The young maidan sat alone in a dance club feeling quite sorry for herself. She had tried to tuck herself away in a dark corner of the bar, sitting at a small high rise table. She silently watched the patrons as the loud music rang in her ears. The heavy bass of the music vibrated through her limbs and she began to wonder why she continued to put herself in such predicaments.
She'd have preferred to be in a quiet room working on her prothean studies. She'd have rather sat through a boring seminar. She'd have rather been part of one of her mother's dinner functions for old asari dignitaries, hearing them drone on and on about politics and the state of the galaxy. She would have rather been literally anywhere else but some overpopulated club full of loud noises and packed bodies dancing their night away, surrounded by loud conversations.
But she had let her insecurities get the better of her. She had been staying on the Citadel for the past couple days, if only to help catalog and categorize some recent finds from a new dig on the edges of the Traverse. She would be here for a while yet as the scientists continued to send in more finds and data. She had a small apartment provided by her employers as they expected this project to go on for a few months at least.
This had been funded by one of the most prominent museums on the Citadel, and when there had been a sudden opening, they had contacted Liara to fill the position. She had applied for it some time ago, hoping to use it as an excuse to get off Thessia for a while.
She had no other current projects or digs to be on, and being stuck in her mother's estate, surrounded by acolytes and politicians, had been driving her crazy. She didn't want to be doted over as the daughter of a prominent figure in the asari government. She didn't want to hear the whispers about how she would be a worthy successor to her mother.
She wanted to work. Needed to get out from under that shadow. So she more than leapt at the chance to do just that.
And it had been simple work, compared to her digs. Yet it was no less rewarding or exciting. She was among the first to see these new discoveries. To study and catalog them. To understand them and be part of the first set of debates about these artifacts. She would help collaborate on future studies published about these new finds. She would probably publish a few papers of her own once the project was done.
But she had overheard some of the matrons among the scientists working on this project. How they had said they found it unusual that the maidan didn't go out and explore herself and the people around her. That she seemed odd, since she didn't socialize with her colleagues about anything other than their research.
It was true, maidans were more prone to go out, party the night away, find herself on wild adventures, joining a mercenary band or worse. Some turned to all out piracy and a life of crime. They would leave the asari controlled systems, oftentimes finding themselves in the terminus systems. They were also known to be bold and social. But she was not like most maidans.
Liara just never found an interest in those things. She had loved her work on the protheans. Had enjoyed her time amongst fellow enthusiasts and archeologists. Spending long nights theorizing and debating on prothean culture, or writing out a new research paper. She enjoyed her solitude and nights curled up with a documentary or reading other new studies. She just wasn't a social creature. She had always been a bit of a loner, given her upbringing.
She loved her mother, she really did. To the galaxy the matriarch was kind, well educated, and a powerful biotic. She spoke of peace, while helping fuel more and more research into asari advancement. And while her career and acolytes kept the matriarch busy, she had always made time for Liara. Had nurtured her growth to the best of her abilities. But sometimes her mother could be overbearing. They had often revisited decades old arguments about the direction the young maidan should go in life.
The young asari jjust wanted to study the protheans, while the matriarch had wanted her daughter to go into politics.
She sighed as she looked towards the large open dance floor, the strobe lights dancing across the small ocean of bodies that moved and writhed to the music. She had thought she could prove them all wrong. Show them she could be adventurous if she wanted to be. That she could be bold and daring, that she could make her own decisions. But now she only felt regret and continued to ask herself why she thought this was a good idea.
Her senses were overwhelmed and she felt anxious about just getting up and leaving. As though it would somehow draw unwanted attention if she left alone. She knew she would likely never see these people again, but she didn't want to feel judged either. So she had hoped to wait to slip out when the night drew to a close, when everyone would be leaving in droves.
It seemed like a brilliant idea. She would just wait and hope it would be over soon. That is, until she saw a young man step up to her small table. The look of the man gave her a sinking feeling as he stopped next to her table, both of them looking at each other.
He was human, tall with a burley build. He had short shaggy dark blonde hair, as he eyed her with a grin that left the young asari feeling uneasy. "Well, don't you stick out like a sore thumb." He began and she blinked at him in confusion. She had never heard such a phrase before, but she was fairly certain she could assume its meaning. She wasn't exactly dressed like anyone else in the club. She didn't own anything that would typically be considered club wear. She also had no drink, and hadn't moved from the table for almost an hour. She knew she looked out of place compared to everyone else.
