Hiya! This is Sekana Katayama with yet another one-shot. I was inspired while beating the Tethe'alla Renegade Base (I saved a file right before you fight Yuan so I can see him whenever I want!). I had Presea's special EX Skill (?) that picks up random food items while you're in a dungeon, and she kept finding barley rice.

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Barley Rice

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Lloyd's group had entered the Tethe'alla Renegade base with the help of Orochi from Mizuho, and another ninja who worked as a renegade. They made their way through the halls until they arrived at a large room with treasure chests placed in difficult to access locations. It seemed the Renegades weren't good with visitors…

As they went up some steps to take a look around, a few renegade soldiers ran up and started attacking the group. Genis blew them all up with an explosion, and the battle abruptly ended. Regal dutifully cooked a large, filling meal of beef stew.

They all got up to keep searching the place for the pass codes, but Presea stopped for a moment, looking at the ground. She picked up something and examined it.

"I found… food." She said in monotone. The others, who were making random jokes against the Renegades, did not hear.

"I found… food." Presea repeated. Genis turned.

"Hey guys, Presea's trying to say something!" He motioned. The group also turned around to hear her out.

"I found… food." Presea said for the third time, holding up a medium-sized packet. Lloyd's eyes lit up.

"Food?" He asked in surprise.

"Lloyd, we just ate!" Raine scolded, but she still smiled.

"What is it?" Regal asked, being the expert on all things food.

Sheena took the packet from Presea, and read off of the label.

"Barley Rice…?"

"…" Everyone was silent. But it would only last a moment. Suddenly, noise broke out.

"Why the heck would people leave barley rice around here?"

"Why barley rice?"

"Gee, you think the Renegades could afford better, huh?"

"Well, barley rice does have more nutrients than white rice…"

And the chaotic whirl of a conversation went on.

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From the control room, Yuan watched a large screen that showed the group talking amongst themselves. He had just sent Botta to the Sybak cafeteria to get more food supplies.

His arms were folded, his characteristic cold scowl on. He stood there, before the screen, with a slightly puzzled look on his face. Then, in a very un-Yuan-like action, he pouted.

"I like barley rice!" He protested, as if the group could hear him, which they couldn't.

"Yes, I know, but was it really necessary to scatter it around the base like that? I mean, someone could trip and seriously harm themselves…" Kratos commented, having shown up just a moment before. Unexpected entrances were his specialty.

"Kratos!" Yuan said in annoyance. "How did you get in?"

"I'm a Cruxis angel." Kratos said haughtily, brushing a few strands of auburn hair out of his eyes.

"I should have guessed…" The Renegade leader muttered. Then, he seemed to remember what the conversation had been about in the first place. "Anyhow, what I was going to say, was-"

"You know, they're coming this wa-" Kratos started to speak.

"Shut up! You're interrupting me again." Yuan growled. He turned from the screen to face Kratos, completely oblivious to the fact that Lloyd and his group were nearly at the control room, now. "I put all that barley rice there for a reason, you know!"

"And what reason was that?" Kratos asked, defeated. He wasn't going to try and warn Yuan, now.

"Well… I get hungry… sometimes… when I'm checking up on the guards." He shrugged, trying to look dignified while doing so. Surprisingly, he succeeded.

"… Couldn't you just eat before-" Kratos began to suggest.

"Silence! I don't eat before because I simply choose to eat as I survey the base, end of story!" Yuan shouted, taking a few steps forward and seizing the taller man by the shoulders. "Is that so hard to believe?"

The sliding doors opened, admitting Lloyd, who was followed by Sheena, Genis, Raine, Regal, Zelos, and Presea. Kratos looked over at the group with a 'it wasn't my idea' expression. Yuan, still grasping Kratos's shoulders, turned his head to see the entering people. His look of startled surprise would have been quite funny, if only…

"K-Kratos?" Lloyd said, shocked. Sheena, behind him, saw the scene.

"Let's just leave them for now. We can come back later." She giggled.

"Um, yeah…. We'll be back in a while, okay?" Lloyd voiced shakily, and fainted. Regal carried him back through the open door, and the others followed. The door closed.

Kratos was annoyingly aware of the slight blush spreading across his cheeks. How humiliating that they would all find him with Yuan like this. Although… it really wasn't what they thought, of course. He looked down at Yuan, who had finally released him, and was scowling. The blue haired man was blushing, too.

… Was it?