shepard | (no subject)

Shepard has never been one for dresses. Sure, she wore them as a kid, but there really wasn't much need for them after she joined the military. On formal occasions, she'd wear the Alliance Military uniform. And when she had shore leave, she was not about to swap out her armor for a set of heels and a form-fitting dress. When it came down to it, she preferred something comfortable. Free time was rare enough even before she took on the title of 'Spectre'; she didn't want to spend those few moments hobbling around in a pair of impossibly high heels.

However, she had spare time in spades aboard the Proserpina and Kasumi had picked out a dress and shoes and even accessories for her to wear to this party. And somehow -- Shepard can't even remember how now -- she'd been conned into wearing the outfit Kasumi'd selected.

Thankfully, at least, the shoes were something sensible. Even if the dress wasn't.

Shepard's appearance at the party had been brief; she'd dropped off her own contribution to the gathering collections of food and beverages, surveyed the other guests, and almost immediately noticed that someone was missing.

Nuada.

Immediately, she turned heel and went right out the door. Before long, she's standing in the doorway of the Training Room, watching Nuada as he spars with an invisible opponent.

"I thought I'd find you here," she says, folding her arms over her chest. "What, you not coming to the party?"

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Nuada came to a stop and was momentarily taken aback by seeing Shepard in a gown. The black suited her, but he had not thought to ever see her with a skirt of any kind.

"What use have I for parties full of," if he said humans, she might be offended... "people I don't usually associate with? This does not even have the colorful trappings of the one in Venice." Which had originally attended to find his fellow captives and possibly get drunk in his disappointment.

He'd only seen one person dressed up for the party. The wall mouse was rather adorable in her way.

No, Nuada was not exactly sociable. He knew HOW to be, but preferred not to mutter pretty lies to boring beings, making small talk and wishing he were elsewhere.

He'd attended enough gatherings before his exile to last him many more lifetimes.

"I can think of a lot of reasons," Shepard says, counting them off on her fingers as she lists them. "The opportunity to meet new people. I'm sure you're not going to like all of them, but there's bound to be at least one new person you'll like. Almost everyone on the station's already there." One finger.

"Food. There's lots of it from all sorts of places. Stuff I really haven't ever seen before. I don't know if that's the replicators' doing, but I'm sure they had to spit out a few decent things this time, given the sheer amount of food there." Two fingers.

"If you're not interested in the food, there's always drinks. I think I saw someone bartending, too. Someone who actually looks like she's mixed a few drinks in her time." Three fingers.

"And if good food, good drinks, and good company aren't enough to keep you bolted to the banquet room for the next six hours, I'll be there, standing around awkwardly in this thing." She gestures at the dress she's wearing. "If worse comes to worst, I can pretend to sprain my ankle in these heels and we can both call it quits early."

Nuada had to chuckle at that last bit. "Good food is always debatable here, and the company more so. So far there are only five people here I spend any time with." There was a possible sixth, but it was too early to tell.

But alcohol was alcohol, even when it tasted vile. He would not be seeking oblivion today, anyway.

"So you wish me to keep you from becoming bored and uncomfortable at a gathering you are touting? You do see the irony here, do you not?" He returned the bo staff to the rack.

"I will hold you to that exit strategy if this starts to drive me mad," he warned.

"I shall need fifteen minutes to look presentable," to impress humans, perhaps she was correct and this was a place of punishment after all.

"And I'll hold you to that," Shepard says. "I'll come looking for you if I don't see you there in another twenty."

And with one final smile, Shepard makes her way out of the training room -- and somehow manages to do so without stumbling.