Sage frowned slightly but nodded, letting out a small breath as she spoke. "They know not to just go with strangers or anything...but that doesn't really cover what's most likely to happen if someone tries to snag them," he murmured, shaking his head. They knew to say no and go find help if someone was trying to get them to come with them, but they weren't going to expect someone to just come up and grab them. And they did need to be aware of those things. "Maybe the doctor would know how to phrase things better," he mused. "Or your mom." They both knew how to work with kids well, and while sage and Mari knew their kids and had done fine, some experience might be helpful.

Mari sort of bit her lip in thought after a moment, then slowly shook her head. "I'm not talking about going off with strangers," she huffed. She was talking about what would happen if they did get caught. She didn't just want to shrug this sort of thing off onto her mother or the doctor, either... it was important they heard it from their parents. "I think... they just need to know that if someone where to take them, they wouldn't see us again," she murmured. "They don't need to know exactly what would happen, just that not everyone is their friend," she hummed softly. "We can ask Silas if he remembers what happened when he was kidnapped - just let them both know it can happen again," she continued as she went to dry her hands. They were old enough now not to be too freaked out, but to at least take in what was being said.

Sage hummed softly with a nod as Mari spoke, frowning slightly. "I hate to do it," he murmured. They had to though....he knew that. He hated to think about it, really...the fact that they might never see the kids again, and knowing what would be happening to them. How scared and hurt they'd be. They'd die like that. He couldn't bear even the thought of it happening. Which was why he was willing to do this ..a little bit of fear turned into caution the kept them safe was a good thing. In the right context, of course, but they did need to know these things. "I hope he doesn't," he murmured. "But maybe it would help." He didn't know.

Mari nodded, very much in agreement. She didn't want to scare them at all... but they did have to know. "I can, if you'd like. And you can come in all hero and tell them everything is okay if you'd like, too. They just need to have it in the back of their minds," she hummed softly. "We can tell them in the morning, so they're not up worrying all night," she added with a sort of inward nod before sort of moving to peck his cheek softly. "I hope he doesn't either... but he's going to ask what happened to his back at some point, and we're going to have to tell him either way. As far as I see it, this is the best way to do that. And, I'd rather tell them how and things can be rather than have them find out the hard way... like you did."

Sage hummed softly with a nod as she spoke. "We'll do it together," he noted quietly. "I just wish we didn't live in a world thats so....broken," he added, putting the last of the plates away and wiping his hands on his trousers. He nodded when she mentioned not telling them right before bed, a small chuckle rising in his throat. "At least some of us will get sufficient sleep," he joked, though it was somewhat dry. "I'd rather them not need to think about it at all," he sort of grumbled. "But if this keeps them from that fate....then I suppose it's a good thing," he added with a sigh. But she was right ...silas would be asking questions about his back soon anyway, and they were old enough to understand.

Mari sort of looked over at him, nodding softly after a few moments. This whole place was so... dystopian. It wasn't safe for anyone. No one got 'lucky' out here, no one had an escape. They were stuck with whatever pitiful life they were born into, and it carried through the generations. She just wanted to make sure her children didn't go down the road some did. She wanted them filled with empathy and love, but she also needed them to be smart and aware. No everyone was a good person. She sighed and sort of wandered over to the living room and flopped down on the couch. "It's messed up, isn't it?" she asked softly.

Sage had sighed with a nod as she spoke, moving to follow her and sit down next to her, just leaning in and resting his head lightly on her shoulder. "Yeah," he noted softly, mind wandering back to his own childhood. How hard things had been, for him and so many others out there. He supposed he had been lucky the kids took Maris social class status....they could get to school, and get a decent job later on. That sort of thing. But things would still be hard for them....it already had been at times, he supposed. "They deserve better than this," he added after a moment or so.

Mari kind of moved to wrap her arms around him after a few moments, humming in through. "Sage, we've done absolutely everything we can for them. They're happy, and they know they're safe with us. Lots of children don't have that," she breathed softly, pecking the top of his head gently. "This won't change that, it'll just let them know to be a bit more cautious," she added. It was true enough... they'd done absolutely everything to keep these kids safe. They had to know that there would be times when they had to keep themselves safe too. "They've got the best lives they possibly could have down here," she continued before pausing and shaking her head. "Now sit on the floor and let me play with your hair," she mused lightly, trying to change the subject at least a little bit. She knew what Sage thought of himself - she knew that he thought their children ever not being safe was his fault, but it really wasn't.

At her comments, sage let out a soft sigh, nodding along slowly. "I know," he murmured. "I just feel like sometimes I should be doing more," he admitted. Like he should be out with Anyas soldiers, fighting for himself and his family. Again. That wouldn't help anyone, especially not now, he knew that. But he did feel a little useless sometimes, since the world they were in was so bad. Though, at her comment about playing with his hair pulled a chuckle from him, and he threw her an amused glance as he shifted to settle on the floor in front of her. "You're needy" he teased gently. Of course, they both knew he likes the feeling of her playing with his hair as much as she liked playing with it. So it was a bit of a win-win situation there.

Mari shook her head slightly at him, pouring out her lips as she thought for a moment. "Sage, babe, you've done everything you can and more - if you could put them in a protective bubble forever, you would. Right now, we need to protect them in the only ways we can," she hummed gently. "And you know none of this is your fault," she whispered. It wasn't his fault, and he had to know that. He was nothing but good in every way. She gave a soft chuckle when he called her needy, though. "Me? No, i just haven't seen my husband well in weeks," she murmured as he moved to sit down, sort of pulling his hair from the bun it was always in and just.. well, playing really.