Cards
The occasional bleep on the scanners showed little activity to the Commander, pale blue eyes narrowed with annoyance as she tried to piece together just what had happened. It had been about one Earth month since the defeat of Saren, Sovereign and the geth, but the galaxy hadn't put itself back together just yet. There was still a tremendous amount of work that needed to be done on the Citadel, especially the heavy hit Presidium and Citadel Tower. Selene Shepard herself had barely survived, countless humans having died when she gave the order to go in right away to save the council on the Destiny Ascension.
She rubbed her brow, pain forcing itself to the front of her mind as she tried to recall the events exactly. Chakwas had told her she was still suffering some from when the piece of Sovereign had crashed into the tower right on Liara, Garrus and herself. She'd been much closer to the impact than the other two, leaving her knocked unconscious for some hours before the rescue teams had arrived and she'd dragged herself from the wreckage. After the good doctor had given the hero a thorough examination, she'd been diagnosed with a severe concussion among several burn wounds, cuts and bruises.
Selene would occasionally wonder if that was part of why she'd made Udina councilor when the choice between the politician and Anderson had been presented. Of course, she couldn't let anyone know that her mind might have been impaired at that time, so just one more secret she kept stored away.
Now, the council had her and her crew hunting down geth, the isolated cells easily being destroyed by the advanced ship's weaponry. The Normandy was the ship that had destroyed a reaper after all. It didn't take long though for the crew to voice their disappointment in their new assignment, saying they were a spectre's crew, they should have been out stopping galactic emergencies again or getting shore leave for what they had done. But instead, every one of them was out on clean-up duty where any other Alliance or Council ship could have done just as good.
Of course they got the padded down answer of the stealth systems granting the Normandy a special advantage against the geth, they didn't have windows in their ships after all. It didn't take anyone with the mind to though to see the real reason behind getting the janitor's job. The Reapers. Even after Sovereign they were being denied.
"Idiots." Muttered Selene, fingers running through her closely growing black curls.
It was then that a slender, blue hand looped its way around her waist and pulled the Commander into a hug before brilliant blue eyes and a freckled face filled the woman's vision. "The Council?" Questioned Liara, Shepard quickly hugging her back.
"Alliance too." Replied Selene with exasperation, pulling up a datapad for the curious maiden to see. "We shouldn't be out here." Several star systems were highlighted on the galaxy map, blinking either red or green depending on if and when they'd last been checked.
"Someone has to." Liara offered, trying to cheer up the woman she'd fallen so badly for. "They do have a point about the Normandy's stealth systems, we haven't lost a single battle thanks to it and Joker's piloting."
A dark eyebrow arched up. "Doctor T'Soni, don't get naive." Shepard said, the unfamiliar tone making Liara frown slightly. "Sorry, I think I'm gonna take a break from the systems. Joker is probably tired of me pooling over them as much as I have anyways." Nodding her head, Liara stepped away almost as if she wasn't going to follow along. "Would you like to join me?" Laughed Selene, the archaeologist's inability to understand her all the time as endearing as ever.
Violet flushed along the asari's cheeks, Liara dipping her head. "Right, suggestions." She muttered to herself and then cleared her throat before she continued louder to Shepard. "I'd love to, what do you want to do?" Liara asked, stepping back towards the Commander, and then pausing as if uncertain.
Despite having spent the night together and confessing their feelings for one another before Ilos, Liara never seemed to not be shy or uncertain around the Commander. Though she'd made considerable progress, the clumsy, awkward asari girl Shepard had fallen for certainly hadn't vanished in one night. It had taken her forever to get her to agree to spending more nights together, though in those cases it was for the most part just the two curled up on Shepard's military issue bed in the dim lights.
The shyness of which Liara approached love making made Shepard smile. Certainly she knew what she wanted when the mood struck her, but it didn't strike her as often as it did the Commander, but Selene was adamant about respecting what Liara wanted. The ex-slave was deadset on keeping things right with the asari.
"I figured we could go down to the mess and see if anyone wants to take a load off and play some cards." Offered the human adept.
A half smile, the one Liara always made when she was uncertain but willing, crossed her face. "I don't know many human card games. I've only ever played 'BS' as Kaidan called it."
"BS it is." Shepard easily said, making Liara smile with relief. Taking T'Soni's blue hand in her pale tan one, Shepard led the maiden down the stairs to the mess hall, ignoring the onlooking crew members who were as equally frustrated with the job they'd been given. When they'd reached the last step, Shepard winked at Liara before leading her around the elevator and into the mess hall.