She looked herself over, the simple dark slacks and white long sleeve shirt with faded ink on the front. An old shirt from her university days, that had the Serrice University crest and the botched asari writing that translated as the archeology department. She frowned at herself and her attire.
How did she convince herself that she wasn't going to stand out?
"What brings a sweet young thing like you to a place like this?" His tone suggested he didn't really care what had actually brought the maidan to the club. The grin that still resided on his chiseled face suggested he had other motivations for bothering her, which made her frown further and adjusted in her seat, her discomfort obvious. But she was also quick on her feet as she straightened out. "I am waiting for a friend." She stated calmly, trying to make herself sound confident. Though when the man before her leaned onto the table with one arm, his grin widening, she realized he didn't entirely believe her lie.
"Yeah? What kind of friend is that?" He asked, his tone now suggesting something far more crass now. He then pointed to a table behind him with his thumb. There sat another human, one who looked a bit more greasy than the one before the asari now. A turian and batarian also sat at the table, all of them looking at the young maidan in a way that made her skin crawl.
"I got some friends too, maybe we can all… get together and have some fun." he then laughed arrogantly. The prothean expert almost visibly shuddered at how the human was behaving. She knew what he was suggesting and she didn't like how quickly this situation was deteriorating. She never really planned to actually go home with anyone, let alone someone like the man leaning on her table.
She had imagined that perhaps she'd, at the very least, find someone to have an awkward conversation with. She would make a fool of herself and then go back to her apartment. Then at least she could say she tried and would be far more distracted by the fact that she had embarrassed herself in some way. Instead she was starting to wish she had just risked leaving alone, knowing that at least a few patrons were probably judging her amongst their peers.
"Come on, baby, we can wait for your friend together, what do you say?" He then said as a sick feeling grew inside of the asari's stomach. She had begun to feel a sense of dread and panic. She was sure, with her biotics, she could fend them off if she had to, but then she was also unsure if any of them were also biotics. She had hoped to even avoid finding out altogether.
She had some self defense training, but she had never found herself in a situation such as this either. The asari gained a slight look of disgust, but she was not about to let someone treat her poorly either. She was not that kind of person, and she did not approve of how he spoke to her. "I am not interested, thank you." She said somewhat shortly.
The man almost snarled at her curt reply, and just as he was about to invade her space further, someone new arrived on the scene, and quite out of nowhere.
"There you are! Sorry to keep you waiting." A young human woman this time, right as she sidled up next to the asari. The asari blinked as the human woman expressed a sheepish apologetic look as she continued on, like they had known each other for years, "My shift ran a little longer than I expected." She said with a new smile that had disarmed the maidan. Whoever this stranger was, she came in like a whirlwind, as the prothean expert felt as though she had just been through a rollercoaster.
The woman was a good few inches taller than the maidan, her black hair short, almost like how the human males typically kept their hair. The sides buzzed short, the top a bit longer and slicked back. She had piercing brown eyes, and with a sly grin she winked at the asari. Like she was silently telling the archaeologist a secret message.
The asari was not used to so much attention. Or at least not this sort of attention. But as she looked up at the human woman, she could at least feel a bit more at ease with her around. She didn't feel quite so put off by her sudden presence. In fact, when she realized what was happening, she was grateful for it. Maybe the prothean expert would be able to leave unscathed now.
The human wore a dark brown leather jacket that hugged her frame in such a way it gave her a more masculine edge. Her plain white t-shirt tucked into what looked like cargo pants, held in place by a thick leather belt. Liara had been so taken back by her sudden and yet casual approach, that she almost fumbled in response.
The confident smirk on the human woman's face was enough to help the asari quickly recover however. "Ah, yes, it is alright. I got here a little early." she managed to finally respond, once her mind caught up with the new situation. The words had caught in her throat as she watched the human woman casually nudge the man aside before sliding into the chair opposite of the asari.
The dark haired woman began to dig through an inside pocket as she turned her attention to the man, who had looked agitated at the interruption. Especially by a person he did not seem to expect. Finally the woman fished out a credit chit before reaching out and placing it in his hand. He gaped at her in confusion as she gave him a charming smile. "Thanks for checking in on her, that should give you and your friends a couple of rounds, on me." She then said before she turned her attention back to the asari, leaning forward and folding her arms on the table.
He looked like he was about to protest, put up a fight, make a scene. But it didn't last long as he just grumbled to himself, accepting the chit before storming back to his table. "Hey there, sorry to intrude, it looked like you were having a bit of trouble there." the human woman then said once they were alone. She continued to look so casual about the whole thing as she ran her fingers through her hair. Her body language was relaxed, but confident. She continued to give the asari that charming smile, and the asari's poor heart began to quicken in response.
