"Meow."
"Miaow."
Lucky and Clixie lazily greeted Ves as he opened his eyes.
"Good morning, lovelies."
With his girlfriend resting on his shoulder, he felt inordinately pleased with himself! It was times like these when he felt like he had become a true man!
Soon enough, Gloriana stirred from his movement. She yawned and cracked open her eyes.
"Had a good night?"
"Do you even need to ask?"
"Hihi.. you were as eager as ever back then. If I didn't tell you that it was time to sleep, I'm afraid you would have stayed awake all night!"
"What can I say? My energy cells were brimming with energy! You know, they wouldn't be overloaded all the time if I can discharge their energy more frequently."
Gloriana giggled and rubbed his chest with her hand. "Keep dreaming. Work is more important. I would much prefer it if you discharge your energy in mech design! You can get your reward after you have done a good job, not before."
He frowned at this answer. Why did it seem like he was being treated like a little kid who had to do his homework before receiving his sweets?
They woke up and returned to work. Even though the Larkinson Clan was undergoing a lot of upheaval, Ves and Gloriana didn't immediately notice anything different due to their long bouts of isolation in their design labs.
Ves did try to keep up with the ongoing expansion process. Every morning, Gavin briefed him on the latest developments.
"One of the biggest issues that have emerged is the naming of the new clan members." Gavin reported. "During the historical assembly meeting, Miss Jannzi Larkinson unilaterally decided to replace Joshua's surname."
"Is there a problem with that?" Ves asked.
"Do you know how many Joshuas we have in the fleet? Over a dozen! If all of them suddenly get to call themselves Joshua Larkinson, we'll have to resort to serial numbers or nicknames to distinguish them from each other!"
"That.. is indeed a problem." Ves murmured. "What does the Executive Council have in mind?"
"They would like to employ compound names to distinguish the new clan members from each other. There are already existing cases in your family. Raymond and Tusa Billingsley-Larkinson are the most prominent examples."
Ves fell into thought.
While Gavin was right, Ves feared that the use of compound names would hinder the integration of the new Larkinsons.
"Is everyone okay with this option?"
"In most cases, it's not a problem." Gavin answered. "In fact, a lot of applicants prefer to carry their old names. While it doesn't fully fall in line with the promise to forget their old allegiances, they still want to remember their origins."
"What about the ones who just want to carry the pure Larkinson name?"
"For now, the Executive Council wants to reserve that for trueblood clansmen and exceptional cases."
Ves frowned. "That sounds like a sneaky way to implement a class or tier system within the clan."
"Unless you address the assembly or council in person, this policy will become the new standard. There is too much support for this proposal."
"What do you think, Benny?"
"It's not a big deal." He shrugged. "Regardless of how they are called, a Larkinson is still a Larkinson. The ones with compound names still enjoy the same opportunities and privileges as trueblood Larkinsons. As long as this is ensured, there won't be any objection from the newcomers."
"I see. Well, if there aren't any problems, then I suppose I'll let it be. The critics from the Larkinson Family will probably be a little placated by this decision as well."
Ves had already gotten his way in the issue he cared about the most. Right now, it was vital for him to draw back his influence and let the regular institutions of the clan excercize their powers.