Work Text:
Franklin was down on the floor, sitting besides wet glass shards, holding a little brain in his hands.
Draven checked on him in a minute after he heard glass shatter.
- Hey? Do you need any help cleaning the mess or... Ohhh.
Draven noticed that the hat on Franklin's head was broken. So that's what it was.
- Oh. I'm so sorry.
- ...
- Franky? Shouldn't you put the brain in another jar?
- ... it only has around 5 seconds before it deteriorates and is no use if it leaves its artificial environment.
- Oh. So.. Should I throw all this out?
- ... DRAVY. DO YOU REALISE HOW BAD THIS IS?
Franklin looked back at him, eyes filled with despair. Draven sat beside him.
- You're a little dramatic as always. Okay, let's calm down. Just tell me, how did this happen, exactly?
Franklin sighed, now looking more eased.
- Okay. So that's how it all went down:
I was moving a few vats around, nothing unusual. At the same time taking notes with my robotic arm, writing down the last experiment regarding separating those half-people into cats and transplanting their brains into a synthetic lab-grown cat body. And then Alice came out of nowhere and went "Hey! How about I help you?" and started dragging the vats I was holding with her mind. I kind of lost control, she was lifting all these up, and I thought she was holding onto them but she didn't have enough lift to actually hold them all in the air so when I relaxed my grip it all fell out of my hands! One of them cracked and there was a kitten. It jumped away, then kicked a rock and it flew right at my head, I tried to duck but even though I dodged it hitting my face it... *sob* DRAVEN!!! WHAT AM I GONNA DO NOW WITH THIS??? *Franklin raised little dried up brain*
Draven put a hand on Franklin's shoulder.
- It's alright, it's alright.
- NO IT'S NOT!!!
- I'm here for you. It.. doesn't mean you're gonna die, am I right? Like, your life doesn't depend on it, yes?
- ... yes. But..!
- I know you can figure something out. You're the smartest kitty I know. *Draven put his other hand on the shoulder and turned the lab cat so they face each other*
- But.. How would I figure it out now???
- What do you mean?
- Ah, Dravy. Let me tell you something...
The cool mech suits. My lab coat with robotic arms on the back. Hell, EVERY single one of my inventions. It's all thanks to.. this worthless piece of meat. Taken from... I don't know who. Before I got this, I bet you don't remember it by now, what did I even invent?
- I... Don't really remember, you're right.
- Exactly! There was nothing remarkable about me, at all! All I have was thanks to... this.
Franklin threw away the metallic base of his hat, connected to his head via a thin layer of neural sensors, requiring the top of his head to be bald for better connectivity, making him look very silly as he was the most fluffy out of all lab cats. He searched around while no one was looking and found a black beanie hat. He was now sitting alone in his room, wearing the hat and his lab coat with robotic arms disconnected as they became uncontrollable, relying mostly on the little brain in the vat, now absent. These arms were now just laying around, Franklin picking them up and staring at the servos and wires, playing around by pulling the fingers back and forth. And he would sit there and stare at his inventions and unfinished robots all day if not for a knock on the door.
"That's... Too strong for Draven... Alice can't knock with her mind... So that must be..."
And it was none other than Chan Hung.
- Well... Hello there. Do you need anything from me right now?
- 听说你在找新的大脑？我可以帮忙，你有什么想法吗？我可以把谁的尸体拖过来给你弄来？
Franklin was dumbfounded.
- Chan Hung, I don't understand a single word you say.
Chan Hung facepalmed. He only spoke chinese with very basic english, but it was no problem for Franklin as long as he had a second pair of brains which actually possessed good language skills.
He pointed at Franklin's head, then pointed on top of his own head where the hat would be, crossed his arms, walked up to an unfinished robot, pretended to punch it and dragged it up to Franklin, pointing at the robot's head.
- You... Want to get me a new brain?
- Yes. Yes. *Chan Hung nodded*
- That is... Very nice of you, but... I'm unsure putting just anything there wouldn't fry my own brain, I don't know who do we need for this. And besides... I have no idea how I would reconnect everything again *Franklin raised a silicon neural sensor sheet he was carrying around in his pocket, a piece of technology he would explain perfectly just half a day ago, now unsure how would he map a new brain to it's outer connectors*.
Chan Hung nodded, sharing the genius cat's disappointment. He had nothing to offer besides that.
Sitting around in his room wasn't the most engaging activity Franklin could pursue, but what else could he do? He didn't want to nap, he didn't want to eat, just... he was just there, with his own thoughts. But the more he was thinking about this the more miserable he felt. And that's what Draven was thinking.
Another knock on the door.
"That's Draven, that must be Draven"
And it was.
- Hey. I know how it feels for you... Or, rather, I don't really *know*, I can just imagine. How about... A change of scenery? I know I wouldn't enjoy staring down on my creations if I was thinking I lost the ability to make these...
Franklin was struck by his words, it actually described perfectly what he was feeling. He was disappointed every second he looked at his room. But he was even more disappointed hearing about losing the ability to make new inventions, something that hurts to think about.
As much as Franklin resisted, Draven dragged him outside. They went to the Boon County's park, a beloved place of Draven just outside of town area.
- We can stay here, right under this tree.
- On the ground?
- Well... Alright.
Draved casted a spell and made them a nice flower bed instead of plain grass.
- Is this better?
- ... I guess. It's... still on the ground, just a little nicer...
- Bugs won't bite as long as I'm around. I befriended them all. They give nice hugs.
Draven winked. Franklin didn't really catch the reference. They laid down.
- It's from Kitschy Kitty... From the radio...
- Oh.
- Yes! ... You don't really listen to music, eh.
- Well I heard this song before.
- You don't like it?
