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"You were raised here, right?" Elliot asked as he led them through the snowy town square, looking over at Clementine. "Maybe you could show us around."

          Sebastien smirked, patting Clementine's shoulder. "Yeah, show us around."

          Clementine grunted irritably as he shoved Sebastien away. "I'm not in the mood," he uttered.

          "Is there a tailor around here?" Elliot mumbled, stopping at the edge of the busy town square to look up the street. "Maybe we should ask someone. Excuse me!" he called, hurrying over to a man walking a dalmatian puppy.

          As Mavis and Mathew followed, Clementine seized his chance. Before he could go after them, he snatched Sebastien's wrist and pulled him away.

          "Woah, why so eager?"

          Ignoring him, he dragged him around and behind a billboard. He pushed him, and when his back hit the billboard, Sebastien laughed amusedly, smirking at him.

          "What the hell are you playing at?!" Clementine growled, pointing at his face, tightly gripping his coat's collar with his other hand.

          "I don't know what you're talking about."

          "Stalking me in school is one thing, but out here, too?!"

          "Hey, I didn't follow you out here, I followed you at the academy to the carriage, and you didn't exactly try to throw me out, so."

          "You didn't give me the chance to!"

          "Exactly," he said, grinning.

          "Go away!" he snapped. "We're not friends. You don't get to hang around with me. The only time I want to see you is when we're dealing with Ian!" he growled, keeping his voice hushed.

          Sebastien lost his grin but kept a smile on his face. "We should stick together, period. Ian could be anywhere. I've gotta hang around and protect my little mousey—"

          Clementine smacked his hand away before he could touch his face. "I told you to stop calling me that!"

          "Clementine!" came Elliot's voice.

          "If you don't let me tag along willingly, I'm just gonna do it anyway," Sebastien said, a sterner tone in his voice. "That was the deal. I get to watch you—"

          "You get to watch me get rid of Ian! You don't get to follow me around everywhere I go!"

          "But I want to—"

          "What are you two doing back here?" Elliot asked.

          They both sharply turned their heads and looked at him. Behind him, Mathew and Mavis were gawping.

          Clementine frowned, trying to think of a believable lie—

          "Oh, you know," Sebastien said, pressing his hands against Clementine's chest. "Boyfriend things—"

          "We're not boyfriends!" he growled, backing away from him.

          "We got directions to an occasion clothing store," Elliot mumbled. "Come on."

          As the three of them turned around and headed off, Clementine pointed at Sebastien. "Touch me again, and I won't hesitate to cut your fingers off."

          Sebastien laughed quietly. "All right." Then, he went silent as they hurried to catch up with Elliot, Mathew, and Mavis.

          The group followed the snowy streets, eased through the large crowds, and found themselves on Galorey Lane. The road displayed two cosy-looking cafés, a shop of curiosities, a potion supply store, and Madam Azmada's Attire For All Occasions. The dress robes and ball gowns displayed in the large, crystal-clear glass window made it pretty obvious that was where they were heading.

          Elliot led them up the street, and when they entered the store, a little bell chimed quietly. The smell of fabric and potent perfumes and colognes smacked Clementine in the face, as did the heat. It was much warmer inside than it was out there, and Clementine appreciated it at first, but after a few steps into the store, he was already beginning to feel as though he was overheating.

          "Look!" Mavis gawped, pointing over at the half of the store displaying dresses and ballgowns.

          "Oh, hello dears!" came a cheery woman's voice.

          They all turned their heads, watching as a tall, slender woman hurried over. Her hair was styled very strangely, reaching a foot in height atop her head. An ivory hairpin sat at the front, and butterfly clips on the sides. Her rose-red lips matched her crimson eye shadow, and her eyelashes were probably longer than her painted fingernails.

          "I am Madam Azmada. What can I help you with?" she asked, smiling down at them all.

          "Well, we have this celebration coming up," Elliot said.

          "Oh, let me guess—All-Hallows' Eve?" she asked excitedly.

          He nodded.

          Madam Azmada clapped her hands. "Of course, of course. You'll find our wondering mask range just behind me, and to my right are the ladies' outfits, and my left, the gentleman's."

          "Okay, well...seeing as you already have your robes, do you want to go with Mavis while she picks out her dress?" Elliot asked Mathew.

          Mathew nodded.

          "I'll go with you two," he then said, looking at Clementine and Sebastien.

          Clementine glanced back at the white-haired kid, watching as he rolled his eyes and headed off to the men's section.

          "Give me a shout if you need anything!" Madam Azmada called as they parted ways.

          Elliot walked beside Clementine, who trailed behind Sebastien. "Do you know what sort of colours you're looking for?"

          "I don't know," he mumbled. "Maybe just a shirt or something. I don't really have enough for a full-blown outfit."

          Sebastien then smirked back over his shoulder at him. "Oh, don't worry babe. I'll cover it for you."

          Clementine scowled. "No."

          "Don't be so modest. It's all good," he said, stopping beside a rail of frilly-necked blazers. "What about this?" He took a black blazer from the rail. It had a tall, pointed collar, white laces, and a red waistcoat beneath it. "I think these colours will do just fine."

          "No," he growled, barging past him.

          "Black would look good on you," Elliot said, still walking at his side.

          "Or this?" Sebastien called.

          Clementine stopped and looked back at him. He was holding a rose-red dress robe that looked like something someone's grandpa would wear. Instead of responding, he continued walking forward.

          "I think we can loan these," Elliot mumbled as he stroked the sleeve of a black tuxedo. "That's what I'm going to have to do."

          "Hey babe," came Sebastien's exceedingly irritating voice.

