Liara had found herself a fairly competent person. She was a quick thinker, often cool under pressure, and fiercely independent. She was always introverted by nature, even when she was a small child. She had a will of her own, always exploring, learning. She had found her passion when she had been caught digging in her mother's garden. The history book she had gotten the next day had given her a brief summary about the protheans and she had been passionate in learning all she could about them since.
So she didn't understand her anxiety any time she even thought about contacting Shepard. She was practically a stranger. She had helped Liara out of a sticky situation in some random club. Liara had convinced herself that Shepard was only playing nice and probably didn't expect the asari to contact her at all.
Liara made a frustrated sound as she put a piece of fruit back in its place a little too roughly. She then sighed as she lifted her hand, rubbing at the bridge of her nose. She didn't even understand why she was so stuck on it from time to time either. It had been a few days, she would likely never see the human again. But after she had a chance to process what had happened in the club, she began to also realize she liked the fact that Shepard had treated her so… normally. She wasn't used to that.
Liara was used to being criticized any time she found a new clue to the mystery that were the protheans. She was used to finding herself in awkward social situations with her peers and colleagues. She was used to hearing people talk about her future, as though it was what she wanted. She was also used to being scrutinized for having two asari parents, even though her father had never been around.
Liara moved further down the aisle, a small basket in hand. She only wanted to pick up a few items she needed for the apartment, so had stopped by a small food market. She looked at her empty basket and began to wonder how long she had been here without actually grabbing anything to purchase. She had gotten lost in thought, still trying to sort out the enigma that was the dark haired woman.
Liara sighed as she finally grabbed a different fruit and placed it in her basket. She needed to think about something else. There was no use dwelling on it. She began to finally shift back into gear, picking up the items she had wanted, trying to keep her focus elsewhere
The asari would admit living on the Citadel, though temporary it may be, had been a… bit of an adjustment. While she was enjoying her current work on the Citadel, she found it odd that most of her colleagues went home for the night after work. There weren't any dormitories or tents. They just went their separate ways at the end of the day.
Far different from working at the university, where most of the staff lived on site if not close by. Where time was lost to them because they were all too happy to work through the day and night, excited to discover ancient secrets. They would sit around and eat dinner while discussing their work, or perhaps a side project or paper they were working on, just because they wanted to.
It was almost too different here. Everything felt clinical, with tighter deadlines and budgets. Everyone had other lives, living on such a magnificent space station, always bustling with people and events. It made Liara wonder how they filled in the gaps in between. It had made Liara wonder if she ever really knew what life outside of Thessia and other asari controlled territories was like. It wasn't entirely what she had assumed it would be.
She had always wanted to feel more independent by being out there on her own. Free to do as she wished without someone looking over her shoulder. However, now that she had just that, she wasn't entirely sure what to do with it.
And now that she was thinking about it, she wondered if perhaps that was why the matrons at the museum had said she was odd. Liara never spoke about anything, or anyone outside ofnher work. Because she had never fully explored any other interests. Never pursued anything outside of her prothean studies. She certainly didn't have lasting friendships.
And now she wondered what she could have possibly been missing. She realized she was far more naive about the galaxy than she had presumed.
And while she was deep in thought over all these things, she had paid for her handful of items, and had already left the little store and was back onto the bustling Citadel streets.
She would have to admit, she was, in a way, second guessing her decision to come to the Citadel. She was used to an overpopulated city, having grown up in Armali on Thessia. When you lived in the largest manufacturing hub in the galaxy you were used to the hustle and bustle of a busy city. But living in that crowded space was a different story altogether.
At least, back home, she was still able to find space to be alone. To find somewhere quiet away from the city noise.
Her mother's estate did house quite a lot of people, admittedly. From her mother's acolytes, to political guests, to the people who worked tirelessly to keep everything running smoothly. But she had space, could go for a quiet walk on her mother's grounds, or wander the gardens, or go to the little pond just beyond the groves.
On the citadel she felt constantly surrounded. By people, by noises. On occasion she could hear the neighbors above her and sirens outside.
These were things Liara was not used to.
And ironically enough, as she thought about that, she had lost track of where she was going. She had been on autopilot. How she even got this far without incident was both amazing and terrifying. But when she rounded a corner, her bag of goods in one hand, she collided into the backside of a turian.
