Mind Your Business

He never thought he’d live to see the day when Cybertron’s streets were actually fixed, and bustling with feet. Feet not hurrying to the rendezvous, or to run away from enemy fire, but simply the steps aiming to get a bot to work or to a place of interest.

Well, he still couldn’t SEE it, but hearing the bustle of a functioning city once more was enough to bring Kairos some peace of mind. Of course, with all of the bots around him, always moving, and crowds that shifted with time, he was at first nervous to try and integrate himself with it.

Kairos was always used to living in a small Autobot hideout with six bots at most, so walking outside was a big test for him. Eventually, he was able to tell apart the shapes and blurry outlines of buildings and other objects from people with an integrated Seeker echo-transmitter (installed by his brilliant, clumsy engineer friend), and the bumps and trips dwindled to a small occasion.

Still, when they did happen, they always felt like he was falling down an unexpected black hole before he hit solid ground, and they always brought him to a small spark attack before he realized what happened.

But today, he tried his very best to get down the streets without any mishaps. He simply wanted to go to a small warehouse down the south side of the city to check for any stock he could use. Unfortunately, when there were bots far bigger than he, it was next to impossible to see the outlines and distinguish them from bot to some object until it was too late.

Kairos walked down a sidewalk that, thankfully, wasn’t so crowded the more he walked. A hand sidled along the wall to keep his footing steady. He clicked his glossia, the sound reverberating through the transmitter and allowing him to see the vaguest of things in the world. With what he could see he tried to keep steady as well, memorizing and tracing the outlines and blurry shapes.

When his fingers no longer felt wall, he knew to make the turn here. He turned his body, made that first step and suddenly, the outlines changed too quickly. He yelped, trying to get out of the way, but he only proceeded to lose his footing and collide with whatever it was that had suddenly appeared.

He felt the sensation of falling, and then the solid ground of the sidewalk hitting his skid plate hard.

*

Primus she hated people. She just really, really hated people.

Swindle, in his business, brought along his datapad to do some figures and manage his market. Thus, he declined to walk and instead rode on her shoulder instead of keeping his optics on the road. Ballast was proud of her height and size, so she didn't care who got in her way. Then again, most people knew to get out of her way since she was so big.

She glanced over at Swindle's lap, trying to see his calculations without much success. "So? How are things going?" Uncaring of how much of the sidewalk she took up, Ballast strode with long strides towards their destination.

Swindle gave a rakish grin. "Well, you know how things are, Mother. People are just so gullible, it's like they're asking for all that money to go sliding through their fingers and . . . well, into my bank account."

Ballast chuckled and patted his leg proudly. "That's my little entrepreneur,” she said as, at the same time, she felt her legs hit something metal and mallable.

She walked into something. It took Ballast less than a second to realize she'd bloody walked into someone, and the mech fell backwards and landed on his back on the sidewalk.

"Hey, sorry kid, didn't see you there," she said, reaching down to offer him a hand up. She heard Swindle muttering something under his breath. She frowned when she finally saw his face when he looked up. That wasn't the face of a kid. "Sorry again. You're grown."

Kairos’ dizziness only lasted for a few seconds before his pseudo-vision came back. It was too fuzzy to make out what was in front of him, so he clicked his glossia several times for the transmitter’s pulses to send the information back.

It looked like a hand.

Taking the chance that it was, Kairos hovered his hand up, clicked once more, and when he was sure he had it, took the offer and heaved himself up.

A soft smile came to his face as he steadied himself. “It’s alright, Miss. Not your fault,” Kairos chuckled. His face was tilted up only a bit, the mech knowing with experience it was just better to keep his head level. “I keep forgetting not to take turns so quickly."

Ballast's brows shot up beneath her visor. He was blind? "Well, you shouldn't be in such a hurry then," she said. "A mech like you got important places to be?"

"WE have places to be," Swindle muttered under his breath for her to hear.

The smile melted into a light frown, paired with a tilt of his helm. Did she really just . . .?