          With a scowl on his face, Clementine turned to face him.

          "What about this one?"

          Sebastien held out a bright yellow suit.

          "I wouldn't be caught dead in that," he grumbled.

          "I wouldn't say that. I think it'd really bring out the blue in your eyes."

          "Blacks, golds, and reds only," Elliot sneered. "That is yellow. Not gold."

          "Well excuuuuuse me," Sebastien uttered, putting the suit back.

          "What about this?" Elliot asked, pointing to a black blazer. It had a short, pointed collar, red lace rimmed around the sleeve ends and neck, along with a golden frilly tie and a crimson waistcoat beneath it.

          Clementine wasn't going to lie that he liked the colours, but when he twisted the label around, he thought he might just tarnish the suit with vomit.

          "It's Balaur Blană," Elliot said, awe in his voice.

          "A hundred coronam?" Clementine scoffed. "That's a bit excessive for a fricken suit."

          "It's designer, babe," Sebastien said, barging past Elliot so that he could stand beside Clementine.

          "Hey!" Elliot complained.

          Ignoring him, Sebastien looked the suit up and down. "The kings of the New World themselves wear this stuff." He looked over at him and grinned. "Do you want it?"

          "No, I...where the hell would you get a hundred coronam?" he questioned sceptically.

          "Please," Sebastien sneered, taking the suit off the rail. "I go to Aldergrove Academy Law Institute. A hundred coronam is like a drop in an ocean for me."

          "He said he didn't want it!" Elliot growled, trying to snatch the suit from him, but Sebastien backed off and glared at him.

          Clementine shook his head, moving aside so that Sebastien could put it back. "I don't want it. I already said I'm just gonna get a shirt or something."

          Elliot sneered at Sebastien.

          "Nah, come on," the white-haired kid said, folding the suit over his arm. "It's for All-Hallows' Eve, babe. You gotta look your best."

          Losing his patience, Clementine dragged his hand over his face. This guy never took no for an answer, did he?

          "It's settled, then," Sebastien said with a smirk.

          "You can't let him get you that!" Elliot insisted. "It's too much!"

          "What kind of boyfriend would I be if I didn't—"

          "You're not my goddamn boyfriend!" Clementine interjected.

          Sebastien shrugged and turned around. "I'll meet you at the register."

          As Sebastien strutted off, Elliot stared at Clementine with wide, astounded eyes.

          "What?" he grumbled.

          "What? What? You just let him buy you a hundred coronam suit, Clementine!"

          He sighed irritably and continued walking, pretending to browse the suits and shirts. He knew arguing was no use, and if Sebastien wanted to waste his rich-boy money away, then fine. Clementine didn't care.

          "I don't get it," Elliot stropped.

          "Get what?"

          "You two. He calls you babe, he says he's your boyfriend, then you say he's not, but then you let him spend all that money on you? Not to mention the way you act—it's like you hate him! A-and then he says you two were the ones kissing in the bathroom on—"

          "We weren't!" he snapped, stopping to glare at him.

          "I don't know if I believe you," he said with a pout. "This is weird."

          Clementine sighed and continued forward.

          "I still think he looks like the guy Molly said attacked her, too."

          "He said he wasn't," he grumbled, but he didn't really know if that were true or not. Then, he stopped once again and sighed. The last thing he needed was for Elliot to start doubting and questioning him. He was trying to get him and Mavis and Mathew to trust him so that they'd help him if need be. "Look, I just..." he hesitated, starting to feel embarrassed. "He kissed me," he revealed.

          Elliot's eyes widened as he stifled a gasp. "What? So...it's true?" he whispered. "That you're...well...gay?"

          "No!" he snapped quietly.

          "But you kissed—"

          "No, he did it. We were just...talking, and then he decided to kiss me. Ever since then, he's been popping up randomly."

          "I guess he just likes you or something then," he grumbled.

          "He's creepy!"

          "Yeah, but...I don't blame him. I mean—" he laughed nervously and scratched his head. "Uh...yeah, that was random. Did he say why he kissed you?"

          "No, he just did it. And now it's like he thinks we're friends—"

          "More than friends is what he said," he corrected.

          "And we're not."

          "What? Friends? Boyfriends?"

          "Neither."

          "So...why's he here, then? Why did he come to our room yesterday? He said you were expecting him."

          "I wasn't, he..." he sighed, hesitating again. "I don't know," he mumbled. "Maybe because he killed all the other law kids, he's lonely and wants some friends over on our side of the academy."

          Elliot frowned. "I don't know. Seems like he's a little too interested in you, Clementine."

          "Yeah, but what matters is that Ian kinda seems wary of him. We've got Mathew, but with Sebastien, too, Ian won't come near us."

          "Yeah...Ian did back away from our table when that guy sat with us."

          "That's why I'm trying to put up with him."

          "So...you're not boyfriends, you're just keeping him around to keep Ian away from us?"

          "Exactly."

          Elliot nodded slowly. "Okay, now that makes sense. Should we tell Mathew and Mavis? I know Mathew's a little sceptical of him—we all are, to be honest."

          "Sure, yeah. Tell them when he's not around, though."

          They then continued browsing at the suits.

          "How long is he going to be around?" Elliot asked.

          "I don't know. Until Ian's dead."

          "How long is that going to take?"

          "I don't know, Elliot. We'll just have to wait it out, I guess. Come on, we should go and see if Mavis found a dress. We gotta get masks, too."

          "Wait," Elliot insisted, quickly shuffling through some shirts. Then, he grabbed a white one with frilly sleeves. "Okay, let's go."

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