"Watch where you're going!" he shouted almost immediately, spinning around to face Liara. Like most turians he towered over, his duel toned voice sounding unreasonably angry. She blinked in surprise at his outburst.
This was something else that she was unused to. With such a mixed culture of species living together, there were bound to be clashes, be it accidental or intentional. It probably also meant a lot more agitated people.
Almost clutching her bag of goods now, Liara was about to recollect herself, apologize even, but the turian scoffed as he threw out his hand in a dismissive manner. Then he turned around and began to march off, muttering the whole way. Liara could only hear some of it, but it sounded a lot like he was talking down about her in some way, but she also couldn't be positive of that either.
Either way she glowered at the idea that he was so quick to get angry with her. It wasn't like she had intended to walk right into him. Although she knew she should have been paying more attention to where she was going. If she had been watching where she was going, instead of trying to distract herself over - -
"Why is it I always find you in a bit of a pickle?" came a woman's voice from behind.
Liara could not explain it for the life of her, the feeling that came over her. She had been thinking about the person behind that voice for days now. Shepard had taken up residence in some small portion of Liara's already active mind, and Liara still didn't fully understand why that was. But her stomach sank regardless as she turned, to see the dark haired woman leaning casually against a large screen that flashed adverts.
She wore what could have been fatigues of some sort. Perhaps military in origin, or even a branch of c-sec. She also wore a sleeveless dark gray shirt, tucked into her fatigues, the roguish grin that haunted Liara's thoughts more than once, plastered on her face. She had no jacket this time, but she wore some kind of identification tags around her neck on a chain. Her arms folded across her chest as she watched the asari.
Liara's cheeks purpled almost instantly as she could see just how well built the human was. The muscle tone in her arms and shoulders alone did things to Liara that she didn't entirely understand. Shepard's form fitting shirt left little to the imagination as well. Though Liara could also see the scaring along her left arm. Part of her shoulder and most of her bicep was this big angry blotch of scar tissue. While it made Liara curious as to the line of work Shepard did, she was not about to be rude and ask a possibly personal question.
The scar looked like it had been painful at the time of injury, at the very least.
Liara couldn't even be bothered to ask what a pickle was or what it had meant, either. Instead something else came flying out of her mouth. "What are you doing here?" Liara asked, perhaps sounding a bit more dismayed than she had intended. While her heart skipped a few beats, and her stomach started doing full on acrobatics, Shepard pushed herself off the sign. She had her arms spread just slightly as she gave off mock hurt at the prothean expert's greeting.
No, Liara was not entirely upset to see Shepard, really. It was perhaps that Shepard had, on two occasions now, caught Liara when she was not at her best. And if the pattern held, it seemed Shepard herself came like a whirlwind, throwing the young asari further off course.
For her part, Shepard didn't look offended at all, as much as amused. "Ouch, you know I was hoping for a hi at least." Shepard teased, Liara's cheeks darkening further. Shepard had a bit of a swagger to her as she moved. She stood tall, every step she took seemed to have a purpose. Her attitude was easy going as before, but there was a certain aura about her that said she was ready for anything. Something Liara had not quite noticed about Shepard on their first encounter.
In Liara's defense, she had considered that a fairly terrible night to begin with. She had been far too distracted that night to notice the finer details.
"I… I am sorry, Shepard." Liara sighed in defeat. She had wondered just how much she should tell the woman in front of her. She was always more reserved. She didn't come out of her shell often, and whenever she did it generally involved her life's work. "I did not mean to be rude. I have had a long week." Liara admitted in some defeat, looking back at Shepard bashfully.
Shepard seemed to relax even more as she came to a stop in front of Liara. She shoved her hands into her pant pockets, her grin easing into a friendly smile, those brown eyes twinkling, like she knew a secret. "Not from around here, are you?" Shepard guessed. It surprised Liara a bit, just how accurate she was. When the realization began to show on the asari's face, Shepard gave a half laugh.
Liara couldn't help but relax herself now, her shoulders sagging some. "You are very perceptive, Shepard." Liara finally said, her tone also much more relaxed. She had realized that Shepard must have had skills in reading people and putting together any relevant missing information. Liara was not too dissimilar in that regard. The maidan usually had a keen sense of people, and perhaps that was part of why she felt more at ease around the human. Even if the woman gave her some anxiety in other regards. Another mystery to figure out.
