He was walking, because he didn't like taking his motorbike places with his broken arm, and so he was only using it to go places that weren't within walking distance. (Granted, there are a lot of those, but he at least wasn't going to crash again too soon. Hopefully.)

Also, he was thinking, and thinking isn't something that's easy to do when every sense you have has to be on the alert, lest you find yourself being put back together because you ran into a truck. Or had a truck run into you, whichever. Motorbikes require concentration.

Scuffed black tennis shoes kicked irritably at the pavement. Faded, torn, and otherwise barely presentable blue jeans. Grey t-shirt with some faded logo for some play he'd done back in high school.

Dave isn't thinking about appearances. At least, not that kind.

... maybe he should apologize to Violet for what she thought he'd done and promise never to do it again, even though he hadn't in the first place... Except then she wouldn't ever trust him again, probably.

If she ever would again now.

Keye was doing something surprisingly Alexander-esque: brooding. He was worried about Violet, and he was worried about his (tentative at best) plans for asking Taryn out, and back to Violet, he was deeply worried about the addition of Fortuna into the mix.
He had his sunglasses on, and he wasn't looking where he was going. He ran directly into Dave. And though he'd only talked to Dave once or twice, he was not pleased with him at the moment. So he turned the accidental bump into a slight shove, and scowled.

How funny that they were almost worrying about the same things... (Except minus the Fortuna and Taryn bits, because Dave doesn't know he's met the former and doesn't know of the existence of the latter.)

"Hey, watch it."

Blink. He only vaguely remembered Keye. (And his memories were more of the demon than of Keye himself, actually. Terror does that to memories, makes them stick.)

"Do I know you?"

Why're you so mad at me, anyway?

"Kinda. More importantly, I know Violet." His tone was accusing. "And while she's a softie, I'd like to hear some more explainin' before giving you the benefit of the doubt or whatever...'cause sounds to me like you're full of it."

Instantly defensive.

"What'd she tell you?"

Because he'd bet that whatever she said hadn't painted him in a very good light. Although he had to admit that he probably didn't deserve a good light in most cases, in this one, he was innocent!

Really!

The defensive tone made him think guilty. It also made him think that Dave was slighting Violet somehow...and from Dave's perspective, that was a bad thing for Keye to think.
"She said you got cuddly with some--" goddess "--girl or something. And she had pictures."

He's going to kill Jetta. After he immobilizes Teague and renders the musician unconscious in some warehouse or other, so that Teague can't intervene.

"Don't have to explain anything to you. 's none of your business."

He's really not going about things the right way to placate Keye, is he.

Well, what an unsatisfactory answer that was.
"My friend's well-being most certainly is my business," he snarled, with the most Alexander-like manner he could muster.
He shoved Dave again.

We might have noted already that Dave has a bit of a temper.

Just a bit.

He shoved back.

"Fuck off, already."

He's already worried enough about the whole mess with Violet and he doesn't need some kid sticking his nose in where it isn't wanted.

"No, fuck you!" he stepped forward again, aiming an open-handed slap at Dave's face.

SMACK!

Dave glared--a remarkably Alexander-like glare, and much more like Dr. Barclay than Keye could ever manage--and raised a fist.

But he'd just been in a fight the other day, one he'd lost, and he wasn't entirely eager to get into another one. He didn't strike. Yet.

"You can start talkin' now." he growled, warily eyeing Dave's upraised fist. He'd already adopted a fighting stance: his own fists up, bouncing on the balls of his feet, his blind side turned away from Dave.

What do you want to bet me that Keye has a lot more experience in this kind of thing than Dave does?

"Like you'd believe me any more than she did?"

Even though what he'd said was the truth. Minus a few details, probably, but ones that he hadn't noticed at the time.

That bet would win someone a lot of money.

"Exactly." he said coldly...and then he went for Dave with all he had...which wasn't much (he was still fairly weak), but had years of experience behind every blow.

Yes, exactly.

Oh shit.

And then he wasn't thinking anything nearly so coherent, as he was concentrating more on remaining, if not intact, at least less injured than he thought he was going to end up.

If he'd had both arms available to use, it might have been better for him. If he'd been humble enough to turn tail and run, it might have been better for him. As it was...

He probably should have used something stronger than 'Oh shit.'

"What are you two doing?!"

It was pretty obvious what Keye and Dave were doing - but asking was as good a way to interrupt as any other. Violet had stopped a few feet away, staring at them both. A frown was beginning to cloud her face, darkening her eyes. She crossed her arms and tried to keep calm. But it was difficult.

Keye kept on for a moment, before the words reached his brain...
Then he leapt away from Dave, looking panicky.
"Uhhh...shit..."
He'd forgotten the part where Violet told him not to do that.

Dave blinked dazedly at Violet and rubbed various sore places. He sat down heavily and looked up at both of them.

That wasn't fun.

"Beats me."

Upon reflection, that was probably a poor word choice.

