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Parado blinks as Graphite sits next to him. Don’t get him wrong, he loves Graphite being here. Graphite is fun, and another Bugster, and he gets the way Parado loves a fight, even if, despite being from a game, he doesn’t get video games.
Graphite is the first person who made Parado feel…
(Human. He used to be human or thing he was and he was Emu-M-himself all wrapped in one and now he’s alone and he’s hurt and he’s turned it all into rage while the human he was who is him who is his lives unaware.)
Normal.
But. Graphite is. Kind of standoffish.
“Want to go get a desert?” Graphite asks. Parado blinks.
“What?”
Graphite huffs.
“Nevermind.”
“No no it sounds great,” Parado says. “I just. Was surprised.”
“Oh.”
“We also doesn’t have money.”
“Took Kuroto’s card.”
“Ah.”
Their. Technical boss. Parado isn’t entirely sure what Graphite thinks. He wants Graphite on his side, so he should get around to that, actually. It’s been a few months. But even as M, Parado’s always been alone…
“You have any suggestions?” Graphite asks.
“No, not really,” Parado says. “I don’t go out much.”
Stupid. Graphite knows that. He’s been with Parado for several months now. But a small smile ends up on the dragon’s face, nonetheless.
(Parado was always a fan of Graphite’s monster design, he tries hard not to think.)
“Well, I know a few places from my host,” Graphite says. “Let’s go.”
The food is delicious. They talk about very little. Or, well, Graphite does. He lets Parado regale him with things. Parado is honestly glad he can . He has some online accounts but he tries not to say too much and humans don’t really count so it doesn’t matter.
And it’s definitely not in person.
Again, alone both his lives, for the most part. M had a reputation. Emu was neglected. Parado is…
Still not used to how Graphite continues to seem interested by him.
“I’ve missed games not by Genm, though,” Parado says. “Think Kuroto would try to kill me if I downloaded something not by Genm onto my phone. -also wow this is the best cake. How did your host even find this place?”
“Saki needed a place to be away from things,” Graphite says. “Ended up developing a sweet tooth and the worst taste in men. Finding new bakeries was. Something to do.”
Parado nods, accepting the explanation.
“Why do you work for Genm, anyways?” Graphite asks. “That man is underhanded, obsessive, and more stupid than he wants to admit.”
…Oh good, an opportunity.
“Well,” Parado says. “Why do you?”
“I’m following you,” Graphite says, and Parado blinks.
“You are?”
“You’re… my elder, in a way,” Graphite says. “And you’re interesting. Intelligence. Whatever your plan, I feel it’s far more in my interests than whatever Genm is planning.”
“Oh,” Parado says. “You mean it?”
“Yes,” Graphite replies. Parado smirks.
“Well in that case…” he says. “How’d you like to live in a world where we’re the players?”
Graphite looks considering.
“What do you you mean?”
“I mean Chronicle,” Parado says. “A game of life and death, Dan Kuroto’s masterpiece. It could be our world, instead.”
Graphite is definitely interested. Parado keeps going.
“We work for him, for now,” he says. “Until the other Bugsters are as real as we are, not just programs but…”
(People, but he doesn’t quite know how to use that word for himself.)
“Real,” he settles on. “Bring in Poppy, when the time is right.”
“She isn’t a fighter, like us.”
“The Kamen Rider system does exist,” Parado points out. “Plus, every game needs a mascot. Poppy Pipopapo and her little brother are the guides of Doremifa Beat. I’m sure that’s Kuroto’s plan, too. Did you know he used his own mother to complete her and then just. Wiped her memory? He’s really the worst, huh?”
Graphite blinks, clearly trying to process the information presented.
“You’ve thought this out,” he says.
“I’ve had years,” Parado says. “And not much else to do. I’m glad to have you now, though.”
Graphite nods.
“I’ll fight with you,” he says.
Parado smiles, glad he really does have Graphite by his side.
“By the way, this is where Saki first took someone on a date.”
“Really?”
“He didn’t figure it out.”
“Wow, he sounds stupid.”
(Internally, Graphite suddenly realized he shared a type with Saki.
Geniuses who they absolutely wanted to support but who were completely oblivious.)