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Chapter 1
Several sets of eyes fell expectantly upon Chairman Lohengrin as he scratched at the back of his feline ears idly before yawning in a bored fashion as the members of the committee traded sidelong glances at one another throughout the President's funeral proceedings. Several members of the press were scribbling away at their papers, warping quotes and re-arranging statements given in honor of the deceased to suit their own purposes.Â
He made his way up the aisle, towards the closed casket that held his surrogate father, his mentor, and his jailer. The coffin was made of the finest materials, leaving Char to think how fitting it was that the man could afford himself as much gil in death as he had in life. Another few steps past the casket, and he stood before a podium, looking over everyone gathered today. The business partners, representatives from rival groups, a few mistresses, and of course, the higher echelons of Laughing Armaments complete with it's own security contingent.Â
"Goenfal Lohengrin was to many of you as he was to me, a man dear to our hearts. A man possessed of such vision, such purpose, that with his own two hands he reached out and forged a friendship with a local gunsmith. Through him, they invested in a small business - which quickly grew as he recruited the most talented weaponsmiths and armorers he could find. Within four years that small shop had grown into a tower that housed nearly nine-hundred and fourteen staff members dedicated to the highest quality of weapons possible, to the benefit of the common man... A quality, as he would oft say, 'that allowed the would-be victims, the last laugh'..."Â
"Success did not harden his heart, as it is wont to do with others. He took a woman into his home, one that would fill it with love and no scarce amount of pink floral patterns." His tail whipped against his leg as a few chuckles came from those 'mourners' sitting across from him. "A woman that could not, unfortunately, bear him a successor by blood... Just the same, he loved her - and of that love, did the two welcome me into their world. A mewling kitten that would be set apart anywhere else in the world in the same set of circumstances... But in his home, I was his heir. His son. I looked upon him and saw not the differences of our race, but the similarities of character to which he was directly responsible..." He feigned a moment of weakness, forcing a lump in his throat as he wiped at his eyes.Â
Feeling content with the very brief display, he looked back up at those gathered and continued. "He was breeding a man of character - much like himself - full of ambition, generosity, and vision. He provided me with formal education, opportunity, and a quality of life many are denied. This noble citizen of Garlemald, a just and proud man, had chosen me... and each day, I took for granted that face until just this morning I awoke and it dawned upon me again that my father was dead. Only hours ago, did I feel the weight of his every action upon my heart and realize the significance therein..." He pinned his ears back and furrowed his brows to further the facade of mourning. "He had given me everything. His time, love, compassion... and the means to chart my own future. I was more than a successor or just some illegitimate placeholder to carry his name forward... I was, truly, his son."
"This title... Nay, this gift is one I cherish. Today, I realize the responsibilities inherit to the name Lohengrin; The burdens that he has left me, and challenges now posed upon my shoulders were those he'd already foreseen and prepared me for. As my father before me, I vow before you all to take this company forth with his same vision, passion and ideology... To provide weapons and armor in hopes, not to take lives, but to discourage the use of violence altogether... In this way, do I ensure that my father too, has the last laugh with regard to the cruel world we live in today... Thank you, ladies and gentlemen for your time." He cast his red and blue eyes upon the casket and played the last of his facade. "...And thank you, father."Â
He moved from the stand to leave a single red rose upon the casket, ears twitching as several people began clapping; Even if only on ceremony. After a second of silence, he saw himself out - now that the games were finished, and the public had something to form an opinion of, it was time to get back to business. His business. He resolved at that moment, staring down at the polished wood coffin, that he would rupture that abusive man's dream and turn it about on it's heel... and then it would be Char Lohengrin that had the last laugh.