"Mm-hm. Keye, if this is what it looks like - I seem to remember asking you not to do it..." Violet sighed, crossing her arms. She didn't sound like she was very angry with him. At most, she appeared little more than mildly irked.

Then she turned to look at Dave, and her expression instantly went blank.
"Hello."

"Uhhhh..." Keye bit his lip and looked pleadingly at her. "He deserved it anyway?"
Then his expression hardened.
"Violet, he put you in danger...c'mon."

"Danger... what!? What the hell are you talking about!?"

And now he's on his feet, and now he's glaring at Keye again, though with an odd little bewildered kind of addition that says he has no idea that the woman he met in the park was anything other than a strange one who seemed to be rather high on herself.

Other than riding his motorbike with him, he doesn't know anything about 'danger.'

He deserved it anyway?

That almost made her smirk. Almost.

"I really do appreciate the effort, Keye,but... He obviously doesn't know what she really is," Violet nodded in Dave's general direction, and then shot him a look. "Not that I'm defending him, mind you."

"He doesn't even remember me, either..." he shot a hurt look at Dave. "After I risked my life on his freakin' catwalk."

Memory goes click.

"Seems I remember you being more scared of the bike than the catwalk, and what do you mean, I put Vi in danger? Why the hell would I do that?"

She frowned and gave a slightly huffy sigh.

"It's the girl in the pictures Jetta gave me," Violet explained, sliding a hand back through her hair to tuck some loose strands behind her ear. "She's... well, according to Keye, she's not human..."
Understatement, anyone?

"But you bought me food, so I'm not gonna complain about that part." Weird sense of honor, eh? Keye will do a lot of things for food...well, less now that he gets Alexander's cooking on a regular basis.
"You didn't know...?" Oops. Maybe he shouldn't have beaten Dave up after all (he was winded and hurting, too, which contributed to the regret). "Shit."

"I still don't know, 'cause you two are dancing around the issue like something's going to bite you."

He looks bewildered, but less angry. Also, he's sort of hoping that maybe Violet will agree to at least talk to him again, even if she doesn't trust him anymore...

"There're worse things than being bitten that could happen." Violet frowned at Dave, with a look that said 'You'd better take this seriously, or else'. She was talking to him,... just not in a very friendly manner. "Ever hear of Lady Luck?"

"Curse us." he blinked. "But I wouldn't put it past her to bite somebody, too."

Well, we know she's not above scratching...

Dave looked completely dumbfounded.

"I don't get it. What's... make-believe... got to do with anything?"

This from the man who's met a demon, a ghost, a vampire, two were-creatures, and a faery.

"It's not make-believe, Dave." She glared at him. Odd that she'd never seen or heard of a real goddess of luck until Keye said that was who the girl in the pictures was, yet she's completely certain that he's right.
Or maybe it's not so odd.

Violet edged a few inches closer to Keye, as if to show whose side she was on. "Lady Luck. Goddess of - chance, coincidence, whatever the hell, I guess. She's the one hanging on your arm in the photographs."

"And she's the goddess of bad luck, too." He shuddered. He was convinced that it had been Fortuna who'd landed him in that awful situation with Logan.
"Did she do anything to you?"

He still didn't quite get why they were so worried, but the intensity and the genuine fear in Keye's eye is really what decided him that there might actually be something to worry about.

"Asked me about... shit. Shit, shit, shit, shit!"

Yeah. He just realized that if this Lady Luck person is really that bad, and she asked him about Violet...

"How do I find her again?"

Say what?

Violet just shrugged, and looked to Keye. He seemed to be the only one here who actually knew anything about the goddess.


((blahshort))

"There's a summoning spell...but I don't remember where I put it..." he began to rummage absentmindedly through his pockets.
"Why?"

"So I can tell her to leave Vi alone, 'course."

So he's going to deliberately place himself in danger, when somehow he squeaked by without any real trouble when he didn't know it was dangerous, just to attempt to keep Violet safe.

Sweet of him, if rather foolhardy.

Sweet, yes. Foolhardy, absolutely.
Unfortunately Violet doesn't see it like that, at the moment.

"Leave me alone? Why would she be after me in the first place?" she asked, raising an eyebrow and paling a little.

Keye continued rifling through his pockets, because he wasn't sure he wanted to be part of this conversation. He flushed a little with discomfort...yeah, it was all right to beat Dave up himself, but he didn't want to see Violet and Dave arguing.

He felt the need to explain, before he landed on the ground again, with more bruises and less chance of reconcilation with Violet.

"Well, she asked me about my girlfriend, 'cause when she asked how I broke my arm I said I crashed on my bike with you and I told her stuff and why else would she ask 'bout you if she didn't have something in mind?" He frowned worriedly.

"Also she told me I should look for someone nearer my age next time, and there isn't going to be a next time for a while. At least... I..." About then he ran out of steam.

"Ummm..." Keye was going to tell him that he wasn't making sense, but he shut his mouth instead. He did not want to be involved. Instead, he pulled a crumpled sheet of paper out of his pocket and eyed it.
"Well, here it is. I don't recommend it, though."