Vangelos stopped in his tracks after Violet's reply. As he watched her ascend up the bleachers he raised his hand towards her and was about to speak out, but at the last moment he refrained from doing so and let his hand drop back at his side. He turned his gaze to the floor wondering what he should do. Talking to her might make matters worse, but he also felt bad if he just let her sulk by herself. As he debated with himself he walked over to the bleachers and sat down in the first row. The only sign that Violet was sitting at the top was the leering red eyes that shone brightly against the shadows.<br/>Vangelos let out a sigh as he crossed his hands over his lap and stared at the beaten gym floor. "I know you don't want to listen to me or what I have to say. Tune me out if you wish, but I just want you to know that I don't think of you as garbage. You're more than that. The days will come when you don't have the strength. When all you hear is you're not worth anything. Wondering if you ever could be loved. Well, you're beautiful. I'm praying that you have the heart to find hope. Because you are more than what is hurting you tonight. For all the lies you've held inside so long they mean nothing as long as you don't believe in them."<br/>Vangelos rose to his feet and picked up his staff.<br/>"I see you as a friend. The first I've ever had and it pains me to see you hurt. I care about you. I really do." He said all of this, never turning back to look up at her. Instead he went on his way to join the other group as they advanced through the gym.<br/>"I'll pay you back my debt. I don't know how but I will . . . and then some."<br/>___________________________________________________________________________________________________<br/><br/>Akamu dozed in his boat, in between picking the splinters from his sides and thinking of home. The sound of waves lapping up against the shore constantly dragged him back from the edge of sleep. He was tired and in pain. His back burnt from the sun, his heart was filled with anguish of being so far from home. Outside he could hear the noise of the wind rustling through the wood whilst sea breakers smashed against the base of a cliff, the sound of spray bubbling in the night.<br/>He tried to dream, to set his mind free from this place where he was now a stranger and from the future that seemed so uncertain. He begged Ikaikani, his god, to take him from this place, to allow him to see his home again. It had been almost a year since he had left his village. His last night there had been spent under the stars with a warm jungle breeze invading the forest and brushing the wispy clouds across the deep black sky. He had been lulled to sleep by the sound of the women singing psalms and the crackle of the fire that snapped and hissed almost in time to their music.<br/>Akamu lay back into his rolled-up blanket, closed his eyes yet again and slipped into dreams.<br/><br/>[[OOC: I'm not expecting anything to happen. I just thought I should take this opportunity to bring more insight into his character. ]]