Chapter Sixty-Eight – Domestic Peace
Takigawa smiled into Ayako's bare shoulder, breathing deeply as he leaned his head on her neck and kissed lightly. He wrapped his arms around her waist, closing his eyes as the lithe woman leaned back from where she stood at the kitchen counter. It was late. Takigawa had only just arrived home. Things were busy in the aftermath. New laws weren't yet in place, but there were place holders to stop any outright abuse and violence. He tried to switch off his work brain, nuzzling Ayako's hair.
"I wasn't sure when you'd be back." Ayako sighed as she pushed away from the counter and turned in his arms. He much preferred it this way and didn't hesitate to pull her closer again. He accepted the kiss she pressed to his lips, pulling back just enough to touch their noses. "That bad, huh?" She added with a sympathetic air.
"That bad…At least there aren't outright riots." He added, refusing to release the redhead even as he stepped back. He left his hands resting on her slim hips. She was content to let him though. Her hands rested on his forearms, thumbs stroking the skin beneath his shirt. "It seems the majority are open to android rights, just a few old prejudices out to cause trouble." He continued as he looked at the counter. There was flour on the surface, along with a lump of dough.
"I thought I'd give bread a try." Ayako replied to the silent question, and as usual his grandmother's recipe book was lying open on the counter. He smiled softly as he looked at the neat, cursive script. He kissed Ayako again in silent thanks, feeling spoiled as always. Ayako smiled into the kiss, pulling back as a small scoff came from the living room.
"I'm going to regurgitate my thirium if you don't stop." Charlie teased as he crossed to the sofa and sat down. Takigawa left Ayako in the kitchen before joining his co-worker, flopping next to him on the sofa and crossing one leg over the other.
"Jealous much? I could kiss you too." The human offered with a wolfish grin as he leaned closer to the android. Charlie's LED was glowing blue, amusement clear on his face as he planted a hand on Takigawa's forehead to hold him back.
"Please, no." Charlie objected firmly, watching Takigawa flop back into the sofa clutching his chest.
"Oh, the rejection!" He teased, both settling down as Charlie flicked the TV to the news channel. Sure, they got enough of this at work, but they couldn't help it. The report seemed to be a long story, covering the android revolution. They watched the footage of John on the car, Takigawa unable to suppress his flinch at the close up footage of bullets tearing into the teen. Lin's reaction was the worst. It was heart breaking, even though he hoped everything was all right. He couldn't be sure though. He'd been unable to contact anybody.
"So far there's still no update on Mr Wishart's current whereabouts or condition, nor has anything been heard from the other victim, one Mai Taniyama." The reporter said as viral internet footage showed the moment she was injured, and taken away by private medical teams. "The helicopters used are registered to Elijah Kamski, who looks set to return to Cyberlife as CEO in the upcoming months. We're hoping to receive a response from Mr Kamski in the coming week, so stay tuned for more updates." The reporter urged, Takigawa sighing miserably. He'd seen the story about Mai shortly after returning home that night. He'd had no idea she was caught up in this. It was only when he asked around that he'd found out about the body in her shop, the footage showing Naru leaping in to defend her. That explained how she got involved, but not what the hell she'd been thinking by going in there.
"You're worried." Charlie observed, giving Takigawa a sideways look as he remained focused on the incoming reports. There were a few small gatherings around New York and California, but Detroit was largely peaceful. It made sense in a way, since Cyberlife's main office was there. A few new anti-android groups had appeared, but now there were actually pro-android groups forming. The ranks were filled with both humans and androids. There was a lot of hate in the world, but also a lot of love.
"Yeah…Can you blame me? Hell, Mai's like a daughter to me, it drives me crazy not knowing if she's okay…Her grandmother can't confirm it one way or another, some confidentiality thing." He added with a frustrated sigh. Charlie nodded his agreement. He was fond of Mai too, and John. Takigawa huffed as he remembered the amount of times he'd stopped John free running across the streets, or scaling buildings he wasn't supposed to, or hopping barriers he knew he shouldn't. In a way he could have seen John getting in trouble like this, but not Mai. If I see those kids again I'm never letting them out of my sight.
