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The boil in question was not discretely fingering almost everything in reach. He jerked almost guiltily, pulling his hand back from a floral printed shirt that was baffling him as there was literally no difference in the material as it changed colors much like a child caught with his hand in the cookie jar. He really was unsure of what criteria Alexander was using other than color so he shook his head.

"Were shirts the only clothing items that you required?" he questioned, uncertain if they were staying within the store to continue shopping or heading to the counter to pay. Either way it was probably just safest to stick close by the zomboil. He was mostly just grateful that no one had bothered them yet, though he thought he saw a worker who had been folding clothing watching them quietly.

The weremantis truly did not understand the zomboil's desire for the strips of cloth. He looked at the one that Alexander was wearing. It would be too easy to tighten up that skull pin and choke him, though as an undead he seemed to recall that they did not need to breath.

But the look he was being given was hard to ignore. It was almost like Princess Eva's when she wanted him to play with her. Since we are already here... the mantodae said slowly, and began to walk toward the racks. At least they held a plethora of colors and designs, so while he was not looking for anything to purchase there would still be enough to hold his attention while the zomboil shopped.

Probably.

Maybe.

Yin was about to make his usual protests when the zomboil passed him. He blinked in surprised, watching the dancing zomboil ad he made his way over to the tie racks, shirts fluttering in protest as they were hauled along. Well, this was odd. He kept his mouth shut as Alexander began his hunt, pulling out several.

When he turned toward Yin and held out his arms Yin assumed he would be asking him to make a selection. He was slightly taken aback when Alexander seemed to proclaim he was purchasing them all. "They all look,"very red and black, his mind supplied, "very nice." His fingers were tracing over a green tie, which was hard to take his eyes off of as it kept drawing his eyes down the pattern.

Ties seemed of a particular importance to his friend, so he was unsure of how to proceed. Finally, with a light sigh he answered. "I have never considered it." He hurried to add on to his statement. "I had never seen a tie before I came to Amityville though, so I am sure they are very nice to wear."

The zomboil looked highly distressed at the idea that Yin had not grown up in a place with ties. Sure, they were nice to look at and many had interesting patterns, but there was really no call for the strip of silk. If it was not a necessity you could pretty well guarantee that a male Mantodae did not own it. The shop worker began to make a noise of protest at them, but otherwise said nothing.

Then Alexander was putting down his things. Did throat-clearing mean something else here? But the zomboil just reached down to pluck the tie from under his fingers and moved in. Yin had to fight himself from taking a step on instinct as he reached up to put the strip of cloth behind him and pulled both ends in front of his neck. "There is really no need!" he tried to protest, but Alexander was already crouching down slightly to begin fastening it.

It was a good thing that the weremantis did not have much of a personal bubble when it came to boils, especially as he had proven that he could take the zomboil down a few pegs if he wished. He stood there, exposing his neck somewhat awkwardly, eyeing his friend's white, messy hair as he could not really look down to see what was happening. Again he felt his cheeks beginning to flush, how foolish he had to looked, having someone else dress him as if he was a child.

When he was finished the tie felt...constricting. It was not tight, but it was around his neck and was not a loose garment either. He reached a hand up to touch it, and then self-consciously put his hand down. Alexander was staring at him and grinning. He probably looked ridiculous.

He looked for a mirror, and found one on the other side of the display. Moving around the rack he looked at himself in the mirror. With the clothing he had on he looked...pretty well ridiculous. The silken tie seemed merely to accent the basic material of his basic clothing that was well-worn and patched in far too many places. He reached up to undo the tie, but then realized that if he damaged the material he would likely have to purchase it. That was not a conversation that he wanted to have.

He turned and walked back to Alexander and tilted his head back slightly to expose his throat. It was a good thing Alexander was a zombie and not a vampire. "Can you take it off now? I do not believe that it suits my style of dress."

"Thank you," Yin said softly and as sincerely as he could. He did not wish to offend his friend and his rather odd obsession with ties. Even if it was bizarre. And the compliments were probably well meant, as the colors did match what he preferred to wear and Alexander did like ties.

He shadowed Alexander toward the counter but hung back just a bit as Alexander went to purchase his goods. The clerk seemed to be somewhat moody, but Alexander did not seem too offended and Yin did not want to jeopardize this store, especially since the zomboil had already made all of his selections.

