturbed.
"Come on, pretty boy!" Kyo challenges, taunting Yuki.
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"We're here with Kyo Sohma who has a hostile personality problem. He fights, yells, and is quite anti-social. We're going to help him find out what's reallywrong with him today on the Dr. Phil Show." Dr. Phil summed up for the people just waking up or the ones just turning on to the right channel. "Now, Kyo, you've had this problem ever since you were a child, is that correct?"
"Yes. Ever since I can remember. I didn't even cry when my mother died." Kyo admitted, earning some gasps and murmurs from the viewers.
"That's tragic. Don't you think that, over the course of your young life, that this problem has evolved into a habit?" Dr. Phil asked pointedly, his dark eyes shining with wisdom. Kyo seemed to consider this "epiphany" for a moment before nodding in agreement.
"Yea, I guess I do it automatically now. I don't even think about it."
"That's one of the major problems, Kyo. We get into a rut, and go along the track, and it's very difficult to get out again. Your behavior is actually caused by the fact that you cannot accept yourself as a whole. There is a part of you that is hidden from the world, and you don't want it shown."
"True." Kyo nodded. "There is a whole other side of me that I want to keep secret, especially from Tohru. If she ever found out about... all of me, I don't think she would ever come back. I'm so afraid to get close to her, for fear that she will find out my secret."
"You push people away because you have been pushed away in the past, right, Kyo?" Dr. Phil inquired, knowledgeably.
"Yes. As a child, nobody loved me. My mother went through the motions of loving me. She would gloss over the truth and her honest feelings for me because she felt that's what mothers were supposed to do. She checked my beads a dozen times a day... she was always afraid that they would come off, and my true form would come forth."
"And this affected you back then... as it does now." This was not a question. Kyo nodded.
"I find it so hard for me to open up and get close to people. I have a very anti-social behavior that affects not only me, but the other Sohmas, Tohru, and my other schoolmates. It hinders my social life."
"Now, you always felt unloved and alone, is that right?" Dr. Phil shifted in his chair. Kyo nodded in agreement. "Don't you think that you should vent your emotions and stressful feelings on something other than people?"
"I've tried, Dr. Phil. I love the martial arts, and practice every day. I focus on schoolwork and other such activities, but in the end, I always lose control of my temper." Kyo sat up a bit straighter. More women swoon and smile. He folds his arms across his chest in a defiantly distant manner.
"What about trying something else, Kyo? Obviously practicing fighting isn't helping your desire to fight; it just makes you stronger. And this, Tohru Honda, she's even been injured by you." Dr. Phil is good. He's dug up the dirt on Kyo since his first meeting with Tohru. Kyo nods reluctantly. The audience shakes its head as a whole.
"I got so angry at Yuki I slammed my fist into the coffee table, breaking it in half, and one half hit Tohru in the forehead, causing her to bleed. It was a complete accident, and I felt terrible afterward... but what's done is done."
"You also can't see anything around you when your angry. Here's a clip of Kyo just after his very first encounter with Tohru Honda. Take a look." Dr. Phil addressed the camera. A miniature movie appeared, as hidden cameras revealed the conversation between Tohru and Shigure after the initial transformation chaos. While some dialogue is muted, Dr. Phil commentates on what has happened moments before.
"Kyo had jumped through the roof and immediately started shouting and challenging Yuki. He didn't even notice Tohru behind him." Then the real conversation started back up.
"Wh-what's he like...?!" Tohru asks, extremely interested.
"He spends all his time studying martial arts, but he didn't even notice you were right behind him! He should have at least felt your presence. Ha, ha, ha! He's like a love struck fool - he only has eyes for Yuki!" Shigure exclaimed, laughing. Kyo could be seen, turning around angrily.
"Shut up! Don't say it like that!"
Dr. Phil and Kyo are viewed in the "live" fashion again as the audience lets the feeling of Kyo's blinding temper sink into their brains. After a moment, Dr. Phil nods at the camera in front of him.
"Now, we'll be back in just a moment to try to help Kyo situate his life to where he will be able to not only accept himself, but others as well."
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Insert even more various commercial breaks and a news interruption on a new scandal and death and the like from Channel Whatever news. Then the "Dr. Phil Theme Music" plays again and all the people at home are glued to their televisions, waiting to get a glimpse of the hot-tempered, hot-bodied Kyo Sohma.
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"Welcome back." Dr. Phil smiles at the camera. "First off, Kyo," he turns to Kyo, "you need to find it within yourself to love who you really are. Not just parts of you, but everything. Until you realize that you are a special person, who is loved by friends, even those who don't want to admit it, you will never completely get over this 'habit.'"
Kyo nods like a good little boy, trying to keep his temper in check. Just what did this Dr. Phil fellow mean by 'special?!' He wonders, raising an eyebrow. This manages him to appear more cocky and gorgeous all at once.
"Will you be willing to start realizing that you are a person capable of loving, capable of changing, and completely alter your current outlook on life?" Dr. Phil demands, his face turning more serious than his usual grin. Kyo nods.
"I'll do whatever I need to, Dr. Phil." Ah, the perfect answer. Good job, Kyo!
"I'm going to set up a program for Kyo Sohma," Dr. Phil drawls slightly, "which will take thirty days to complete. In this time, he will get to know himself better, love himself more, and in doing this, find love in others. It's not a matter of how much muscle, Kyo, but what you've got between these." Dr. Phil points to his ears. Ah, the brain! It clicks and the audience is hooked. Secretly they are all chanting: must see next "Kyo Episode!"
"I'll do what it takes." Kyo nods fervently. He does a lot of nodding....
"On the next episode of Dr. Phil, which will air tomorrow, we'll meet a young man named Yuki Sohma who seems to have a problem a bit similar to Kyo's. He pushes people away from him, even though he is nice to everyone to gain friends." Dr. Phil smiles as the cameras draw back. Spittles of conversation between him and Kyo can be heard because the microphones attached to their shirts are still picking up.
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End of Episode One of Fruits Basket!
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Okay, I hope you all liked the first installment of the "Dr. Phil Series!" I really hope that you all enjoyed reading it and want to read the next one about Yuki. I'm going to try to do all the Fruits Basket characters, except for the last two (the rooster and horse) because I haven't gotten that far in the manga and the anime excludes them totally. Please review and tell me what you think! If I get at least 5 reviews I'll post up the next one!