Valerian followed, just as tall as Arthur but feeling a head smaller, somehow. Maybe it was because he was out of his element; this wasn't his scene, and even thought he thought himself above all of the people it didn't change that he was outnumbered by them. (Not as a rich person, but as a not-wild person. There were plenty of rich people, plenty of rich men in attendance apart from himself, but all of them looked too dazed and drunk off something to be conversational partners.)

He remained silent through the tour, every now and then raising a brow or giving a little hm noise in response, trying his hardest not to look like he was surprised. Trying hard not to look like a child, although compared to all of the people in this room he felt like an unexperienced kid. It did not help when the prostitute was brought up, because it was yet another reminder of how easily his friends had taken to the brothel scene while he'd sat around uncomfortably, swatting off attempts from heavily-perfumed women to get him out of his clothes and out of his pocket change.

"Terribly scandalized," he said towards the end, his eyes following the stairwell which curled around the corner and out of view. "I think liquor would help, no?" If there was one thing Valerian was familiar with, it was liquor; the Macnair family kept an extensive collection at home, and although Valerian had not yet learned to hold his own, he was eager to.

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