He then tried not to stare as the boil began pulling out a veritable fortune in silver pumpkin seeds. It was astounding to him that a boil, much less a teenage boil, could even own that much. He waited as the transaction was completed before stepping up beside Alexander. "Would you like me to carry your purchases?" he offered. "And where are we going next? To get the cover for your eye?"

Yin watched as Alexander drew out the small box. Which was apparently a contact device. He took it hesitantly, knowing that the boil thought it was durable but worried nevertheless because he had absolute no idea what it was. He moved away from the counter, slowly making his way toward the door as he turned it over in his hands.

One side of it seemed to be glass, and he tried to keep his nails as far away from it as he could. There appeared to be a couple of buttons on the slender sides, and one indention on the glass side. There was also a slot on one end. Confusion merely grew the longer he held it, until finally, when they had almost reached to doors, he brushed the indented button.

And almost dropped the thing as the screen blazed to life. There, on the screen, was an image of an entire horde of ties. All red, and black and sometimes a smidgen of pale silver or white. All clustered together and spilling out the edges of the image. In white across the top was the time staring up at him, and along the bottom more words scrolled past. Sli...de to un...lock. Slide to unlock. He stared at it. Slide what?

He was so engrossed that he barely realized he had jerked when it had lit up, or really of any of his surroundings. Finally he looked back up at Alexander. "I understand that it is magic," he said, tone completely baffled, "but what does it do? What is a skellyphone? Why is it mobile? How is it used to contact others?"

Yin leaned in to watch the screen intently, mystified as things moved and colors changed. Alexander actually using the fun was quite beneficial, if he had tried to do those things himself he never would have gotten the phone open. Apparently slide meant to slide your finger across it, and not to slide the "eyephone" along the floor. Who knew?

He was still watching as the boil selected the word "home" and then took the phone away, though at that point Yin was so intently watching the phone that he simply followed it to Alexander's ear, turning slightly to do so. He thought he heard a noise from the phone, and then Alexander was talking. Yin glanced around, wondering if people would think that the zomboil was calling him mother, but no one seemed to be paying a lick of attention to them. Well, except for the clerk who seemed to be making shooing motions.

His attention was jerked back to the phone as a distinctly feminine voice filled the area, eyes widening ever so slightly. And she did not sound pleased. Then Alexander interrupted her. The mantodae was too stunned to really say anything, however. But his stomach began twisting into knots as first the woman ignored her son's question about bringing someone home, and then Alexander spoke to her in a demanding tone.

His brow furrowed. It did not matter that the woman was not standing there speaking, that was not how Alexander should talk to his mother. But then he was being introduced, and the woman was addressing him from the box. She was asking him a question. Dread was settling onto the weremantis' shoulders as the zomboil nudged him to speak.

To speak...to a ghoul...through a box. And his friend's mother at that. But she had asked him a question and he was expected to speak and after perhaps a moment too long of silence he responded in a voice projected just a little too loud. "Greetings Mistress..." oh. What was that word Alexander used? Jack? Oh jack, he did not know her name. He could not possibly call her Alexander's mother. Blood was quickly draining from his face as he began to panic, stepping back a pace. But there was nothing to run away from. Just that box in Alexander's hand. He hated that box. Ghouls could be anywhere with that box.

Yin listened to the rest of the conversation as a maelstrom of horror and panic flooded his mind. He managed to here Van Rotte, so at least he knew to call her Mistress Van Rotte from now on, but that was piddly nonsense in comparison to what really mattered.

Mistress Van Rotte had sounded so excited that her son might be bringing an Igor home. Not some weird transfroms-into-a-giant-insect creature but an Igor. What if...what if she only really wanted him in her home if he was an Igor? What if she refused to let him in? Or was unhappy with his appearance? In this haze of doubt he heard her address him, but it was hard to get out of the downwards spiral his mind had chosen as its path.

He nodded dumbly to what Alexander said, actually hearing it but struggling to process it all. The best thing about it was that all of the information finally pulled Yin from his thoughts enough that he could function. "How can you speak to her in such a manner," he finally burst out when it seemed like the zomboil was finished talking. "She is your mother, and you talk to her like she is... he did not really know what he spoke to her like, but it was not right.