Title: Dishes
Author: Biko no Seishi
Genre: Chrono Cross
Pairing: NorrisxGlenn
Rating: PG
Feedback: engel@gundamwing.net

Dishes. Why did a small group of elite dragoons somehow produce so many dishes? Norris grumbled at the cook beside him, who was eagerly creating ruins similar to the ill-fated town of Dorino, lost in history, out of a carrot and a few cucumbers. Dorino had been lost to time, destroyed over several decades from constant military invasion by his own kingdom, Porre, which had proceeded from Dorino to conquer the Guardia dynasty on the northern continent. Porre now effectively ruled over all of it, and was now proceeding to begin attacking the Viper-controlled region of the El Nido Peninsula, and all the islands around it.

Another plate. It was just dropped into his hands, nearly missing and hitting the edge of the sink. Orcha snickered at his discomfort, before raising a knife. Norris winced as the blade began mutilating another set of vegetables, worrying over what the same blade would do to the slabs of meat nearby. He looked up, almost wishing he could glare and tell off whoever had dropped off the plate, if that wouldn't jeopardize his position as a spy within the Viper compound, affectionately called Viper Manor even though only the troops lived there, the officers and Viper himself indubitably having their own homes within the nearby city of Termina.

Worried blue eyes met his steely gaze, and smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, Ishito. They're almost done in there, if it helps," a deep, warm voice redirected his furor at the dishes. It was only Glenn, the dragoons' handsome sweetheart. He was a knight as well, the brother of one of the late Devas who ordered the troops from a position somewhere between religious icon and military general. But because of his brother's death, and because of his brother as well, it seemed that he was babied and glorified, much to his own distaste. Norris smiled at that to himself, that grin superceding the rather goofy expression on his face. Glenn smiled bemusedly in return, then turned and left the kitchen for his rooms.

So it was Glenn's plate he held in his hands - perfectly reasonable now, because any other soldier, including the abrasive Deva Karsh, would just have dropped it into the sink without care if it broke. Karsh would do it deliberately, Norris thought, because he usually laughed at his feeble efforts to catch the porcelain dish before Orcha saw and could reprimand him.

So many dishes. Somehow he was almost done, as the last of the dragoons filed through and offered up their eating utensils. He was quick about it, and Orcha let him go earlier than usual. Norris smiled to himself, his stern face not betraying any notion of emotion as he began his spying duties, snooping around the armory and wherever else he could find, to judge better for the invasion later.

Perhaps, after Porre had taken El Nido as well, he could find Glenn and talk to him. Certainly it was a possiblity - Glenn might even be able to find a job with the Porre army near to him, although he doubted the knight's sensibilities and loyalty to his deceased brother would allow it. Norris retired to the small room he had been given, daydreaming of Glenn and no dirty dishes between them.

******

This page and all works within are copyrighted 2001 to . Don't steal.