A Dahlia For Your Thoughts

Hideo Kino & Eris Halla, sitting in a tree.

As Hideo finished speaking, Doug breathed in deeply and closed his eyes, brow furrowed in thought as he considered everything said.

"All right, first off—" He finally said, sinking down to a knee in front of the two before throwing his arms around them (Reiner included) and pulling them all into a hug. "Ya guys're going to be da death o'me... I'm so glad yer still in one piece."

Traumatized, clearly, but still in one piece.

He had read the report; as ever, the nameless 'blind child' hadn't been hard to pin down. Eris must've been one of the other children reported children on site.

These kids were going to be the deaths of him, or themselves.

He held them close for a moment, before finally releasing them with a sigh.

He crossed his arms over his chest and began to think. What to do, who to talk to indeed...?

"Well." He began, giving both kids a grin. "Yer talking to me first. That's a good, safe first step if nothing else. I know plenty o' folk I could reach to without mentioning ya—"

His mouth froze.

...

"... Yyya haven't told anyone else 'bout this, have ya?" He asked, suddenly worried.

"Hideo. Eris. Have ya?"

Hideo was pulled into the hug - without resistance. He did manage to get out of that in one piece - apart from a bad bruise on his back. But his Pokemon had treated it well enough that he only winced slightly.

Not like anyone would see through his usual striped sweater.

Hideo’s answer to Doug’s question was the same as Eris: “No. You’re the first person we’ve talked to about this.” It had been pure chance that Eris found out about his mark. That she’d even been here to discuss it with him.

Doug, they could definitely trust. Heck, he was even a part of AQUA - no doubt they had the knowledge and resources to help them learn about this.

“If you know who we could talk to about this…we’d really appreciate it.” Directly or not. They weren’t going to find answers by staying silent about this, though caution was necessary. “Our list’s kinda short right now.”

Eris Halla John Sullivan

A Dahlia For Your Thoughts

Hideo Kino & Eris Halla, sitting in a tree.

Doug crossed his arms over his chest in thought, considering their options.

"Guess I'll swing by the lab n' ask 'round, though if you asked me..." Doug sighed, scratching at his cheek. "Seems like you two'll be avatars 'fore long."

More trouble. League or Rocket, he wanted neither near the two kids once it came to that; Rocket was obvious, but he doubted the league's AQUA would be a good place for Hideo and Eris either.

Though if he was forced to choose— he could at least shield them from anything the league's excesses if it came to AQUA.

He breathed out a low breath, before crouching down once again to ruffle both the kids' hairdos.

"If it ever comes to that— If the league comes annoying ya, don't hesitate to use my name. I'll be there n' knocking heads together in a blink!" He promised with a grin, before his brow furrowed. "And if Rocket comes... call me. I'll deal with whatever it is, understood? Eris?"

There was not even a single doubt within him that Rocket would experiment on any Avatars they got— and he would flip their damn submarine upside down if they tried it on her.