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He had just made it to the edge of the clearing when Miss Jiā Tíng ran up, eyes sparkling in excitement. "I am going with you!" she announced, ready to charge into the forest.

Yin glanced up at her mothers' to ask for the permission that she had not. "May I take Miss Jiā Tíng with me?" When Mistress Ah-Lam nodded he crouched down next to the small ghoul, now looking up at her. "In the forest you will need to be very quiet," he informed her. "Please just stay back and watch this time, maybe next time you can hunt as well." She deflated slightly but still looked happy enough as she began to follow him deeper into the trees.

After some time he began to pick up a trail and he motioned for her to be even quieter as the tracks became fresher. There was a slight rustling in the underbrush and he crept closer, crouching down next to the bush. His daily Tai Chi practicing now came to use by giving him balance as he waited and then struck, arms flashing out faster than any normal humanoid's could, revealing the mantis background. He grinned as he pulled the creature out, still squirming. "It is still alive if you wish to do the honors."

Whether or not it was because he been in Miss Xiu-Ying's room with her, or perhaps because she was there with him even now (though he did not know it) his subconscious had chosen for this particular hunt to use one of her own minipets as his prey, though in this state the small form meant nothing to him.

The reaction was instantaneous. Without dropping his prey Yin spun to face in the intruder and stepped so that Miss Jia Ting was behind him. He transitioned the creature to one hand, holding it firmly by the scruff of its neck, nails digging in slightly and the animal was making pained and panicked noises. Confusion was clear on his face as he looked at the ghoul, clearly hesitating.

So it was Miss Jia Ting who responded to her, peering out from behind the protective shield of her mother's chosen, voice slightly. "Who is that ghoul Yin Cang? How does she know your name?"

"I..I do not know. Miss, how do you know my name?" He was polite, this was a ghoul after all. But on the other hand...something about her just seemed off. Perhaps...maybe she was an orchid mantis? That might explain her features, and her clothes were a bit odd but they fit oddly enough. Still, he did not recognize her, and it was possible that she was a threat. "And why should I release my prey? It is to feed my chosen."

Yin did not remember, though in an odd way she looked familiar. He felt confused and uncertain, and that just kept him on edge, fearful for Miss Jia Ting more than anything. "He is your pet?" he asked uncertainly. Pets were not completely unheard of, but they were rare. Who would willingly keep such a temptation around them?

"If it is her pet I guess we have to give him to her," the small ghoul stated matter-of-factly, stepping over to the side a bit. He glanced between the ghoul and the minipet and lowered it to the ground to release it. Terrified the creature shot off into the woods, the dream mini not recognizing the ghoul just as Yin did not, and the melonkit had clearly been terrified.

Yin's face froze as it escaped and then quickly moved in front of Miss Jia Ting again, face set and determined. The mini had ran off, which a pet should not do. She had lied. "Who are you really," he demanded to know, fear for his charge overwhelming the respect he would typically show a ghoul. Quietly he murmured to the young ghoul behind him. "If I tell you to run go straight to your mothers please Miss Jia Ting."

Miss Xiu-Ying...for some reason that had a familiar ring to it, like he had heard it before. But on the other hand...he could not place her, and there just seemed to be something different about her. One did not trust different. If he was able to return Miss Jia Ting though, then he could concentrate on the ghoul. But why would she want to speak to him? She was not his chosen, and he had one. There was no reason for a strange ghoul to wish to speak to him privately, and he doubted that anything would make him actually comfortable around her.

"She might leave if you let her out of your sight," the ghoul behind him piped up.

"She is right, how would I know that you would stay?" He glanced back the way they had come. "It is not fitting that I should be alone with a ghoul not my chosen. Perhaps you should accompany us?" It was a request, but there was something not a request to it, the suspicion still clearly evident.

Miss Jia Ting was nodding beside him. "Mother would know what to do with her, or she might know who she is!"

That compromise seemed like a good one, though he still was not certain why he should speak with her. He began to nod but as he did so he noticed something very, very out of place. A tail. Mantodae did not have tails. Certainly not tails with fluffy tufts of fur. "Run," he hissed, slipping into a fighting position and making sure that Miss Jia Ting began to flee, though it took her a startled moment before she was going back the way they had come.

"Who are you," he demanded to know, "please answer Miss. I know you are not from around here." His voice was tight, but with stress and confusion more than anger. "What could you possibly want with me outsider?" He might have been stalling a bit, Miss Jia Ting would be headed back now, and after she found her way back she would inform her mothers and Miss Ah-Lam would soon be on her way, not that he probably needed any help if this ghoul proved to be much of a threat.

Miss Jia Ting was safe, but the fact that an outsider had ever crossed their borders, which was quite a ways away, bothered him. The fact that she knew his name? Bothered him. The fact that an outsider knew his name...that somewhat scared him. It made him feel uneasy, and like something was just...wrong. Everything was wrong but he did not know why, or how. It just was.

She was turned away from him, which helped him to, not relax, because he could not at this point, but at least to keep from doing something too rash. If she had her back to him that was almost an open invitation. Then a black disk grew in front of her. Slowly it seemed to spin, though how he could tell that something pitch black was spinning was beyond him, until he noticed that small wisps of color were vanishing into it. Steadily more wisps began to join, and he almost thought that he heard something, but he could not place it. But the colors...they seemed to be coming from their surroundings somehow, though where they were was unaffected.

It terrified him.

Then the colors and the hole condensed into one small pebble sized object and the ghoul plucked it from midair.

And ate it.

He was staring wide-eyed at her, hands still up in front of him but lax as he stared in disbelief as Miss Xiu-Ying turned, eyes seeming to glow for a moment, gone so quickly that he had to be imagining things. She was speaking to him, though he missed what she said at first. Then she asked him a question he could not answer. "A-Am-mi-tea-ville?" he echoed, and then a look of confusion crossed his features. Something seemed familiar about that somehow. "Amityville? Miss...Miss Xiu-Ying?" She seemed more familiar somehow, and he seemed to recall something...a hint of...tea? That made no sense.

His head hurt and he took a small step back. "Who are you? What are you doing here?" He began glancing around but there was no one coming, no one to turn to.

Miss Danny. Alexander. For some reason the names stood out in his mind but...how did he know that 'Danny' was a Miss? What sort of name was Alexander? Though this "Miss Xiu-Ying" sounded odd and dangerous (as strange certainly meant dangerous as well) something about what she was saying made sense on one level or another. "Very well, I shall talk to you," he decided, though he made no move from his rather defensive position, not matter how little she seemed to be a threat. What is it that you wished to speak about?"

Then, a scant moment later he made another query. "Why would I know about a school though? I have learned all that is expected of me." His hands twitched a bit. "I apologize for asking so many questions of you Miss Xiu-Ying." Ordinarily he would not have dared to do so to a ghoul, but for some reason he felt like it would be okay this time.