Valerian was slowly figuring out Greengrass' entire deal, which was what he liked to do every time he met someone knew. Discovering people was a fun pastime; he'd figure out their position in their family, the kind of attitude they had towards life, the less meaningful details like where they worked and what they did for fun, and eventually whether or not it was a good acquaintanceship to keep.

Their situations were different, but also had their similarities. Valerian had a living father and was not responsible for the younger, but he was the eldest, and through much of his life had been expected to be the natural leader among them (an easy feat, given that most of them picked unimpressive paths).

"The lot of them," he echoed, one corner of his lips sliding up into an easy smile. "How many have you got, then?" If none of them were a great deal younger, he couldn't have more than a handful of them; even if Greengrass was in his early twenties, a thirteen or fourteen-year-old sister would have been a great deal younger, if not by age than by maturity and phase of life.

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