“Why, yes I do,” Kairos stated matter of fact. “VERY important place, actually. A shopkeeper needs stock, after all.”

Immediately he pursed his lips. Kairos berated himself for acting so defensively. He didn’t NEED to state his personal business to justify any means. But, then again, it was superbly hard to maintain a friendly attitude with people who make him feel belittled simply because he was visually crippled.

He clicked his glossia again, allowing his helm to go up more so he could see from a better angle. From the second voice, he could assume that the anomaly on this gargantuan femme’s shoulder must have been another, smaller, person. “If YOU were late to something, you’d be in a hurry too, wouldn't you?"

Ballast shrugged, forgetting for a moment that he couldn't see the gesture. "No. I don't hurry for anything. I'd rather be fashionably late." Kairos wanted to roll his nonexistent optics; clearly, she liked to bug just for the hell of it. Swindle huffed in her audio, always the one to be punctual. She grinned, knowing she was annoying him. To put her son out of his misery, Ballast clapped the mech's shoulder as she passed. "Watch where you're going," she said as they parted.

He moved to the side just in time for the mass to pass him without any collision. And he would have left it at that. Yes, she grated his sensors, but he would have left it. If she hadn’t added that UNNECESSARY comment.

Barely stifling a cough, he turned his head to the direction he sensed her going to. “WATCH where I’m going? Is that supposed to be some joke?” he accused, his voice growing hard.

And to think he acted so nice to her just a few moments ago. He crossed his arms, unwilling to go down that way. “And you’re one to talk. You take up most of the sidewalk anyway."

Ballast paused and rolled her eyes slightly. She tilted her head back his way. "I most certainly do. I like my size, makes it all the better for squishing the littler bots. And Short Stuff, it WAS a joke. Don't think you're special with your blindness. There's handicapped bots all around Cybertron. Now, have a nice day,” and she gave a mocking smile, “and try to watch where you're going."

With that, Ballast left the mech in the street, honestly in too chipper a mood to really care about what he felt or thought. She had a fun time pummeling him with her words, and now, she'd get to pummel a bot with her fists in the boxing ring.

Kairos felt whatever anger and spite get punched downed and destroyed, sending his stomach into a quick tizzy. And then he was just left to watch the outlines of the femme’s shape slowly grow smaller and disappear all together. Now that he was left by himself, he felt awkward and guilty for saying those words and trying to put her down with him.  

He opted to just leave it be now, and get back to what he was doing.

"What a freak," Swindle said, shaking his head. "Why was he clicking like that? Annoying."

"He was blind," Ballast pointed out to him. "He sees with his audios, he can hear the sound waves reverberate off other objects and understand where things are."

Swindle snorted. "Should just get his optics replaced."

"Now that, Swindle, is just plain mean. There's a difference between mean and teasing. Keep your thoughts to yourself."

"Yes, Mom."

*

Sometimes, you never expect to see a person again, and then sometimes, you somehow run into them for a second time in a week. Ballast's lips twisted up. Well, at least she didn't literally run into him.

She stopped across the street, watching the mech stubbornly unloading a load of boxes. The futility was enough to cause a small laugh to catch in the back of her vocalizer, but she frowned as she watched him. Where were the workers? They should have been there to help him unload. Not leave him to it. She glanced at the logo on the boxes. All right. She could find those people, and they wouldn't be happy to see her. But first.

Strolling across the street to where said mech was struggling with his third box, Ballast sauntered up. "Hey. Need some help?"

Kairos shook his head. He should have asked the movers for help. Then again, he already took up a lot of their time just touching inside the shop to make sure it was to his liking. He would have felt bad to make them continue to stay after that.

Now he regretted it.

His audios perked when he heard a voice that sounded uncannily familiar, and turned his head in the direction he heard it from. A few clicks were sent out, the transmitter taking them and showing him a bulky outline of someone. And that voice. It was all he needed for it to click in his head.

