In order for a relationship to work long-term, I think the partners need some semblance of equality. The fleshing out and evolution Liara underwent in LotSB made her a much better match for Shepard, imho - and I'm guessing that's what the writers were going for.
I'll discuss my thoughts about each character individually, and then address them as a couple.
Given the longer lifespans humans enjoy in the latter part of the 22nd century, it seems to me like the aging process would have also slowed down. Humanity has really only started to tap into the possibilities inherent in dna modifications and other life-enhancing, life-prolonging technologies at that point. In the next 50 years, they could extend the human lifespan another 100 years, and then another. Combine that with the cybernetics and some effects from the Lazarus Project, and it isn't all that difficult to imagine that Shepard could be around long enough to see Liara as a Matriarch, while keeping her teeth, muscle tone, erect posture, and reasonably taut skin.
By the end of ME3, Shepard is not only a symbol, but the embodiment of faith, hope, inspiration, overcoming impossible odds - a living legend - yet she still sees herself as just another soldier who did what needed to be done. She wants to stay out of the limelight, but is nowhere near ready to retire. She wants to continue to serve, protect, and inspire - but on her terms, not according to the demands of some other organization. To those ends, she arranges to have ongoing use of the Normandy to engage in independent Spectre operations - independent in the sense that she rarely accepts specific assignments from the Council, but instead pursues leads (mostly supplied by the Shadow Broker) she deems important to the ongoing security of the greater galactic community.
Liara publishes the process / methodology she had used to recognize the cyclic extinction patterns she told us about when we first rescued her from Therum. It is well-received by researchers in a variety of disciplines, and becomes another useful tool in their arsenal. She also writes and publishes the definitive works on the reapers and extinction cycles. Much of her interest in studying Protheans had been based on the belief that they built the Citadel and mass relays, and wanting to know more about their extinction. Though she still retains a modicum of interest in studying ancient civilizations, much of her passion for Prothean studies has been quenched by the satisfaction of the bulk of her intellectual curiosity about them.
Meanwhile, she still considers her role as the Shadow Broker to be her "dream job" and continues to operate what's left of the network, while enhancing and rebuilding it. She continues to add new capabilities and upgrades Glyph enough to allow her to take time away from it as desired. She will eventually turn it over to her child(ren).
Shepard and Liara marry and have little blue children, splitting their time between an apartment on the Citadel and a country estate on Thessia. Liara sometimes takes the girls on field trips to safe dig sites where she does some short-term studies.
They also adopt and raise a human child. The story behind that is they are doing some paperwork in some government office on Earth and hear about an infant the authorities can't save because they can't take care of her. Her mother was exposed to massive amounts of eezo, the baby needs to be fed and changed, but is putting up biotic barriers that make it impossible for anyone to work with her. Liara mind-melds with the baby, comforts her, helps her understand how to drop the barrier, and then proceeds to take care of her. With repeated "lessons" from Liara (and Grandma Aethyta) over the next few weeks, the baby develops enough control of her biotics to enable Shepard to assist with her care.
As a couple, they have the right stuff to stay together for the long haul. They share a tremendous mutual attraction, affection, appreciation, and respect for one another, and go through many different phases in their lives - never too domestic for too long, sometimes separated to pursue individual interests, other times working together and getting in each others' business... it just works.
I forgot I had asked what peoples' post war head canon was. Very well done..particularly like the bolded.
Right now this below is my head canon on Liara & Shepard, though that could chance once ME: Next rolls around. It will be interesting to see where that takes the series.
Shepard - After several surgeries and a year and a half spent in recovery and physical therapy, Shepard resigns from the Office of Special Tactics and Reconnaissance and returns to duty with the Alliance. He is later promoted to Captain and appointed commanding officer of the rebuilt Interplanetary Combatives Training (a.k.a. N-School or the Villa) at Vila Militar in Rio de Janeiro. He retires from the military on the twenty year anniversary of his enlistment and becomes a high paid security consultant for shipping and mining corporations doing business in sectors of space known for political instability, strife, or piracy. Despite his fame from Elysium and the Reaper War, he shuns all requests for interviews, book, or film deals, and employs a VI to screen all mail and comm requests. Upon his death at the age of 152, the Alliance gives him a state funeral attended by representatives of all Earth's nations as well as the members of the current Citadel Council, and delegations from all the species who fought in the Reaper War. Among them were a few Batarians.
Liara - Spends a decade as the Shadow Broker, using the resources at her disposal to both aid in the rebuilding process for formerly occupied worlds, and to neutralize threats that might seek to take advantage of the war's aftermath. Finally satisfied that she had done as much as she could, Liara turned over the reigns to Feron in what might of been the first peaceful transition of power for the organization in living memory. Following her 'retirement' Liara and Shepard held a quiet and traditional Asari bonding ceremony in the Thessian countryside outside Armali. She returned to the life she thought of as her true calling, and would spend the rest of her days as a scientist and academic. While heading a dig sponsored by the University of Serrice, Liara's team would unearth a significant Inusannon find beneath a Prothean site. In later years her work at this site caused her to became more well known as an expert on late period Inusannon, than for her earlier work with the Protheans. Following Shepard's death she eventually remarried, and by the time she passed at the age of 1173, she had had three bondmates...something not unusual for the extremely long-lived Asari. She was survived by four daughters, the first of which was from her union with Shepard.
Rane, on 22 Feb 2015 - 12:37 AM, said:
But with her again I'm torn. Does she stay the Shadow Broker or not?
Even though the War probably cost her most of her network, personally, I think too many people knew who the Shadow Broker was by the end of the War. I mean a lot of Cerberus agents would've known, and once the "genies out of the bottle" so to speak it wouldn't be long before everyone knew.
I'm kind of torn on that as well, though my head canon has her eventually passing the reigns to Feron. I think it's that story she tells about Benezia and digging for ruins in the park when she was a child, or generally geeking out on all things Prothean, that makes me feel like that is her true calling. So right now I lean towards going back to being an archaeologist as the happier ending for her.
Having said that I think there would still be a role for the Shadow Broker network even if Liara were to step aside. The trick would be in making sure is in capable hands.
But unfortunately I can't help with that pic. I tried to find the source, but it led to some dead links. You might have better luck on 'Nexus Mods' or some similar type sites. Sorry mate.
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