The Barrier Between Us [M] - <Rikaya & lobo>

[Rikaya]

Raising an eyebrow at the boy in front of her, Melody considered his words. "So...essentially, you want me to be a double agent?" she asked and couldn't help but cross her arms across her chest, not in an annoyed fashion, but more so expecting a better explanation from him. Crossing her arms like this made her realize that the backpack really was a bit heavy on her shoulders. Melody had wondered about its contents back at The Den, trying to figure out what the guard had slipped inside it. Deciding to take it off her back, she placed the backpack down on the ground at her feet, the contents inside shifting and making a metallic clanking noise. Finding the noise odd, Melody ignored it for now and put her attention back to Jaxon.

"So let me see if I understand you correctly. You want me to go in there, make nice with the other Exiled who live here, train, and at the same time gather intel for you? If I were to agree, what will you do with this intel?" she wondered aloud again, leaning sideways now against the big oak tree she was standing next to. Melody wanted to learn to control her powers, more than anything at this very moment. She didn't want to be a danger to anyone and lose control anymore, so training here would suit her goals. However, at the same time, there was a bit of an odd feeling at the pit of her stomach that she might find out something that she will wish she hadn't. If Jaxon and her could perhaps work out some sort of mutual understanding on the matter, then maybe they can both benefit from it. Before she got too deep into her thoughts, she waited for Jaxon to elaborate.

[lobo]

Jaxon realized his suggestion might have been a mistake when he heard Melody's response, and he automatically started to shake his head to avoid creating any sort of conflict between them. However, as she went on to continue speaking, he realized that what she said was exactly what he was wanting her to do. Hearing it out loud just made it sound like he was planning to use her, but that wasn't...entirely the case. "Yes, that's what I want," he finally spoke, correcting his earlier response by nodding his head. "But, you won't be the only one being a double agent," he continued, wanting to make it clear that he was not expecting her to do all of the difficult tasks. He knew asking her to do this would be risky, but if anyone could do it... He was sure she would be able to.

"I was thinking..." he started to speak again, slowly moving to take a seat next to the oak tree that she was leaning against. "I was thinking, that while you train and work with the Exiled in the Den, you could try to pick out the ones that are against this senseless war that we have going on. There have to be people there that want to put an end to the war peacefully, right?" he murmured, glancing up at the girl before patting the space on the ground next to him. He did his best to gather his thoughts in a way that would make sense, hoping the girl would understand what he wanted to accomplish by all of this.

"While you're doing that, I'll be doing the same inside the barrier. We can create a team of people willing to work together to fix the shitty situation that we are in... Does this make sense?" Jaxon realized he had started rambling, too caught up in his thoughts to consider asking her if his plan was even reasonable. He trusted her opinion, and if she thought he was talking crazy, then maybe he truly was. He just didn't see a way to accomplish their goal without the help of both the Exiled and the people within the barrier.

[Rikaya]

Melody listened to Jaxon as he spoke, processing his words and actually beginning to understand what he wanted. It would be risky to do this of course, if someone from the Exiled ever saw her meeting with Jaxon in secret, there would be questions. With others, there wouldn't be many questions at all, she would just be killed on the spot. However, she was almost certain that Jaxon being military, would mean that he could get seriously reprimanded for befriending an Exiled. Pushing these thoughts aside, Melody sat down next to Jaxon when he patted the ground next to him, crossing her legs in front of her as she did.

Looking over at her new companion, Melody nodded at him. "What you're saying actually does make sense. Can't say I didn't wonder the same thing once or twice. I'm sure some Exiled are against the senseless hate too but they're just too afraid to speak out. I could definitely try and see if I could recruit someone, but I don't think it will be easy. Something about this place seems a bit off...." Melody glanced back in the direction of the Den as she said this before looking back at Jaxon with concern in her eyes. "We have to promise each other we'll be careful, okay?" she bit her lip looking at Jaxon intently. Melody didn't know Jaxon very long at all but it didn't seem too difficult to trust him or get close to him, and while she was going to help him, she didn't want anyone getting hurt in the process. If at all possible.

"So, how will this work then? Do we have a mission name or a team name?" Melody tried to lighten the mood a little and gave Jaxon a half smile. "Do we need a secret meeting place?" she asked, realizing that all these new questions began to form in her mind and in truth a bit of excitement formed as well. It was good talking like this with someone else, something she didn't always get the pleasure of doing and right now, she didn't really want the moment the to end.

[lobo]

Seeing the nod from Melody, Jaxon could feel the tenseness in his shoulder begin to loosen and he allowed himself to relax back against the tree that stood behind him while he took his turn listening to her speak. He even followed her gaze towards the Den, giving a silent nod of agreement to the comment she made about the place. A part of him didn't want to allow her to step foot in that factory again... But it seemed like the best way to truly find out what was going on inside. "I wonder... if they're building an army," he accidentally allowed his thoughts to escape aloud, but the words left his lips in a near-silent whisper.

Not liking the thought at all, he quickly shook off the idea before focusing his gaze back on Melody. The concern in her gaze was almost enough to bring that nagging thought back to his mind, but instead of allowing it to return, he offered the girl a small smile of his own. "Sure, I promise," he decided, lifting his hand out of his lap to hold his pinky out towards her; the universal sign of a promise that could not be broken. Maybe it was a bit childish, but he hoped that the action would at least ease some of the negative feelings she had.

Her next few questions made Jaxon pause, before the man barked an expected laugh at the idea of a 'team name.' The sound was husky, and unused, but it sure felt good to let it out. "You know what, I like that idea. We deserve a team name," he decided, bobbing his head up and down in agreement. "A meeting place would be a good idea, too. Maybe we can find a spot that's halfway between the Den and the Barrier," he suggested, tilting his head at her curiously. That way, neither one of them would have to travel too far from either point. There was bound to be a cave, or a crevice large enough for them to hide in during their meetings.

All of this thinking was starting to give Jaxon a headache, and he decided it was time for them to take a break from the seriousness in the world. "Tag... You're it," he spoke the words as he reached out towards her, tapping her knee lightly with his index finger. In the next second, he was hopping up off the ground and sprinting away from the tree, away from the Den, and for the time being, away from the thoughts that had been plaguing his mind. When he felt he put some space between himself and Melody, he snuck a glance over his shoulder to be sure she was following.