Shepard smirked some as she shrugged her shoulders, hands never leaving her pockets. "Nah, didn't I mention it before?" Shepard asked, sounding genuinely surprised, her brows lifting in question. Liara's brows furrowed as she seemed confused as to where this was going. Shepard quickly looked around them, before she leaned in a little closer, her voice more hushed, "I can read minds, you know." Shepard said matter of factly.
Liara just blinked at the woman as she stood back to her full height. She then gained a look of concentration, as she looked the asari's face over, leaning one way then the other, but from where she still stood. "And right now, you're thinking: why haven't I called this infuriatingly charming human yet?" Shepard then teased, that damnedable grin plastered back on her arrogant face.
Albeit, it made Liara's heart absolutely flutter all the same, because Shepard had not been entirely wrong. Liara's intrigue about Shepard only seemed to intensify because of it. How she was able to read Liara so easily was the biggest mystery to solve, she figured.
The archeologist had one very important question to ask first, before this went any further. "And do you make a habit out of being this… flirtatious with people, Shepard?" the asari's brow perked inquisitively, completely ignoring the obvious fact that Shepard was not a mind reader. Her tone was very serious, but the human seemed to take it in stride.
Shepard rocked on her heels slightly, and with a playful little smirk she shrugged. "That depends." Was the human's response as she watched Liara, who squirmed where she stood, bag still in hand. She was lucky nothing would need refrigerating any time soon, as she began to realize that Shepard was more than enigmatic and charming. She was a distracting force, and she somehow knew how to pull at Liara's inquisitive nature.
The asari knew Shepard was doing this intentionally, to get Liara to… as the humans say, play along. Liara was not entirely inept at social situations. And Liara knew she was likely setting herself up, in some way. She should not take the bait, for she already knew what it would take to get that answer. And judging by Shepard's confidence Liara knew she had already lost before she even could put up a fight.
Liara wasn't even sure if she could have put up a fight to begin with. Something about the dark haired woman drew her in like an insect to a light source. "And does your cafe serve Thessian tea?" Liara asked as Shepard laughed, but had the decency to look called out anyway. The human finally pulled one hand out of her pocket, almost jabbing one thumb behind her shoulder, grinning like she had any right to.
"Come on, it's not far from here, we'll find out together. I'm buying." Shepard said, as she started walking backwards, this goofy smile on her face. Liara finally smiled herself as she shook her head and began to follow the human, who now spun around to see where she was going.
Liara had to trot to catch up to Shepard, who was still smiling this goofy smile. A sense of victory emanating from her outwardly cheery nature. But there was more beneath that smile. Liara could sense it almost. She was an archeologist after all. She was very good at her job, and she almost always knew there was more than what meets the eye. You just had to know how far to dig to find it.
It didn't take long for Shepard to lead Liara to this cafe. Shepard had offered to get their drinks while Liara found them a spot to sit. So Liara did just that, finding a little round table by a window that overlooked the different people walking around, going about their business.
And really, the asari didn't have to wait long for Shepard to find her, drinks in hand. The human placed a hot mug of tea in front of Liara as she took a seat across from the asari. "Well, they said it was authentic Thessian tea anyway, you'll have to let me know for sure." Shepard said as Liara looked down at her mug.
She smiled as she could already smell the aroma. It certainly smelled right, and when Liara took a careful drink of it, she couldn't help but hum for her appreciation of the drink. It was strong, but sweet at the same time. It just so happened to be Liara's favorite tea as well, which had only made the drink more comforting. "It is, thank you Shepard." Shepard gave the asari a relieved grin as she took a drink from her own mug.
Then Shepard looked a little more thoughtful in the moment as she sat her mug down, her head tilting as she watched the asari. Liara squirmed slightly under the gaze, feeling a bit bashful again as her cheeks turned a light hugh of violet. "What is it?" the archeologist asked as Shepard folded her hands together around her drink on the table.
Shepard looked down at her coffee for all of a moment, as if pondering how to say something. When she looked back up at Liara she gave the prothean expert a bit of a sheepish look. "Listen, Liara… if I've made you uncomfortable..?" Shepard then said. When Liara's eyes only grew in slight panic, the human cleared her throat. "The truth is, no I'm not always that flirtatious with other people, but I can stop if you want me to." the human almost rambled with a weak shrug of her shoulders.
In truth, up until this very moment, the human had given off nothing but confidence. This had been the first time Liara had seen Shepard falter. The prothean expert had been thrown off by the way Shepard had backed off a little.
