OPERATION: Steak Cuts! - A BotBots Fic Series

Beloved Muse - CHAP 3

Paint, lead pieces, and paper littered the room, an empty canvas propped up near the wall of the art supplies shop.

It was no secret that Burgertron was a bot of the arts. A lot of his emotion, time, and love was poured into his work.
And on this particular day, he was struggling. Really badly.

Every line, every sketch, it all looked wrong. He couldn't figure out what was off, but it just was, crumpled paper beginning to pile up next to him as he huffed.

He looked at the empty canvas against the wall, and then closer to in front of him, where a small pedestal, a plain jar lid, stood. Nothing atop it.
He sat there glumly, staring at the jar lid with a look of near disdain on his face. It felt like every time he started to so much as attempt to draw, he drew blanks on what to do. Every thought just left his brain when he tried.

What was he missing...?

"Hey. You need help over there?"
He whirled his head around to see who it was, and lo and behold, leaning up against a stool nearby was Bonz-Eye. He huffed.

"How many times are you gonna catch me completely off guard like that?"
"As many times as you're under the assumption you're completely alone."

"...Right." Burgertron rolled his eyes, turning back to the empty page. The other bot trotted over to his side, sitting down next to him.
"Having trouble with your art again?" Bonz-Eye curiously gestured to the piece of paper. "Wh- How do you even know that's my issue?"

The tree pointed to the wads of crumpled up paper scattered on the ground.
"And also I heard you grumbling the whole time. I'd been standing there for a while, wondering when you'd notice I was there." She shrugged. "You aren't the most observant of your surroundings, however, so I felt it necessary to speak up."

"Wow. Okay," He playfully pouted at the other's jab. "Firstly, I am more  than observant. Secondly, even if I am struggling, which I'm totally not, I don't think you're gonna be able to help me."
"And why is that?"
"Because It's not an issue you can solve that easily, Bonz. It's... I dunno what to call it," he propped his head up with his hand. "But it feels like every time I try and draw something I just... can't. Like there's this roadblock stopping me. I can't think of anything!"
Bonz-Eye nodded, listening to the burger-bot's woes.

"It sounds like what you need is a muse."
"A huh?" He looked at her, confused. "A muse. It can be anything that brings you inspiration for your art. A piece of fruit, a place, a character in a game, or even another bot. As long as it gives you an idea of what to put here." Bonz-Eye tapped the empty sheet. "Think of it as a tool to help you practice your skills."

"Woahhhh. Since when did you know so much about art, Bon?" Burgertron sat there, awestruck at her knowledge. "I am not an artist. I've merely read books about them and their strategies." Bonz-Eye said curtly.
"Huh." Burgertron looked at the empty piece of paper in his hands again. And back at the tree-bot.
Something clicked in his mind.
"Would you like to help me find a muse? I mean— For artistic purposes. To help my creativity. Or whatever you said just now." He waved his hand dismissively.
Bonz-Eye smiled.
"Of course."

They spent the next few minutes looking at everything they could, wandering around the mall almost aimlessly, checking every nook, cranny and angle of the place to see if there was something that could inspire the Lost Bots leader and push him out of the rut he was stuck in. And of course, every attempt failed. They tried everything Bonz-Eye had suggested, even going up to the thinking ledge to try and see if the stars could hold any use. But alas, no such luck.

The two bots dragged themselves back to the art supplies shop, exhausted and frustrated. Burgertron flopped on the ground, laying flat on his stomach as he groaned in exasperation.
"I don't get it! What am I doing wrong?! " He whined.
"You aren't doing anything wrong, Burgertron. It's simply a matter of patience," Bonz-Eye sat back down next to him. "There are times where you cannot solve a problem by force. You just have to wait."