I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I did not intend to take this long to update, I swear! I had finals, and then my bunnies took a vacation without telling me…but here it is. I tried to make it longer, as promised. So, tell me what you think? Should I keep going? Oh, and much thanks to Sparrow Nightrunner and Kyrissean for acting as my muses and catching my mistakes in this chapter.

Disclaimer: If I owned it, I would be encouraged to write faster. Since I'm so slow at updating, obviously I don't.

Session 6: Still obsessed

Mio hadn't been certain that the fanfic author would return for the next session, so she was pleasantly surprised to find both the author and all her patients awaiting her when she entered the room. She frowned a little when she saw Geddoe standing beside the author in the corner.

"Um…why are you here, sir Geddoe?" she asked curiously.

"…"

The author laughed. "I thought we'd try some shock therapy today. But, well, since I'm not certain you even have electricity…I found the next best thing."

"Okay…"

"Don't worry about a thing," the author said, waving one hand airily. She stood and walked over to whisper to Mio while the patients shifted uncomfortably on their hard plastic chairs. When Mio began to smile, Hugo blanched and Borus scooted his chair a few feet away.

"Oh, I like that," Mio said with a smile.

"I thought you might," the author agreed, pleased. She returned to her chair. "You may proceed."

Mio sat down with composure and pulled out her clipboard. She passed out sheets of plain paper and pens to each patient. "Now, I want you to draw self-portraits. That doesn't sound too hard, does it?"

Yuber growled and made as if to protest, but yelled instead when a bolt of lightning struck him.

"Oh, I suppose I should warn you that lack of cooperation will result in punishment," Mio informed them sweetly.

With a great deal of grumbling, the patients got to work. After about ten minutes filled with muttered imprecations and questions about why the ink wasn't red, Mio called them back to attention.

"Alright, everyone. Let's share what you drew. Hugo, you first."

Hugo held up his drawing mutely. The picture was surprisingly well-done, depicting Hugo in the midst of a burning village. Mio nodded to herself and scribbled a note on her clipboard.

"Goro?"

Goro had drawn himself sleeping in a bath, of course. Borus' picture showed him saving Lady Chris from some undetermined monster. Sarah had forgotten to draw herself, so intent on getting Master Luc's eyes just right. Luc had shown his Rune in exquisite detail. Ayame had a frightfully realistic drawing of her decapitating Watari that had Borus looking uneasy. Landis had drawn a cloaked figure with a scythe, lacking wings. Yuber had drawn himself over something dead with drops of blood dripping off his twin swords. Kidd seemed to have followed directions the best, with a picture of himself, though with lines drawn on his face.

"What are the lines?' Mio questioned.

Kidd looked indignant. "My mask, of course! You don't get quite the same effect without red ink, but you'd think it would be obvious."

"Oh, of course. Forgive me," Mio said, and scribbled another note. "Alright. As you can all see, each of you included your obsession in your portraits. This is not healthy. So, set the drawings aside for the moment. Each of you will describe yourself, without mentioning your obsession. If you do, Sir Geddoe will shock you with his lightning rune. Do you understand?"

There was some uneasy shifting and muttering, but they all nodded.

"Alright," Mio said pleasantly. "Sir Borus, would you go first?"

Borus stood slowly, a little red in the face. "Er…well, I'm Sir Borus Redrum, one of the greatest of the six Zexen Knights—after Lady Chris, of cou…" He was cut off by a shock from Geddoe, and turned to glare at the Lightning Bearer.

"What was that for?" he demanded angrily.

Geddoe shrugged. "Just following orders."

Mio sighed. "Please, will you try again, Sir Borus?"

Borus turned away from Geddoe huffily and scowled at the floor. "Um…I came from one of the noblest families in Zexen, and fulfilled a long-standing tradition of honor and chivalry by entering the knighthood…"

Hugo interrupted Borus with a loud fake snore that had Borus turning red in the face again.

"What, do you think you can do better, Grassland scum?" he demanded, drawing his sword.

Hugo stood angrily to face the threat. Unfortunately, as he was only half Borus' height, the effect was not terribly threatening. "Watch it, Ironhead!" he began heatedly.

"Sir Borus, Lord Hugo, enough squabbling. Hugo, why don't you give it a try?"

Borus sat angrily, still glaring daggers at Hugo, and Hugo turned to face the others more fully.

"Alright. I'm Hugo of Karaya…or I was before some stupid Ironhead burned it to the ground…"

Zap.

"I mean…uh…I'm also the Flame Champion, so I can avenge Lulu's death…"

Zap.

"Dang it! Alright, my mother is clan chief…and…um…I guess that's it." Hugo plopped down in his chair with a sigh of relief.

"Didn't you say you could do better?" Borus scoffed.

"I got further than you!" Hugo hissed.

"Enough!" Mio shouted. Both antagonists turned to her, surprised that she had finally raised her voice. Mio struggled visibly to regain her temper before asking, "Goro, would you kindly go next?"

Goro stood proudly. "I'm Goro, and I make baths…"

Zap.

Goro flinched and went right on going. "My father is a famous bath-maker…"

Zap.

"But I vow I will build a better bath!"

Zaaaap.

"And all shall fear my immense bath-making skills!"

Crack. This time Geddoe used his Thor Shot, with the result that Goro was now unconscious on the floor (support character, don't you know).

Geddoe met the patients' stares with a shrug. "Too much?"

Most of the remaining patients were cringing. Yuber alone looked unconcerned.

"O-kay," Mio said, a little nonplussed. "Who would like to go next?"

"…"

"Yuber! It's very kind of you to volunteer!"

Yuber's eye twitched. "Kind?"

Mio cleared her throat and backed away a little. "Uh…I take that back. Please, describe yourself?"

"Fine then," Yuber pouted. "I'm a demon. I possess a True Rune. I like Chaos. I like war. I like killing things."

Crack.

Yuber materialized his swords with a flourish. "Bring it on, you pitiful dog!"

Rage suffused Geddoe's face, a sight few of the present party had seen before. He drew his own sword and pointed it at Yuber.

"At least I am fit to do more than follow orders given by a support character."

Evidently these were fighting words, for the next second saw the two immortals engaged in fierce combat. The remaining patients began edging towards the door and shooting hopeful glances at the author.

Suddenly Yuber tripped over Goro, leaving an opening for Geddoe to strike. In fury, Yuber stabbed Goro's lax body and then leapt at Geddoe again.

"Um, mistress author?" Mio asked tentatively.

The author, transfixed by the battle, uttered only a terse, "What?"

"Might we…go…please?"

"Yeah, go ahead."

Mio, Hugo, Borus, Ayame, Kidd, Sarah, and Luc all ran for the door, leaving Goro on the floor and Landis in the corner.

"Yuh-huh-huh. Grim Reaaaper."