His lips parted a little in surprise, but he quickly shook it off. Not wanting to seem rude again, he nodded quickly, “Yes . . . if you don’t mind. I didn’t think it’d be this difficult."

Ballast moved forward, stacking up several boxes in her arms, and she glanced at him. "Just tell me where you want them."

Kairos maneuvered himself out of the way for her, a hand gripping the door way. Then he quickly moved inside the shop so he could have a better idea of where was what.

Clicking his glossia, his hands hovered for a second before reaching the counter. Then he directed one to his right towards the ground, “Right there is a good spot.”

Honestly, he was still surprised she had suddenly appeared again and was HELPING him now after what he said.

Swallowing down the knot of guilt from that moment, Kairos mustered his voice to say, “Um . . . About the other day—I’m sorry about what I said. I wasn’t thinking, and it was pretty rude of me."

Ballast shrugged and stooped to duck through the doorway again. "If we're being frank, it was me. I'm not a people person. Too rude. People don't like frank people." Stacking up a few more boxes with ease, Ballast maneuvered herself through the doorway again. "How about these?"

Kairos slowly nodded his head through the explanation. It made sense. Before he could think more on it, he quickly diverted his thoughts to the task at hand. “Oh, uh . . .”

Clicking, he saw she had smaller boxes with her. He patted the counter. “Just put the smallest boxes here. And the other ones with the rest. Thanks.” Without phase, he went back to the conversation. “You’re not a people person. I can understand that. But then . . . Well—I realized that someone was on your—shoulder? I think. You seemed okay with whoever that was."

Setting the last of the boxes where he asked, Ballast grinned. "That was my son. He doesn't count as people."

Kairos pronounced a dumb, “Oh.”

During the war, he couldn’t remember the last time he had met someone who had outright stated they had kids. Kairos knew there had been a LOT of reasons not to say such things aloud. Then again, the war was over. This femme didn’t need a reason to keep it a secret. Looking around, the transistor showed him the outlines of all of the boxes were in the building now.

Kairos smiled, nodding softly, “Thanks for your help, Miss . . . Oh, I never got your name! I’m Kairos. Who would you be?"

"Ballast." She glanced around the room. "So is it going to be a tea shop or a coffee shop?"

Kairos made an approving hum soft enough for her not to hear. He looked around as well, though his physical eyes couldn’t see what she could. It amazed him that she could already pretty much guess what he wanted out of this place. Either that or she could smell the tin cans from inside the boxes.

“A tea shop,” he answered, hope rejuvenating in his voice when he spoke. “I used to have one before the war. And now since it’s a time for new beginnings, I thought it was my chance to start again and do what I love."

Ballast grunted. "That's good. A pity though—I'm more of a coffee bot myself."

Kairos huffed, but instead of showing a frown out of anger, he smiled.

“Well, I’m sure I can fit some into my wares if the demand is high enough. Then again, I’ve never been fond of the smell of ground coffee. The drink is too bitter for me no matter what I try to put in."

"I like it bitter," Ballast said with a rakish grin. "You're a strange mech. The smell of coffee is one of Primus' gifts to Cybertron."

Kairos laughed. “Really? I always thought one of Primus’ best gifts was nature, and flowers are was tea smells like."

She snorted, crossing her arms, head nearly touching the ceiling. "Tea smells nothing like flowers. And coffee is from nature!"

The mech’s smile gave an amused quirk. “Perhaps so, but you’re wrong about the flowers. Of COURSE they smell like flowers.” Kairos waved his hand dismissively. “Unless you’re talking about the ones that come in those cheap little baggies you dunk in water. Ugh, now that's tea that I can’t accept,” he muttered more to himself before continuing. "Real tea comes from flowers. So they smell like FLOWERS.” He waved the same hand to the boxes, his voice now portraying the strange passion to do his favorite drink justice. “In fact I can show you exactly what I mean!"

Ballast lifted a brow at his adamancy, but the edge of her lip quirked up. There was always something irresistible about a person who was able to pursue their passion freely. "Really," she said dubiously. "Well, I wager you won't turn me from my coffee, but I'll take a cup of your so-called flower tea."

