[There's a sharp laugh that escapes her--one quickly bitten off, but it escapes nonetheless. Taf, who'd been nestled against her on the windowsill in his black-footed cat form, jumps down to the floor, becoming the red chocobo instead and nudging at her with his beak.]

If only it were that simple. [And since they're all of them aware that they're from different worlds, she'll explain it, one hand resting in the plumage on Taf's back:] Alphinaud and I have been called like this before. Our physical forms remained in the Source--our home--while our souls were brought to another world. We were in the process of returning home when we woke up here.

If something were to happen to him here, his body would still live in the Source. And were I to return home after that... Not only would I have to explain to our fellows what had happened, I would have to watch him die again as his body failed without his soul and aether to fill it.

[Which is certainly a worse fate than Gaius bringing him back to them trapped in slumber, so it's not like Dokja is wrong, but... she had more than enough time for that situation to fully hit her. And that's without even touching the fact that it would feel like a part of her own self was ripped away if Alphinaud were to die.]

What happened to the four of you? Alphinaud seemed too shaken to tell me anything more than the most basic facts.