Nearly all of her alien crew had already left, only Liara was still there with them. Tali had long since gone back to her people with her pilgrimage completed, and Wrex went back to Tuchanka claiming he had to teach his people a few things. From what Shepard had been able to piece together, it looked like the mercenary had big plans for Tuchanka and the korgan race. Garrus had said he had something to take care of after he got a message from home, something about his mother's health degenerating.
Sitting around the mess hall table eating from the provided rations with grinning faces and messy words, a few of the crew that Shepard just couldn't seem to ever get to actually know as well as Ashley and the good doctor were laughing. Chakwas grinned slightly wider as the blue asari and the human commander strode over. "Greetings Shepard." Said the older medic with warmth shining in her eyes.
"Doctor." Replied Shepard with a smile, pulling a chair out for the asari who bashfully sat down, Shepard seating herself besides Liara.
"Private Smith and- Now where the devil have they gone? "Karin's words quickly soured as she looked at where the two crew members Shepard didn't really know had vanished.
"Being next to you still scares them?" Laughed Ashley at the thought. "You're not all that scary, just a little rough around the edges." The woman gave the slightly frowning commander a gentle shove on her shoulders. "What with those scars and all."
Liara suddenly piped in, though her cheeks were on fire with a blush. "I think they're charming."
A smirk pulled at Selene's lips, and she leaned over and gave Liara a small kiss on the cheek, making the asari maiden turn a deeper shade of violet. Selene winked at the gunnery chief that was rolling her eyes. Her days as a slave had more than left a mark on the commander's body, long lashes ran down her back and chest from the whip the salvers had used. There were obvious marks from something sharp along her face, her left eyebrow bisected and a cut across her bottom lip near the right corner. There were several tiny scars that could only be noticed when felt, and Liara couldn't help but try to memorize them all each time she and Shepard were together.
Liara blinked, suddenly realizing someone had said something to her as she gazed off at the commander once again. "What?" Sputtered Liara, blue eyes widening with terror, she always seemed to make a fool of herself.
Laughter sprung up between the Alliance women, making the asari frown further, feeling ill-at-ease. She never seemed to be able to say the right things, always stumbling over her words or getting distracted and joining back in at the worst of times. "I asked Ash and Chakwas if they wanted to play BS, they both said yes and then Ash asked you if you knew how to play." Shepard explained between rolls of laughter.
"Oh." Replied Liara, slowly calmly down. "I know a bit, Kaidan showed me after we dealt with the Thorian on Feros." She further said.
The two women the pair had joined nodded their heads, a thought crossing over like a shadow as they remembered the biotic man who'd given his life on Virmire. Suddenly Selene clapped her hands and gave an over the top tone, "Alright, I'll go get some cards." She said loudly, and started away from them, leaving Liara with Ashley and Chakwas.
They were silent for a bit of time, and then as Liara struggled to find something to talk about she spotted a wry grin spreading across Ashley's face. "So," started Williams, "how long have you and Shep been at it?"
Liara tensed. "What?"
"She's asking how long you've been romantically involved." Karin explained far more gently.
"Oh, well we haven't, but we, and I- I mean-" Liara started, slipping over her words wildly as she tried to rein in the surge of embarrassment she felt. "Ilos." She at last managed to blurt out.
Chuckling as she put a hand out towards Karin, who rather begrudgingly placed a credit chit in the enlisted marine's palm, Ashley grinned in triumph. "I knew it."
"Knew what?" Asked Liara, feeling more embarrassed as it became apparent that the two women had been betting on she and Shepard's relationship.
"I bet fifty credits on you and Shep getting together before we beat Saren, Chakwas thought after. I won the bet." Ashley said with a gleam in her eyes.
Liara sat up with a fierce frown. "Excuse me-"
"Hey ladies!" Her words were cut short as Joker made himself known, walking over with a deck of cards in hand and Shepard right besides him. "Hope you don't mind I join you."
"Of course not!" Smiled the medic, slight wrinkles pulling to make her smile seem larger than possible.
Ashley patted a seat besides her, the pilot quickly sitting down as instructed as Shepard reclaimed her chair besides Liara who was fuming. "What happened?" Asked Shepard, pale blue eyes narrowed as she looked from one to another that she'd left behind. "Ash...?" She goaded further at the slight look of guilt crossing the marine's face, dark eyes widening as she was called out.
"Nothing Skipper-"
"They placed bets on our relationship." Liara cut her off with a surprising snarl to her voice. Shepard had to force a frown to her lips, wanting to smile more with amusement at Liara's reaction.