Kairos nodded vigorously, glad for the opportunity. A few tongue clicks in, he patted the counter for the box cutter he had ready for later and carefully moved it over one of the boxes on the counter. It was forgotten back on the counter top as he opened the box’s flaps, the fragrance of different flowers and herbs hitting his nose.

Kairos took a few minutes to take out a few of the tin cans, opening their tops and smelling them to look for the one he’d figure Ballast would like best. A smile crept onto his face when he was sure he found it, and carefully took out a single flower pod from the tin, proceeding to make a cup for the large femme.

He had never prepared tea blind before, but that didn’t deter him from doing what he did best. Hot mineral water was poured into a tea pot. Kairos plopped the flower in and waited for it to bloom and release its bitter flavor into the water.

For how talkative he seemed, he made the tea in complete silence. Ballast allowed it, assuming he was concentrating; judging by the way his hands moved, it seemed she was right. Besides, she took the chance to watch the silver mech go about his business and the way he was coping with his blindness. Clearly, he had been blind for some time, but he was still getting the hang of things.

She said she liked coffee bitter. Tea could be bitter as well, depending on what was used for a base. The smells of the tea told him it was ready. Clicking for a glass, he poured the tea carefully, a finger curled over the rim of the cup to feel when it was full. She watched him pour the tea, and with a steady stride, he crossed the room with the cup and managed not to spill a drop. His hands were steady now as he placed the cup in front of her, saying, "Flower tea."

Ballast leaned forward, smelling the item placed before her. She gave a close-mouthed laugh. "Fine. I'll grant you it smells a LITTLE like flowers." She lifted the cup up, taking a sip. It was bitter. Interesting. She took another sip. "Hm. Definitely the best tea I've had in my extensive lifetime, but not enough to turn me from my coffee addiction."

Kairos felt pride dripping in, but when she said that it was best tea, the fact that it didn’t deter her to make her like it better than coffee didn’t matter.

He full-on grinned. “Well, it didn’t hurt to try. Besides, you got that full glass for free. Not many people will be able to say that.” He chuckled softly, “Guess it also kind of makes you my first customer. That's great a feat even for me, considering I haven’t even opened yet."

"Ha!" Ballast smirked and shook her head. "Just think of it as payment for hauling your boxes in." She eyed said boxes again. She recognized the symbol on the side. It'd be fun to punch a few guys out for slacking on the job.

Kairos nodded his head, "Deal." He clicked his glossia again to make sure that everything seemed in place for him. All the boxes were in the shop; now it was just a matter of setting things in place. "You know, if you want any more of my bitter, bitter flower tea, I could use a hand putting things away," he said.

Downing the rest of the tea quickly, Ballast shook her head. "I think you can manage," she said to him, and she sat the teacup down on its saucer. "I've got to head out. Got some old . . . friends to meet up with. Hope your little tea shop does good."

Resting his arm on the counter, his smile rose into a little smirk. "Thanks. Though by the way you said that, it seems to me that you want your—friends to meet your fist rather than you."

Ballast gave a deep chuckle from her chassis as she brushed by him. "Well, I'm not going to deny it." She looked back at the blind bot leaning on the counter, his black visor slightly off from where she was standing. When she spoke again, his face turned fully to her. "See you around, Kairos."

The silver mech smiled, waving his hand to where he heard her voice. "Bye Ballast. Thanks again for helping me with the boxes. Maybe I'll hear you around again. I'll have some of that tea piping and ready for you."

Ballast rolled her optics at him as she exited his little tea shop. Sure was a friendly one, wasn't he? Most of the time, bots weren't as friendly as they used to be since the war had messed with so many processors. Then, she thought back to their first meeting and grinned a little more. All right, so maybe the mech wasn't as friendly as he was when he was around his tea.

Her grin deepened into a smirk. However, she had some bots to find for a good pounding.