“You allow it far too much.” Shepard simply dropped the cat on the floor. She liked animals in general and enjoyed playing with them immensely but that cat was just spoiled far too much to her liking. There was something off with it.

She rinsed her hands and grabbed one of the offered doughnuts. “Don’t even try to become a professional cat trained. By now it seems that the cat tamed you instead of the other way around.”

Naturally, River caught him and coddled him. Her grumpy short hair, shifted in her arms to sniff around her mouth. Betrayal in those amber eyes. "Yes," she admitted in that sing-song voice reserved for babies and animals. "I had a doughnut...okay I had two." She would put him down before he got his vengeance. "you cant gave doughnuts." 

River washed her hands before snagging a slice of pizza. "Yeah, I know I'm powerless against pussy. Just look how cute he is." Happy to be the center of the conversation, and never one to back down from a direct challenge. Barghest went to go sit on Shepard's foot. 

Without a moment of hesitation Shepard grabbed the cat by the skin on its neck and pulled it up levelling with her eyes. She knew that keeping the animal in such way only looked drastic and it shouldn’t harm it in any way. “I might pet him when I feel like it but not any sooner than that.” She was curious if the display of dominance would have any effect on that menace. The assassin perhaps had no issues with letting the cat do what it wanted with her but Shepard was somewhat stricter.

👁 : How good is their sight?

👅 : What is your muse's favorite taste?

👄 : How does your muse kiss?

💄 : Favorite color lipstick?

💍 : Does your muse like to wear jewelry?

🧠 : How smart is your muse?

👃 : What's your muse's favorite smell?

🗣 : Does your muse have an accent?

👥 : Is your muse an introvert or an extrovert?

💪 : How strong is your muse?

👊 : Would your muse win in a fist fight?

👾 : Does your muse play any games?

🌂 : What's your muse's favorite kind of weather?

River and her beloved Dark Lord 

Food. One of the easiest peace offerings these days. Even though Shepard didn’t use her biotics much, she still needed more food than usual. The feet notion was completely ignored - if River ever decided to visit her bathroom she’d noticed the opened box and the instruction lying right next to it but the lotion itself was left untouched.

“I thought your cat is demon-like. Why does it run around my legs?”

River was two bites away from finishing her first doughnut, and ready reaching for her second. Sugar and caffeine kept her body running since sleep was out of the question. Subtle dark circles colored the skin under her eyes; she had make-up to cover it but didn't bother putting any on. It was just Shepard. In fact, The Commander was lucky River had to wear clothes to leave her apartment, or she wouldn't bother getting dressed either. 

The Dark One had a defined MO, River didn't have to look to know what Shepard was referring to. He did it her or anyone who walked by him and didn't shower him with the attention he felt he deserved. “Sometimes his brand of evil is very subtle. He’s trying to trip you, that's a declaration of war. You have to pet him..” She sounded so exhausted. “It’s easier to just give him what he wants.”

“Fuuuuuuuck,” came straight from Shepard’s mouth once the annoying doorbell pulled her out from the dreamland. She opened her one eye, then the second one and sighed. It wasn’t the hour when she got her meals delivered so it must have been something entirely different. She turned her omnitool on and noticed that irritating assassin… with a pizza box. And she did say something about doughnuts. Since Shepard found herself somewhat peckish, she wouldn’t let the woman in and pretend she wasn’t at home.

“What do you want.” It wasn’t even a question. More of a statement the assassin could hear once she entered the apartment.

Barghest darted through the apparent ahead of her, hunting down the cranky commander.  The greeting was better than she expected considering how her last visit ended. 

“Someone has to make sure you’re taking care of your feet, Shepard!”  River found space on the stove, putting the pizza box down she quickly moved the doughnuts and hoped the damage was minimal.  2 baker dozen of assorted doughnuts. She didn't know Shepard’s eating habits but when it came to sweets River had zero self-control.  she pryed open the box, ripping the paper latch in the process. 

Throughout this time Shepard just kept vegetating, going out even less since the issue with the assassin proved that even a walk might be hazardous and troublesome.

No, she didn’t know River was outside. Otherwise, she’d get informed each and every time someone would walk close her door and that would be plainly annoying. The doorbell then was still a necessity. Especially when she was napping.

Shepard was lucky, River was flexible...and wearing sandals. The Assassin must have been a sight ringing the doorbell with her perfectly pedicured big toe.  River didn't own civi clothes that weren't worn or torn or tattered. She spent more money on armor and guns than her wardrobe. A warn kimono cover-up made out of asari silk that had seen better days, it’s muted colors had faded. Ripped jeans, and warn black tank top.  Barghest was already scratching at the door. 

Shepard had no idea what she was talking about but that didn’t matter. She was just standing there passively while avoiding eye contact. The woman saw that, she was sure. Perhaps she’d spread the rumours and yet another thing would be taken from the Commander. That didn’t matter now as well.

She stood there for a longer while after the door being shut behind the assassin and then she reluctantly went to bed.

Work returned to normal for River she assumed that Shepard’s hitmen found their mark. And boy did it throw a lot out of whack. Cut off one head, all the underlings will make power grabs to be the new head.

“I’m… tired. I don’t think these supplies are useful for me but thank you for the thought. I think you should go.” Her words were completely mechanical, devoid of any emotion.

Those were pills for depression. That deadpan tone, she finally got a grasp on what was going on. River understood that mental issues are hard to deal with, harder to talk about. not that she wanted to. I guess I overstepped. The assassin moved to collect her cat, but he darted under the couch before she could get a grip on him.  Forcing her to get on her hands and knees to cox him out.

Once Shepard noticed the bottle in the woman’s hands she darted towards her and snatched it while hiding in the nearest cabinet. Technically it was her fault she kept them on the table and she hoped the woman wasn’t able to see what was inside.

The last thing Shepard wanted was being seen as weak.

“You bought be the stuff.” She said with a neutral expression while looking at the package. “Uh. It will run out?”

A pause.

“Fuck, you’re weird.”

“Well yeah if you use it.”  River eyed the room again, nosey in absence of conversation. She picked up a medicine bottle, one of many. Her stent in metal looney bins gave a decent working lexicon of certain medications.  

Fuck I am weird.

“I still have to pay for the things needed to do so. It’s time-consuming. And I managed to live without it for over 30 years. Not a necessity.”

“They’d ache after a long day of combat anyway and I would just waste time and money over something that isn’t a necessity.”

“Because if they ache I give them a good rub and that’s all their require. They don’t hurt so it’s fine.”