- It's ok. Just that I don't really see myself listening to music. Not a serious thing to do.
- Serious? Does everything you do have to be serious?
"Actually, does it?"
- I'm unsure. Let's put it at that.
It was evening. The sun was setting and its rays were piercing the tree leaves they were laying under.
- How long till you can fix this?
- I'm unsure I can.
- So... Until then what?
- I... Don't know. *siiighh* Draven why do you ask me this??? If there was someone who knows what to do he is no more. I'm no longer.... me.
Draven turned to Franklin, putting the hand on his chest and slowly petting.
- Ahh, you sound like you're gonna cry again. Let's... just talk about this, like we usually do. I'm not going anywhere.
Franklin took a deep breath.
- So... It means a lot to you, I know. But, without it... You're no longer "you"?
- Tell me otherwise.
- Well... You're still Franklin... You're still the cat I know and love.
- I'm literally nothing! Look... It's sunset, and the sun moves according to orbital mechanics, and I can't wrap my mind around this right now, at all! If we were a little more late and we could see the stars I would name every constellation there is just half a day ago!
- This.. Is a loss, but.. Do you think it's so important?
- Do I think knowledge of the world around us is important?
- Not what I asked!
- But what did you ask?
- Well.. You know a lot of things, a lot more than I do. But I think you miss something.
- What is it? What is it that I miss?
Draven smiled. Fluffy scientist was one hell of a curious fella.
- Well, you miss.. Hey, actually, how about I actually try to explain it with your own method? Like a teacher. Not gonna give you the answer, gonna point you towards it, but you gonna have to discover it yourself and answer when we're done. Would you like that?
- ... Sure, I guess.
Franklin put his hand on Draven's paw, which was resting on his chest. He slightly rubbed it with his thumb.
- Sooo. Let's take a step back. What can you say about... your usual day?
- What is it about it?
- Ah, you answer me. I meant you treat everything so, so serious. All of the time. Don't mean to offend you or anything, it's just how I see it and I don't say I'm against it.
- So?
- What do you find time to do? What makes up your routine?
- Well I... Experiment. Invent. Construct. Tinker.
- And that's... all you do?
- Am I not doing enough?
- No! You're doing more than enough, kitty. It's just that... Aren't you missing anything?
- Another purpose?
- You got a purpose and you pursue it.
- And I do it all day long.
- Aaand?
- What?
Draven wasn't good at this. How does he explain it like Franklin does? Should he be a little more straightforward?
- Ahh. What do you do besides work?
- ... Nothing.
- At all?
- I spend time with you. Sometimes.
- And how do you call it?
- ... friendship?
- Ahhh! Rest. You don't ever rest. That's what I want to say right now.
- Soo... the answer is that I lack rest?
- Not quite! But you're on the right track.
- Should I rest more?
- You'll decide for yourself. But I'm all for it, if you want to spend more time together.
- Sooo you mean I should spend more time with you? Is that what it's all about?
- *Draven got his other hand on Franklin's head and slightly tapped it* silly silly silly
- Ahh, anything but that! Or... You may be right. At least right now.
- You will always be my smartest kitty, Franky. Heh, you're not *actually* silly. Maybe juuust a little. You're just jumping to conclusions right now. Focus a little.
- I'll try.
It was getting darker.
- Look around. Isn't it all so beautiful?
- It's... nice I guess. Not the cleanest environment.
- You're more used to the lab's air, aren't you?
- Mhm.
Draven now was petting Franklin on the head. He loved affection so, so much, but rarely engaged first, usually succumbing to Draven treating him gently.
- Well I have to say... The night sky does look pretty nice. Now that I don't think about it only in the scientific way, as a mere change based on how Earth moves.
- You're pretty close, wow.
- The answer is... Nevermind, I still need to think.
Draven got closer, hugged Franklin and rested his head by the cheek against his shoulder. Franklin smiled.
- ... Speak whatever is on your mind, sweetheart.
- I... Kinda like when you do that. When we, you know. Hug.
- Should we do it more often? *Draven got his hand on Franklin's cheek and brushed his long fur with his thumb*
- ...
- C'mon, you're soooo shy when it comes to this. Speak your mind.
- ... Yes please.
Kitten of the trees giggled, then put his hand back across his lover's waist, hugging him tighter.
- Anything else you like?
- Well... There isn't a lot... At least apart from what I usually do...
- Have you got any ideas what else we can do?
- We can... try and get out more? How about... Venturing to the past with the time machine? Did you ever wonder how Boon County looked before the cataclysm?
- No. Did you?
- Never before, I got this idea just now.
- What about... The animals. I never quite got to know them better.
- What do you wanna know?
- All kinds of things. Your squirrels, how do you even keep them as pets? Are they good pets?
- They aren't really "pets", more so my friends.
- How do you befriend an animal?
- Just like we befriend each other being the same species, you just gotta learn their differences and accept them.
- I... Think I got an idea, actually.
- What is it?
- The answer is... I don't do much besides work? There are so many things I have never tried and... I... Kind of lack the taste for life as a whole? Is that what you considered important thing I miss?
Draven got up and laid on top of Franklin. Being face to face he whispered:
- That's why I call you the smartest kitty ever. Yes. That's what I meant. And besides... You still mentioned constellations, you think you can figure out how to use the time machine. Do you think you really needed this thing on your head this entire time? To me, it's not what completes you. You are complete on your own, Franky.
- If anything... It just made me more focused on something I never realized how tired I am of really. You're right.
The nature-loving kitty wagged his tail and smiled, before giving the crazy cat scientist a kiss on the face and falling into his hug, purring and listening to him purr back. Maybe it isn’t so bad Franklin doesn't think twice as much about his work all of the time now.