"I.." the asari stumbled, looking for something to say, her cheeks turning a deep shade of violet. That charming smile turned into an almost roguish grin. The asari laid a hand over her poor heart as she averted her gaze to the table. "Thank you." She finally settled on as she could hear an amused chuckle escape the human woman's lips.
When the asari's blue eyes finally looked up into brown ones bashfully, she could see that the human woman was amused by the asari. The asari's sapphire eyes looked into brown ones, and she could see this playful twinkle behind them. "I'm Shepard." She then said simply, holding one hand out. The prothean expert had been around enough humans to know a handshake was a typical human greeting. So she shyly reached out to take Shepard's hand.
"Liara." The asari responded, her tone just as shy. When their hands met, Shepard's grin made a full return as Liara's cheeks burned even hotter. Shepard's hand was smooth and warm, but also calloused and Liara could tell there was strength in that hand. Liara's hand by comparison was a little cooler, a difference in genetic makeup, but less calloused than Shepard's hand. The asari had some callouses from her digs, but they weren't quite as rough as Shepard's. Something told Liara that the woman before her had seen some action in her time, and was still rather active in it.
The handshake was brief and Shepard looked over her shoulder as she could spot the men staring at the pair, the agitation of their ruined night clear on their faces. She gave them a friendly wave as they received their drinks, no doubt from the chit she had given them. When she returned her attention to Liara, the asari had managed to calm her poor heart a little.
Liara hadn't entirely known what had come over her in the last five minutes, but she was sure she had just been through a slew of emotions and now felt a bit worn out. She had felt a little light headed, especially when it came to this Shepard woman. She was like an enigma, one Liara wasn't entirely sure she could handle this very moment. Why was she even so flustered around her anyway? "Hey, you ok?" Shepard then asked, genuinely sounding concerned as she leaned forward slightly, eyes scrutinizing the asari, who felt her cheeks heat up again.
The asari reached up with one hand, touching her forehead. Perhaps it was not too late to make a fool of herself after all. "I am fine. A little overwhelmed, if I were to be honest." Liara responded, unable to look Shepard in the eyes any longer. She didn't know what had overcome her around this human woman, but perhaps it was from the encounter with that man. She reasoned that that had to be what it was. She was over exerted.
Shepard looked around and took a quick glance at the table of men behind them. They seemed more interested in their drink at this point. "You have every right to tell me off, but if you need to get out of here I know a nice quiet little spot. You can get some fresh air." Shepard suggested. Liara looked back at the human and looked a little unsure in the moment.
It wasn't like anyone could blame her after the sleazeball that had just tried to hit her up. So Shepoard held up her hands, as if to fend off any possible bad reaction. "Or, if you'd prefer, I can call you a cab and wait with you for it. In case those guys try to bother you again." Shepard amended.
A quiet sigh escaped blue lips as she thought about her options. She could, nicely, reject the offerings from the dark haired woman, or she could accept. She found herself also glancing over Shepard's shoulder at the burly man and his friends. She wasn't sure she wanted to risk a second encounter with them either, however. She was a bit exhausted, and just wanted to get out of this loud club.
"I could use some air." Liara admitted as Shepard gained a more friendly smile. LIara's stomach did somersaults as the human casually got out of her seat, looking at Liara expectantly. Liara's cheeks were a light shade of violet, still unable to completely suppress the blush. She felt hot, overwhelmed, and when she tried to take a deep breath to keep her head from spinning, she found Shepard offering her hand, as though to help her from her seat.
Liara was a loner for a reason, and this was it. She had always enjoyed her solitude. It was one thing to be surrounded by her colleagues in the lab or on a dig. Mostly because she was equally surrounded by a subject matter that she was passionate about. Something she could lose herself in. It was another matter entirely, when she was overwhelmed by the loud base, surrounded by strangers in a place she typically did not find herself in. And with nothing to distract her.
She gratefully accepted the help as she got out of her chair. And then there was this new strange sensation in her stomach and chest when Shepard's hand gripped hers, supporting any weight put on it by Liara. The contact felt oddly exotic, even though it wasn't meant as anything more than a friendly gesture. And as Liara came to her full height she suddenly fully realized Shepard's height.
Liara was of average height, just under six feet, but Shepard looked to be just over six feet. Her shoulders looked broad under that leather jacket, and given how fitted the rest of her clothing was, she had to be well built. "Let's get you out of here, and somewhere a little quieter, yeah?" Shepard said gently as Liara simply nodded, as she let Shepard lead her out of the club, by hand even, and onto the Citadel streets.
