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The ghoul may have sat down, but he made no move to do so. For one, she had not invited him to do so. Second of all, it did give him a tactical advantage if he was standing while she was not. Not that she did not have the overwhelming advantage as she began to speak. Enrolling in school? With...the words that she mentioned were familiar, but something he had only heard about in class. But she was a demon was she not? A baku? A look of confusion crossed his face as he thought it. Somehow he seemed to know that, but he did not know why, or what being a baku meant. But demons were outsiders...as was just about anyone else. A school of outsiders?

"I cannot leave this place," he said softly, still looking confused. His voice was slightly mechanical as he began to intone "I cannot leave Mistress Ah-Lam, she has chosen me. Outsiders are not allowed. Outsiders are dangerous." There was a slight pause. "You are dangerous. Why are you here? Why should I not escort you to a priestess this very moment?"

Was he happy? He had been chosen, he did a good job of protecting Miss Ah-Lam. Her bonded as fair enough, and their daughter was a genuine joy. There was no reason for him to move on, no reason for him to care about anything other than the Clan and the world in which he lived.

She was coming at him now, and he forced himself to hold his ground, looking down at her slightly, arms up a bit defensively. For some reason he wanted to trust her, though inwardly he was battling between that and what he had been raised to do. Her question brought those thoughts to the surface and he looked at her with forced indifference. "If the priestesses judge them a threat than they are disposed of. I have done it before, and I will do it again." Not that he could do it, but that if ordered he would. "I proved that when the undead boil attempted to infiltrate our land. I think it would be best if I hand you over to them."

The ghoul seemed somewhat uneasy, almost frightened. That was something that he could actually work with. He did not particularly enjoy trying to frighten a rather polite ghoul, but if that was what was going to make her manageable, what was going to put him back to having some margin of control over the situation until a Mantodae ghoul could take it from him, he would go with it.

To be honest, it would not be that hard. If she was disturbed at the idea of this undead boil being disposed of all he really needed to do was tell her the truth. Something about him loathed to do that, but he merely chalked it up to her being a ghoul. "Yes, an undead attempted to trespass. He kept saying things about research when we...questioned him." He put particular emphasis on that, though whatever she presumed was probably not that far off. "Though how he thought that he could sneak around with hair that white in a forest is beyond me. I am sure the priestesses will allow you to be questioned first to make sure that you are a threat." Not to see if she was one, because that would be assumed. "Please come with me now, there is no need to waste more time."

"We ask questions. If the questions are not answered to a priestess' satisfaction than we inspire them to answer. There is no need for pity or hesitation, the priestesses' decisions are always correct." Though while he started off speaking confidently, his voice waivered slightly. No, there was no need to question a priestess. Of course they were correct. Always. He turned to lead her back to the Clan, back the way they had come.

He walked quickly, trying not to give her any time to speed up and overtake him, wary of an attack. At the same time he tried to keep an eye on her, which was made slightly easier with the flexibility of his neck. It might have been a simple trip back where she surely would have had to deal with some highly xenophobic weremantises, if he had not chosen to take that route. If he had not been walking to suddenly find the forest in front of him opened up into...nothingness. In the distance he could see more of the forest but here? Here was where the rest of his family should be.

He faltered to a stop, head reeling in shock as he simply gawked for a moment. This was not right, nothing was right. As if his mind was trying to make it right, trying to make sense of it, the forest began to almost bleed into the void that the baku had devoured, hints of color flowing in, tiny sprigs of grass beginning to try to emerge. But it was late, too late. He clutched at his head, turning to face her, trying not to leave his back to the ghoul. "Miss Xiu-Ying...what..."

They had met before? "That cannot be, outsiders do not come here and we do not leave." His head was beginning to throb, this was not right. But there was almost truth to her words that they had met. That they knew each other. He had not destroyed her on sight, perhaps that meant something? But the other? "No, I do not know Alexander..." His voice began to trail off as he realized that something in him was arguing back, supplying information he should not have known. As if it was trying to prove him wrong.

"W-What is going on here. Why am I back here?" He was trying to focus, trying to settle on a threat, something to put his mind to. Something to fix. Something to be some anchor of security. A bush rustled slightly, and out popped out a creature that should not have existed. At least, not alive. The rabo looked at him for a moment before cocking her head, yipping at him softly. That was what it took, that uncertainty and the arrival of the minipet that had become his family during that time. "Princess Eva?" he questioned, voice cracking a bit.

Finally he was realizing in his dream that something was wrong, and minor changes in the surrounding areas began to occur as if to reflect that acknowledgement. "But...who was I with earlier?"

Miss Xiu-Ying smiling seemed more natural, and while he was still confused she seemed to know exactly what she was doing. He could hear what she was saying, and he would remember it, but at the moment he could not fully understand it. The minipet was now twining around his ankles, and he felt no desire to attack her, or feast on her. In fact, he was finding it rather hard to resist the urge to not stoop down and pet her, somehow knowing that if he scratched under her chin or along her jawbone she would thoroughly enjoy it.

He glanced up and transfixed his gaze on the baku, watching her move over to a tree, palm flattening along the trunk. Yin was not aware of what she had done until she stepped back and looked up and there was Miss Ah-Lam...no...Princess Eva's ribbon. Tied to the tree just about at eye level. The pink stood out, and his gaze locked on that now, as if he could not bear to look away. This...this he would remember. He would remember that it was Princess Eva's, and if it did not belong to Princess Eva that something was wrong.

The baku had indeed shown her power but...dream world? With a start his eyes snapped open and he was staring up at the ceiling, the pieces falling into place. It had not all clicked until he had registered what she had said but once he had the dream was ended, and he found himself sitting up, carefully looking away from her, neck and ears flushed in embarrassment. She had found out after all, and he had basically told her he would do the same thing to her. How mortifying. For a long moment he just sat there, gathering his wits, over and over visualizing that pink ribbon tied to the tree. Just a dream. He cleared his throat, conscious of the minipets and baku in the room, and stood, not really wanting to trouble her any longer with his presence.

Yin nodded, a bit uncomfortable about discussing the dream, even if she was the one speaking. But at the same time he knew how important her words were. Plus, the demoness had helped him, and had tried to help him in his dream even when he was not exactly nice to her. He bowed to her, trying to show her that he did hold quite a bit of respect for her. "It is my sincerest wish that that will not be required but I shall inform you if I require further assistance."

He really hoped it would not be necessary.

"Thank you Miss Xiu-Ying." And he truly was grateful, though he had not really doubted that she would keep things secret. In reality..."I just wish you had not needed to see that in the first place. But you were most helpful." He bowed again to her, lower this time. "I am in your debt Miss Xiu-Ying. Please, call on me whenever it is convenient for you." Not whenever she needed him, his debt, in his eyes at least, went far beyond that.

"Your generosity is too much," he all but murmured as he bowed yet again before following her to the door. "I shall do my best to keep you informed."

He attempted a smile at her before bowing a final time and heading out the door, at least now knowing exactly what he needed. Which was to go work some kinks out of his spine, from sleeping on a strange, and rather soft, surface. Yes, some light physical activity would be just the thing to give him a bit of time to contemplate things, and from there? One step at a time. This would have to do. For now.