Summer - At least I know this isn't poisoned. (open)

[Victoria Valentine]

Victoria's quest to figure out just what the hell had happened regarding Onyx had brought her to the place that might have been the start of it. Questioning her mother's old employees had brought up enough evidence that yes, something fishy was going on, but she hadn't been able to find enough specific. Perhaps if she was here, she'd be able to get some clues, either magically or the old-fashioned way, as to what had happened.

Still, she couldn't get started just yet, especially not on an empty stomach. After a glance around the school's cafeteria, she'd decided that she needed even more desperately to cook for herself here. And so she found herself in the little mini-kitchen in the dorms, bemoaning that it was even smaller than the one in London's dorms, but still able to make herself something resembling a decent meal after a quick trip into town for groceries.

[Violet Salu]

A bright and cheerful girl made of stone and wearing a sweater vest almost immediately sat down next to her.

"Hello," Violet says happily.

[Victoria Valentine]

Victoria glanced over her shoulder as she got out a plate, then smiled slightly. Now I see why mother said you could never only cook for one. She was wearing a simple, though slightly gothic, black skirt and top, and although she didn't wear makeup, her skin could always make it look like she was. "Hello," she said, pulling out another plate. "Hungry?" On the stove, the shrimp scampi she'd made (from scratch) beckoned.

[Violet Salu]

"Well, I was just curious who was here, but if you're offering it smells absolutely heavenly," Violet says, "I'm Violet, by the way. Violet Salu."

[Victoria Valentine]

Victoria smiled at her as she served up a second plate, too. "Victoria," she said, "Victoria Valentine." She stretched a little as she went to sit down at the table with Violet. "And here I thought there'd be a deserted campus when I came here," she mused.

[Violet Salu]

"Oh, you know," Violet says, "Have to make room for the homeless or the orphans and that sort of stuff."

"It is pretty quiet around here though."

[Victoria Valentine]

Victoria smirked slightly. "Well, enjoy that while it lasts. If this place is anything like London, by the time classes start you'll wish it was quiet again."

[Violet Salu]

"You're up at the university then?" Violet asks, "That is so cool."

[Victoria Valentine]

Victoria chuckled a little. "Just means I'm older, darling," she said with a smile. "I'm sure you're going to be at school with much cooler people than me rather shortly."

[Violet Salu]

"Oh, I don't know about that," Violet says, "I mean, I'm not really into wearing black but you have such a nifty sense of fashion and....and..."

Violet forces a smile as she notices the pentacle.

Oh, heavenly father, a satanist. Don't freak out. Don't freak out.

"...your skin! You have very beautiful skin. Just absolutely gorgeous skin that doesn't make you look like a scary vampire at all."

Smooth.

[Victoria Valentine]

Victoria looked her over, smirking slightly. "No, I haven't looked like an actual vampire since the fangs went away last fall," she said, in complete honesty.

[Violet Salu]

Violet looked absolutely terrified. In a very friendly way.

"That's....really, really interesting," Violet says, looking like a baby dear caught in the headlights, "....Please don't eat me."

[Victoria Valentine]

Victoria threw back her head and laughed. "Ohhhhh darling. Let me guess... Very devoutly protestant? Homeschooled? I'd add in 'terrified' but that isn't much of a guess."

[Violet Salu]

"So, what if I am?" Violet says, looking embarrassed, "You're the one wearing the symbol for the...the....Lord of Lies!"

[Victoria Valentine]

"'So' it means that you haven't heard that that isn't what this is," she mused. "I've met demons. We disagreed rather violently."

[Violet Salu]

"Look, I know it's a popular symbol for the Wiccan and pagan faiths," Violet says, "I'm not stupid, but don't you think the fact that you've met demons kind of proves that it leads down a dark path?"

[Victoria Valentine]

"Oh, no, that was an entirely different set of bad life choices that I made that did that," Victoria said easily. "But this? This has been popular by just about every type of religion. Christianity included. It... well, it quite literally only means whatever the hell you want it to mean."

[Violet Salu]

"All symbols do," Violet says, "But if you don't think that some symbols don't have an inherent power, then I don't know what to tell you."

[Victoria Valentine]

"And since the meanings behind this are generally either good or neutral, I should be in the clear. Satanists turn crosses upside down to use, too, does that mean that it makes your religion bad?" Victoria asked, still sounding pleasant.

[Violet Salu]

"Actually, real satanists don't. An upside down cross is the symbol for St. Peter," Violet says, "The pope of the Catholic faith uses it."

"Not that Catholics are...you know...but they're still Christians."

[Victoria Valentine]

Victoria laughed lightly. "Well, I'm not going to eat you. Promise. That make you feel better?"

[Violet Salu]

"A lot," Violet says, "I mean, you seem like a nice person and everything."

"I just don't like that sort of stuff. It's kind of scary. Sorry. I really don't mean to offend you or anything."

[Victoria Valentine]

"Scary? It's bloody terrifying, why would that offend me?"

[Violet Salu]

"Then why do you do it?"

[Victoria Valentine]

"Because some rather stupid decisions I made let someone take that decision away from me," she said. "It's not so bad if you don't have any compulsion that gives you a sense of 'no one else can do this, so I have to' when bad things are happening, honestly."

[Violet Salu]

"My pastor says you always have a choice," Violet says, "No one can make you do anything against your will."

[Victoria Valentine]

Victoria smiled a bit at that. "No, but sometimes all you can do is choose a less-bad option."

[Violet Salu]

Violet nods a little bit, as if she understood that part at least.

"So, why are you here? Are you a student teacher or something?"

[Victoria Valentine]

"No. I'm looking into some things that happened to a friend of mine a few years ago. Trying to see if I can dig up anything that happened here that'll shed light onto it."

[Violet Salu]

"Can I help? I mean, I'm not exactly Ms. Detective, but I'm pretty tough. And I'm good with people," Violet says, "My pastor says I'm very well adjusted.'

[Victoria Valentine]

"I can see that," Victoria said, smiling a bit. "We'll see. Right now it's looking like a lot of looking at security video recordings and... whatever else I can think of."

[Violet Salu]

"I own a trenchcoat and all of the Humphrey Bogart films, if that helps in the decision making process," Violet says.

[Victoria Valentine]

"Mmm... are you sure? Wouldn't you need to consult your pastor before helping out a filthy heathen like me?" Victoria teased.

[Violet Salu]

"Jesus helped whores, thieves, and pagans," Violet says, "...Not that I think you're a whore or a thief! Oh goodness. I'm sorry."

[Victoria Valentine]

"I've never stolen anything in my life, Darling," Victoria mused with a smile. "And no one's ever paid me for anything, either, so... that's right."

[Violet Salu]

"What I meant though, is I don't care what you've done," Violet says, "It doesn't mean you don't need help."

[Victoria Valentine]

Oh god, I could break her mind right now...

"Well, if I think of anything you can do, I will let you know," Victoria agreed.

[Violet Salu]

"Good," Violet says, "Need any help cooking?"

[Victoria Valentine]

Victoria laughed again at that. "Darling, you don't want to cook with me. If you don't think I'm a bitch now, you definitely would after trying to help me cook."

[Violet Salu]

Violet snorts, "Sounds like my mother."