She wrapped an arm around Liara's shoulders and pulled her in for a slight hug. "It's kinda common on starships Liara, someone looks like they're hooking up with another, and everybody will take an interest soon enough." She did her best to sound nonchalant about it. "How much?"
"Fifty credits." The good doctor filled her in.
A snort came from the commander. "Only fifty? Come on now aren't we worth more than that?"
"Sure, but I don't like to bet too much Shepard." Laughed Chakwas. "Now if I had had a bottle of Serrice Ice Brandy when we'd made it I'd probably have bet nearly the whole med lab!"
Laughs came from everyone but the still slightly bothered asari, rather unused to anyone taking any notice of her or her actions. Shepard started to deal the cards, and then when a pair of pale blue eyes focused on the asari's deep blue orbs, a question was raised. "Do we need to run the rules by for anyone real fast?"
Liara straightened up, suddenly determined to prove a worth of herself in the humans' interactions. "Oh no, I think we're all good right?"
The others nodded or murmured their agreement as they started to look over their cards. Chakwas organized hers from what Liara could tell a weird manner, peering at each of the other players as she tried to get a read on them. Knowing Shepard, she'd avoid lying until she had too. Joker was certainly a wild card, Liara could see him mixing in a decent amount of lies and truths just to keep them off his trail. One glance up at the narrowed browns of Ashley Williams, the asari was certain that she didn't get a good hand. Chakwas was a stone cold wall that Liara could simply not read.
The asari peered down at her eleven cards, Shepard and she having gotten the odd extra one each as the other three had ten. "I start?" She asked as she pulled a pair of aces up slightly expectantly, the humans giving her a nod.
Sliding the pair face down, to the center of the table with her eyes locked onto a certain marine across from her. "Two aces." She called out and pulled her hand back.
No one voiced their disagreement, and next went Joker. "One two." He announced, tossing the card almost to the center where the pile had started.
Chakwas simply placed down another card. "One three."
"Three fours." Pronounced Ashley, cockily sending the frowning asari a smile.
"BS." Said Liara firmly, fairly certain despite just how early in the game it was. Ashley smirked as she flipped each of the three cards over, revealing all but the three of clubs to the group. The asari muttered under her breath as she took the pile that had grown and reorganized her hand. She couldn't stop the cold glare she shot at Joker at discovering he'd lied right out the gate. He tipped his head with a smirk at catching it.
Shepard placed down the next card. "One five." She said.
"BS." Liara quickly said despite being the next one to have to lay down a card and thusly having all the time in the world. Shepard laughed, flipped over the card revealing a king, and took it back into her hand. Liara smiled in triumph as they continued on.
They kept it up for a decent amount of time with quick calls on one another, Chakwas easily mopping the floor with all of them. "How are you so good?" Laughed Liara, having warmed back up.
"Ah I'll never tell!" She announced, sliding her last card into the center. "One king." She announced.
"Bullshit!" Laughed Shepard, grinning at something only she knew and the others could guess. Karin sighed, flipping over to reveal an ace and took it back in hand along with the monster of a pile that had formed since the last one got called on Joker.
The game was quickly set back to a fair standing, Liara slowly but surely working her way back down to a few cards. As she looked down at her cards in concentration, she nearly didn't hear the others' conversation. "What?" Blinked Liara, looking up at the others and away from her two pairs of queens and threes. "Did you say something about geth?"
"Oh yeah, I just want to know when we're gonna stop getting bullshit missions." Said Ashley with a frustrated growl. "Three twos." She said, nearly slapping them down into the center. "I mean honestly, like someone else couldn't do this? My trigger finger is getting itchy from all this scouting and ship destroying, we haven't landed anywhere in over a week."
"BS." Liara quickly stated, the marine frowning to reveal the one two and two jacks, taking them back with a stern gaze set on the asari that was slowly getting good at the game. "You didn't get dragged along in the mako as often as I did Ashley, there is no reason to miss it." Liara said conversationally. "At least with Shepard driving." She threw in a jest.
Shepard rolled her eyes with exasperation. "Jeez guys, I get it, I'm not a good driver. Do you have to keep ripping me a new one every time we talk about it?"
"What?" Frowned Liara, her confusion making the human players laugh once more. "Why would we rip you anything?" The laughter picked up even more, Shepard's hand shaking as she tried to put down her cards, only for one to slip and reveal it was a king rather then a four as she should have.
"Damn." Laughed Shepard, taking them back in hand and the small pile along with it.
"You know, from what I hear Shepard's a worse dancer." Put in Joker, slapping down three cards when it got to him. "Three sixes bitches!" He announced with a laugh, only one card left in hand.
