#Lizzy is a budding biologist

[basingstokemercury]

I genuinely think it would have made things more interesting if Adam had had a wife and kids from the start of the show. All still living on the Ponderosa of course, there's plenty of room and they could likely even fit in the same house.

Aside from evening the gender balance a bit, it'd open up more opportunities for storytelling and drama - Ben, Hoss, and Joe are all single, we'd have plenty of room for episodic love interests and Adam can kiss his wife anytime if the fans' lust desires it.

The richness of Ben as a grandfather (how did his parenting influence his son's?), the younger boys as uncles (how did they react to their brother marrying and having children before they were even adults?), Adam in a permanent relationship with someone who hasn't spent most of her life with him (there's interesting potential for healing his emotional problems for one thing), a bunch of brilliant, headstrong kids running around the Ponderosa (what happens when trouble strikes and the others have to face the possibility of telling them their father's never coming home?)...

The OC I came up with as a love interest for Adam, Flora McGill, comes with a meeting backstory that might not work if they're a decade-established couple already, but I'm sure I could edit that as needed.

After some deliberation I think they should have three daughters (to make a full cast of four guys and four girls because why not - and with those daughters being very young they wouldn't take too much focus from the adults) - eight-year-old Elizabeth, three-year-old Brunel, and baby Hypatia.

Visual designs to be figured out.

[beakerhoneydew]

The Very Long OC Post

I'm finally doing it baby. Here is everything you need to know about my oc ship the USS Independence. If you want to see more I usually tag posts on my blog with #uss independence tag.

I would say Quince, Lilac, and Clair are the "main" characters of the ship (as in, they're the ones I spend the most time thinking about) but there's 10 big named crew members

The Ship

The Independence is a ship with a little bit of an aura of silliness about it. Or if not silliness then definitely weirdness. Everything was thrown into chaos when one day without warning a rogue Q pulled up on the ship requesting asylum and frankly they haven't recovered since.

The Independence is located vaguely in the TNG era when the Q were starting to interact with Starfleet but I've never pinned it to a specific stardate. They wear TNG uniforms and have holodecks and stuff. The ship is probably Galaxy Class but who knows (I don't!)

The Characters

Quince

Quince is the aforementioned Q. She's disenchanted with being part of the continuum and deeply interested in mortal lives -- so naturally she ran away from the continuum and requested asylum on a federation ship. Captain Mason let her stay mostly out of a sense of diplomatic obligation but by the time the continuum gave up and let her go gallivanting around with mortals they became close and eventually ended up getting together.

Although hanging around on a federation ship for the foreseeable future wasn't the initial plan, it's where Quince has found herself. Technically in the Starfleet records she's a civilian consultant engineer but perhaps more accurately she's a guy who's around and is the cause of a lot of the random silly shit that happens to the ship.

Quince's closest friend on the ship (other than her beautiful wonderful partner Lizzie) is T'Vel, the Vulcan science officer/first officer. They have a sort of opposites attract thing going on where Quince brings T'Vel out of her shell and T'Vel keeps some of Quince's chaotic energy contained. She's also close with the CJs and Lilac.

Captain Elizabeth "Lizzie" Mason

Lizzie is the captain of the Independence. She was initially very removed from her crew, but after Quince dropped into her lap and forcibly upended her life, she's become closer to them. She has been ruthlessly chasing captainhood from a young age, and during her time at Starfleet Academy she started going by Liz, abandoning "Lizzie" as she felt it was a childish nickname that would hold her back as she climbed the ladder of success. When Quince showed up, she started up calling her Lizzie again, and she's decided to let it stick.

Unlike Quince, Lizzie doesn't have any besties on the ship, although she is close with T'Vel in a "we have to work closely so we obviously end up trusting each other" way, and has a friendly relationship with Clair, who she mostly knows through Quince. However, in classic Trek captain style, she's started hosting monthly dinners in her cabin at Quince's encouragement.

Ensign Lilac Merra

Lilac is one of the newest crew members onboard the Independence. She grew up on Luna with her grandmother, where she spent a lot of time outside (and developed an affinity for bouldering) and quickly became a Weird Plant Girl.

The Independence is Lilac's first posting as a plant biologist after finishing her time at the academy. At first she was shy and mostly wanted to keep to herself and do her research but between her close friendship with Quince and budding relationship with CJ, she's been brought out of her shell and become a part of the crew.

Clair "CJ" Jones

CJ is a bartender in The Independence's lounge, alongside her brother. Her brother also goes by CJ. They do this specifically to vex and torment those around them. She doesn't have quite the same love for mischief and theatrics for her brother, and she's not quite sure what she wants to do in her life. As a 3/4 betazoid, she's also neurodivergent in a way specific to telapathic species -- she's often unable to tell the thoughts and feelings of others from her own. Because of these two things, she's a little afraid of losing CJ and no longer being a pair.

Both CJs are close with Quince, who introduced them to Lilac. The two bonded over their love of outdoor sports (CJ enjoys Betazoid Windsurfing) and being unsure of their place on the ship. They eventually started dating -- CJ's first serious romantic relationship.

