The way Tali hums as she works has long held Liara's fascination. The ability to perform such a complex musical piece without any real thought to it, while simultaneously completing engineering feats and hacking triumphs, is not something easily done. Tali's music was rarely simple and often held a cadence that Liara struggled to understand. She would describe it as swirling if that even made sense. Liara had tried to softly hum a few measure of one she particularly liked and had promptly lied when Karen asked if she had a sore throat. Yes, the Quarian was definitely skilled in Liara's opinion. When Liara had asked once, Tali's voice had swung up in mild embarrassment as she asked, "I do?" Liara had smiled gently, such wonderful creativity and a truly self-less joy from thoughtless humming. Tali had laughed but appreciated the sentiment.
Ashley checks her work twice with swift hands even as she explains it to Liara. They have finally reached a peace and a place where it is, if not comfortable, at least not uncomfortable. Recently they have started a game, using well known colloquialisms to explain themselves and watching the other guess at the meaning. They both understand some similar items, to hold the sea with one's hands, to hide behind mother's skirt. Others confound. Liara spent the better part of a morning wondering how she was supposed to let Wrex roll off her back before realizing Ashley had meant his comment instead of the Krogan himself, and in the sense of letting it not bother her. Likewise she had delighted at watching the Chief silently mouth, "Between two mountains and a third" before snapping her fingers with a grin, "It's an uphill battle!" she'd laughed.
Garrus's humor never failed to appear at the most inappropriate times, and yet everyone seemed to laugh even if the quip was directed at them. Liara had lived in fear for a while of becoming a target for the Turian to mock, having found his humor sometimes cruel. When one of her warps had destroyed a flight of stairs forcing them to the elevator, Garrus had seized his opportunity. "But I really wanted to use those, you know, with my full combat load and armor. I missed my workout this morning." She had been eternally grateful that it was gentle teasing having already felt very bad over ruining the plan of attack. After that she watched more carefully, and began to notice that he did actually scale his humor up and down depending on who was on the receiving end. It is a skill and kindness, although Garrus still claimed that as a sniper he always carefully chooses his targets and load.
Wrex sat next to her and simply let her be, he did not press or apologize. He simply was as Liara struggled through her despair. The only time he moved or made a sound was when others tried to come and interrupt her mourning, and then it was to growl and block the door. After they left, he'd return to her side and sit again on the floor letting her be once more. She didn't scream, but she cried and beat at her chest, clawed at her skull. Her legs kicked ineffectively against the floor as she struggled to find herself again. When she was spent Wrex had quietly and softly wiped a small amount of blood from her face, from where Liara wasn't sure, and pulled her into his lap. She slept, and every time she awoke with a gasp he held her firmly and rumbled soothingly.
Kaidan and Liara quietly made perplexed eye contact as Joker and Shepard both blushed. Liara had long since learned that humans didn't always take the truth well or understand the difference between when one stated a fact or an opinion. A moment before their eyes broke apart Kaidan suddenly seemed to catch on and did blush a little bit. Liara slowly looked between them trying to catch on herself. The LT had an unusual way with words, both poetic and blunt when needed. It was a gift that Liara envied as she stuttered, repeated, and tried to find the original thread of the conversation. At times though his ability seemed to shock or surprise his fellow humans, but Liara found a deep appreciation still for Kaidan's daily gift of words. And, to be fair, that particular dancer did have very large breasts, and they had shot up Chora's Den before anyone could have appreciated her dancing and sexual prowess.
Shepard had a deep set kindness and empathy that never failed to amaze Liara. Talk down a hurting and somewhat delusional ex-Alliance officer? Sure thing! Convince pirates to turn over their hostage before peacefully turning themselves in, and getting their hostage to aid the pirates? No problem. Every hurt, every interest, every secret seemed very easy to simply tell the Commander and Liara had yet to see a soul who had resisted. Shepard didn't use flowery language, or clever tricks. Just kindness and empathy, even to the enemy. Liara quietly basked in the glory of such an innate and beautiful talent, in the warmth of such a directed and wonderful skill.