Ashley leaned over with a laugh. "Nah uh, you're lying Joker." She said, and flipped the trio of cards over herself. A frown pulled across her face as she was proved wrong, and took the cards in her hands. The brittle-boned pilot laughed with an uproar at the soured expression on the so sure marine's face.
"You're starting to get real crappy here Williams." Joker laughed. "Come on, the drunk medic is gonna beat you."
Chakwas frowned playfully. "I'll have you know Jeff that I haven't had more than a single sip of alcohol." An open beer rested besides her on the table, more than half full to testify to her words. "But..." Trailing off, she lifted the dark bottle by the neck and took a huge gulp, an encouraging uproar from the assembled humans. Liara blushed, eyes widening as the older woman seemingly put it away, slamming an empty bottle down with a flush to her cheeks.
"There we go!" Said Shepard, jumping up quickly to get everyone else bottles.
"One seven!" Laughed Ashley as she was handed a lukewarm bottle. "Where the hell do you keep these Skipper? I've never seen them in the cabinets." She asked playfully, already popping off the top to take a swig.
Winking, the commander held a finger up to her lips. "My own little secret stash alright?"
"Fine, just as long as you keep 'em coming."
When it got back to Joker, who smugly held his last card, Liara frowned. "Jeff..." She said, lips pulling into a thin line. "Did I just see you switch cards with one from under your hat?"
Instantly everyone's eyes were on the pilot who blinked before brushing it off with a dismissive wave of his hands. "What? That's crazy." He said defensively.
"Jeff?" Shepard said slightly threateningly, leaning over the table towards the man who was starting to panic. "Did you?"
"No!"
"Take it off then." Ashley joined in, pressing against the edge of her seat towards him, brown eyes narrowed. A hand snatched out to take it, but the pilot quickly reached up and pulled it close against his brown mess of hair. "Come on Joker!" Ashley was starting to get out of her seat, nearly tripping as the alcohol started to kick in.
Liara suddenly flashed with dark blue and white, a hand reaching out to trap the fleeing pilot before he tripped and broke something. Ashley promptly stole the man's cap, and held it up for the others to see. "Jeff! You really are a filthy liar!" Laughed Ashley, flashing out the card stuffed within it.
Shepard picked up the card that he had been openly holding, just the right one for him to win. "Alright, back to the cockpit with you mister!" Ordered the woman, crossing her arms and scowling as fiercely as she could in the situation they all found humorous. "And we're taking your half of the pot!" She indicated the growing pile of credit chits from the game that was off to the side.
Muttering a few words once he had been released from Liara's stasis field, the pilot yanked his cap back from the smirking marine, placed it on his head, and stole another beer before departing. "Good eyes." Chakwas said to Liara who smiled slightly. "Now, I do believe it is your turn Ashley."
"Right." Said Ashley.
A few more turns around and the winner was declared, Liara smiling broadly as she placed down the last card in her hands and when challenged by Shepard, the asari turned over the king with a grin. "I win!"
The human ladies smiled and clapped. "Yes you did!" Praised Chakwas, holding her forehead with a cringe. "I certainly lost this time, my head is killing me already. I'm going back to my medical lab, don't wake me unless it's an emergency alright?" She said, getting up from her seat as the others followed suit. The doctors had drunk at least three more bottles than any of them.
Liara happily collected the pile, nearly a thousand credits in all. "I'd say that was the biggest I've ever seen anyone win in cheat." Laughed Shepard as she crossed over, Ashley heading up towards the cockpit to have a word with Joker.
"Well you know, I have been trying to learn more about the way you humans do things." Liara blushed. "I hope none of you held back though."
"Nah, Joker was planning to cheat like that the moment I told him about the game." Shepard laughed, placing a kiss on the asari's forehead that had her heart skipping. "You know, next time we're gonna play some poker. Let's see if you're good at that too."
Liara T'Soni frowned in thought. "Well I've only heard of this and a few other card games, that doesn't sound very familiar. How do you play?"
Waving it off and wrapping an arm around Liara's waist, Shepard started to lead them towards Liara's quarters in the back of the medlab. "How about we get those credits stashed away, and then I'll teach you?"
"Or..." Liara blushed as she paused. "We could, go to your room. Chakwas wouldn't like to be bothered after all, and I think I've got something else on my mind." She bit her lip slightly, still not quite sure of how to flirt with the woman.
The smile on Shepard's face grew, and she promptly turned them around. "I think we've got the same thing on our minds, yeah."
Liara grinned, allowing the famous Commander to lead her through a pair of doors she'd grown rather familiar with. "Good, because we both know I'm terrible at suggestions." She chuckled as the doors shut behind her.