Charlie "CJ" Jones

CJ is the other half of the twin CJs. More outgoing than his sister, he feels like he's meant for the spotlight. Currently he mostly channels this instinct into mild pranks, but eventually he plans to pursue an acting career.

CJ has a weird homoerotic relationship with Ziran, the ship's chief of security. They'll both insist that they do NOT like each other at all and are in fact mortal enemies but the fact that they have a standing weekly chess date in the lounge and also CJ keeps accidentally projecting fantasies of them like holding hands and cuddling and shit directly into his sister's brain would seem to contradict this.

Lieutenant Commander Ziran Jor

Ziran is the long-suffering Trill head of security on the Independence. He liked how it was before, when they didn't have a rogue Q on the ship attracting all kinds of nonsense, thank you very much.

Between various goofy security threats Ziran mostly spends his time hanging out with T'Lara (only sensible person on the ship) and chasing down Quince and the CJs and absolutely NOT pining after Charlie (<- lie). He enjoys chess but is also very bad at it due to. Not being the most creative thinker. CJ is trying to fix that tho.

Lieutenant Sam Gallagher

Sam is the Independence's resident xenosociologist. What department does that make her a part of? No one is actually sure. And no one has ever seen her wearing a uniform. In fact, it's not entirely clear who Sam even reports to. Every so often she just sort of rolls up and presents the captain with a longass report on how an alien species they came into contact with does gender.

Sam has a reputation for being sort of distant and hard to befriend, but she's mostly just supremely autistic. Once you get her going, she won't shut up, and once she's decided you're friends, she's extremely loyal. Her best friend on the ship is Agaren, who she was originally only interested in research purposes, but they quickly found they clicked really well.

Commander T'Vel

Both the Science Officer and the First Officer on the Independence, T'Vel has a lot of Vulcan legacy to live up to. Her grandfather was a well-respected Vulcan politician and her mother was a Vulcan ambassador to Earth, where T'Vel was mostly raised. For this reason, she's very concerned with coming off as a Good And Proper Vulcan.

The thing is she's not actually a very good Vulcan. She's run away from her family history of politics to do science in starfleet, where she doesn't have any grand visions of command or admiralhood despite her mother's push to pursue the highest office she can. She rarely visits Vulcan (although she is scrupulously on top of Vulcan fashion trends). And to top it all off, she's best friends with a rogue Q who attracts all kinds of un-logical attention to her ship. Being friends with Quince has helped her loosen up a little bit and accept she doesn't always have to be perfect and logical.

Doctor Agaren

Agaren is the first and only Cavernite in Starfleet. Being a completely subterranean species, Cavernites are not by nature very interested in traveling the galaxy and seeing the stars, but Agaren is an exception. She's exceptionally interested in medicine and other species' biology, having been largely isolated until she joined Starfleet. She's worked her way up to be the Independence's CMO and put her knowledge to work.

Agaren isn't very socially adept due to the aforementioned isolation, and this sometimes takes a toll on her work. She's very friendly and personable, sometimes overly so, and very much has a "everyone needs to like me and if they don't I've done something terribly wrong" attitude. She's extremely close with Sam, something that initially came as a surprise to both of them.

Lieutenant Commander T'Lara

T'Lara is the Independence's chief engineer and is, for lack of a better way to put it, a much better Vulcan than T'Vel. She's an extremely logical thinker and enjoys knowing how things work, which serves her well in engineering.

T'Lara is not close with many people on the ship, but she does appreciate Ziran's company, as they share a mutual distaste for the illogical silliness the ship attracts. She has a very hostile relationship with T'Vel, who she resents for being highly illogical and for reaching such a high position despite her young age and lack of logic.

[aresaphrodites]

Hey but sorry to bother u but could give me those book recs? Relying on u girl

of course!! sorry bout the long wait, dear x

you said you preferred trilogies or series’ (which i don’t read much of tbh) so here are a few of my favorites: (( some of these will have full on summaries and some… not so much, i got lazy lol ))

The Lux Series by Jennifer L. Armentrout : Meet Katy and Daemon! Katy is a funny, down-to-earth book blogger who has just moved to West Virginia. And Daemon? Well, he’s her hot and arrogant next-door neighbor. He’s also an alien. This one is cheesy, yeah, but it’s so FUN! Follow along as Katy and Daemon try to figure out what they mean to each other while trying not to get killed by the Arum; the Lumen’s enemy. In this world, the DOD is well aware that aliens exist and that they live on Earth. However, they are unaware that the aliens known as Luxen actually possess powers that make them.. well… powerful beyond means. This isn’t just a romance story; it focuses on family and friendships and it has a bunch of kick ass action and the entire plot with the DOD is so interesting. 

The Pine Deep Series by Jonathan Maberry ; I’m only on the first book but this one is a bit more mature in terms of horror and things like that. If you like scary books or feel like being spooky in time for Halloween, you should definitely check this one out! 