While it was all artificial, thanks to the station's life support systems, it had certainly felt fresher than inside the club. When Shepard released Liara's hand, the asari took long deep breaths, trying to recollect herself. Shepard shoved her hands into her pockets instead, watching Liara now with some concern. Actually, the asari could almost feel the concern emanating off the human next to her.
When Liara looked back to the woman next to her, Shepard had a thoughtful look. Like she was debating on something. She had finally seemed to lose that debate, "I gotta ask, Liara. What did bring you to a place like this? It doesn't seem like it'd be your kind of scene." Shepard observed. It did not sound unkind. In fact it seemed like genuine concern and curiosity.
Liara couldn't look at the human any longer as she gazed off towards a sky car pedestal just a few feet from them. Her usual instinct at this point was to run away from the situation and lock herself up in her apartment for the rest of the night. But she hesitated. "I… let my colleagues get the better of me. I am sorry for dragging you into this." Liara then said. It was only a slight answer, but it was enough, that Shepard seemed to fill in the blanks herself.
Shepard's brow perked as a small amused grin now spread on her face. "You don't gotta apologize to me, Liara. Are you ok now? Did you want me to hail a cab..? Or I know a nice little bench you can sit down on if you need a moment." Shepard came off as so genuine that Liara wasn't entirely sure how to handle this human's presence. No one had ever behaved so casually around the asari, and something deep inside of her kind of liked it. It was refreshing.
Liara chewed the inside of her lip ever so slightly. As grateful as she was to the human, and as curious as she was about her temporary companion, Liara just needed some time to recharge. "I had better get home." Liara said with a sigh. She didn't know why she had felt disappointed in the decision she had just made, but she knew that logically, it was best if she had gotten some rest.
She had been working herself to death since she had arrived two days ago. She had a lot of catching up to do, and she had been excited to get started. Then the events tonight had caught her off guard. She was exhausted. "Rain check on the bench?" Shepard asked with a teasing tone, but a sheepish grin. Liara couldn't help herself but give the human a small smile of her own. Shepard's smile brightened even further at it. "Hey, you should wear that smile more often, it looks nice on you." Shepard dared to tease.
Goddess, if her cheeks hadn't been burning enough already, they certainly were on fire now. The blood rushed straight to her cheeks. No one had ever said such a compliment to Liara, and she had no idea how to respond to it, but her body had reacted on its own instead. Her bashful smile only grew, as did her blush, but her eyes averted elsewhere. She didn't want Shepard to see how she had reacted to the compliment. She didn't know why, but she also knew she probably failed at hiding it.
"Thank you again, for helping me, Shepard." Liara then said as she approached the pedestal finally, hailing for a pickup.
Shepard sidled up next to Liara, leaning on the other side of the pedestal, but her body language seemed to convey that she understood Liara's desire to go home. "Any time, Liara." the human said with a friendly tone, despite being rejected further company. She then brought up her omni-tool gesturing at Liara to do the same. When the young maidan faltered, as if she was unsure, Shepard once more gave her a bit of a playful smirk. "In case you want to cash in on that rain check." Shepard said. She had said it with such confidence, that Liara couldn't help but fumble as she brought up her own omni-tool.
Shepard quickly imputed a command into her omni-tool before swiping it over Liara's. "Call if you ever wanna check out that bench. Or I know a nice quiet little cafe around here too." Shepard out right flirted as the sky car began to pull in for it's passenger.
She had wondered briefly if the human truly meant it, or if she had been hoping to "get lucky" as she heard former human colleagues say. So she just smiled politely as the sky car door opened for her as she stepped into it. Regardless, the human seemed harmless towards Liara. She felt more flattered than insulted this time, at least. Shepard came up to the door, grabbing hold of it as Liara got settled in her seat. "We shall see, Shepard." Liara said as Shepard gained a more lopsided grin.
"I'll hold you to that, Liara. Get home safe." Shepard then teased before she shut the car door so that Liara wouldn't have to wait any further to leave. As the sky car drove off, Liara couldn't help but look out the window at Shepard's shrinking figure, the human waving as Liara's car drove her further and further away.
She couldn't help but wonder if she would ever get the courage to take Shepard up on her offer. Even if she was just being overly friendly, would it hurt to make a friend? Or was Shepard just looking for something Liara wasn't able to provide?
She would think about it in the morning, for now she just wanted to retreat into her room with a glass of wine and work some more on a paper she had started before leaving Thessia. Yes, this was a problem for future Liara, she decided.