Liara fumbled with her mug, her cheeks blushing furiously now. She hadn't been entirely sure what to expect, when Shepard had brought her to the cafe. She had, in part, assumed Shepard would have used the time to get here to dodge the question she had asked altogether. "Yes, n-no! I mean..." Liara shook her head, attempting to hide her face with her hand.
She wasn't sure how she looked in the moment, but she could imagine she looked about as mortified as she felt. "It is… I am not used to any of this, Shepard." Liara admitted herself, slowly lowering her hand, only to shove it under the table. Her other hand joined the first shortly after.
She began to fidget with her own fingers a little, a sure sign of anxiety over the situation. Liara was not sure how to react now as Shepard truly looked like she felt guilty, and Liara tried to take a deep breath, calming her poor thumping heart. It was beating just as furiously in her chest. Probably trying to keep up with all the blood that rushed to the maiden's head.
Shepard watched with concern, looking like she wanted to say something, but also wanted to give Liara a moment. When Liara looked a little more collected, she looked at Shepard with the most bashful look yet. "It does not bother me, or at least I do not think so. I am unsure how it makes me feel." Liara looked down at her mug, trying to sort through her thoughts.
Shepard adjusted in her seat herself. "Well I hope it isn't a bad feeling." Liara shook her head vigorously as she chewed her bottom lip. How did it make her feel? Perhaps, in part, that it had been too sudden. She was certainly not used to near strangers flirting with her. If Shepard had any idea of who her mother was, she probably would have been like everyone else. Too afraid to even think about courting Benezia's daughter.
Not that… that was necessarily what this was, the asari amended with herself. And with some thought, no, Liara had found she did not dislike the attention. "I will admit, I am a bit overwhelmed. I… Not many find me interesting." Liara sighed in defeat, almost looking lost in the moment. Shepard managed a smile as she leaned forward again, scooting her chair closer to the table.
Shepard hesitated briefly before she reached out with her booted foot, gently tapping the side of the asari's to get her to look up again. Shepard did not want to pressure the asari. She had genuinely been curious about the maidan for days, and she didn't want to risk wrecking whatever this was. When blue eyes finally looked into rich brown, Shepard's smile brightened.
"Hey there." the human said lightly. That smile had looked so genuine, Liara couldn't help but smile a little herself. "There's that smile I like to see." Shepard went on, which caused Liara to flush once more, but her smile only grew. "Listen, how about we start from scratch, yeah?" Shepard then suggested.
Liara took a more relaxed breath as she stopped fiddling with her fingers, bringing her hands back above the table. She nodded her agreement as Shepard grinned, sticking a hand out at Liara. The asari couldn't help but laugh, and it was almost like music to the human's ears. It was the first time she had ever heard Liara laugh, and already she treasured the sound of it. Shepard felt her own butterflies flapping around in her guts over the sound of Liara's laughter.
When Liara finally reached across, their hands clasped as Shepard gave the archeologist a firm shake. "I'm Jaydan Shepard." the woman said, her confidence returning in full force. "Most people just call me Shepard." She then gave Liara a thoughtful look before giving her that roguish grin again.
Liara couldn't help the blush that grin caused as she reclaimed her hand. "Liara T'Soni. It is nice to meet you, Shepard." Liara responded in kind. The prothean expert wasn't entirely sure what this had meant for the foreseeable future, as she sat in that cafe with Shepard. But she had hoped for a friendship at least.
A real one. One that wasn't formed simply because the other person wanted to get on her mother's good side. One that wasn't because they were stuck with each other for so long, doing work. And if Liara had her way, it wouldn't be one her mother tried to force her way in to either. While the maidan loved her mother, sometimes she felt smothered by the Matriarch.
Finally, Liara cleared her throat and gave Shepard a more serious look. There had been one thing lingering in the back of Liara's hear. "Shepard, I must ask," the asari began. Shepard blinked as she gave the prothean expert a confused look. "What is a pickle?" The asari finally questioned.
It had caught the human so off guard she started laughing. It was a genuine laugh too, one that made Liaras heart flutter. She smiled more fully, realizing she had caused such a sound from Shepard.
And Liara knew she was likely in for it when she had hoped to hear that laugh more often. She even wondered how bad the fall from this could be later down the road.
She had hoped not bad at all.