The Mortal Instruments Series by Cassandra Clare : I’m sure you know about this one, but if you don’t! Angels, demons, warlocks, vampires, faeries, werewolves? What more could you want? When Clary Fray discovers she’s actually a Shadowhunter; an appointed warrior of the Angel Raziel and has angel blood coursing through her veins, her life is about to change forever. Join her and the rest of the Shadowhunter gang (and even a few others) as they team up to rescue her mom and stop an all out war from happening. 

The Darkest Minds Series by Alexandra Bracken ; I’m only on the first book but I absolutely love it! It’s an intense read that has me on the edge of my seat constantly. I adore Ruby and she’s easily become one of my favorite female characters of all time. 

Dorothy Must Die Series by Danielle Paige ; Okay. I know, I know. Really? Dorothy Must Die? Hear me out! This book is FUN. Trashy? Perhaps, but fun! The first book is really fast paced and honestly? I am living for a world where Dorothy is evil. So basically our main character is named Amy and she is the other girl from Kansas. She’s sent to Oz to save it from Dorothy Gale who has become power hungry and is now pure evil along with the Tin-Man, the Lion, and the Scarecrow. The rest of the series doesn’t really live up to the first book, but I would say you should read the first one anyway. It’s a lot of fun. 

Did I Mention I Love You Series by Estelle Maskame: Sixteen-year-old Eden Munro decides to spend the summer with her father in Santa Monica as her parents are divorced now. Once there, she meets her father’s new family and that includes Tyler Bruce; her new asshole step brother with a short temper and a huge ego but as she gets to learn more about him, she finds herself falling for him. This trope isn’t for everyone and I know the whole step sibling thing is super taboo but this series is awesome and I read it during a huge reading slump and it really helped me get though it. 

Perfect Chemistry Series by Simone Elkeles: When Brittany Ellis walks into chemistry class on the first day of senior year, she has no clue that her carefully created “perfect” life is about to unravel before her eyes. She’s forced to be lab partners with Alex Fuentes, a gang member from the other side of town, and he is about to threaten everything she’s worked so hard for―her flawless reputation, her relationship with her boyfriend, and the secret that her home life is anything but perfect. Alex is a bad boy and he knows it. So when he makes a bet with his friends to lure Brittany into his life, he thinks nothing of it. But soon Alex realizes Brittany is a real person with real problems, and suddenly the bet he made in arrogance turns into something much more. (Each book in this series focuses on a different Fuentes brother.)

Fighting to Be Free Series by Kirsty Moseley: Jamie Cole has just been released from juvenile detention. Determined to go straight, he tries to cut ties with crime boss Brett Reyes - but Brett has no intention of letting him go. Jamie’s life is already more complicated than it needs to be, yet it’s when he meets a beautiful stranger at a bar that Jamie knows he’s really in over his head. Ellie Pearce has just come out of a terrible relationship and isn’t looking for anything serious; until she meets Jamie. Their attraction is overwhelming and intense - she can’t seem to shake her growing feelings for him, even though she’s trying to keep it casual. But when fate goes horribly wrong and Jamie’s family is faced with ruin, he’s forced to strike a deal with Brett. Despite his struggles, he wants nothing more than a future with Ellie. That’s until Ellie finds out that he’s been hiding more from her than she could ever imagine. 

Mind if I drop in a few stand alone’s? I’m trying to read more series’ but I’ve always been more of a stand alone kind of girl, so here are some of my current favs: 

#MurderTrending by Gretchen McNeil : WELCOME TO THE NEAR FUTURE, where good and honest citizens can enjoy watching the executions of society’s most infamous convicted felons, streaming live on The Postman app from the suburbanized prison island Alcatraz 2.0. When seventeen-year-old Dee Guerrera wakes up in a haze, lying on the ground of a dimly lit warehouse, she realizes she’s about to be the next victim of the app. Knowing hardened criminals are getting a taste of their own medicine in this place is one thing, but Dee refuses to roll over and die for a heinous crime she didn’t commit. Can Dee and her newly formed posse, the Death Row Breakfast Club, prove she’s innocent before she ends up wrongfully murdered for the world to see? Or will The Postman’s cast of executioners kill them off one by one?

One Small Thing by Erin Watt : Meet Beth and Chase. Beth is entering her senior year and is still trying to move on from the death of her older sister three years ago. In a small town with parents who have suddenly become her wardens; that seems nearly impossible. And then she meets the mysterious and hot Chase who immediately draws her in. Their attraction is instant and he’s the first person who makes her feel like Beth Jones and not Lizzie; the young girl who lost a sister and is somehow broken by it. But as she falls harder for Chase, she’s hit with the reality of the part he played in her sister’s death. It’s about forgiveness, love, and moving on. It’s sad and sweet and such a fun, quick read. Definitely good for trying to get out of a slump! 

Autoboyography by Christina Lauren :  Fangirl meets Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda in this funny and poignant coming-of-age novel from New York Times bestselling author Christina Lauren about two boys who fall in love in a writing class—one from a progressive family and the other from a conservative religious community. If you read one book off of this list, PLEASE let it be this one. This book is so… amazing. It’s been months and I still think about it constantly. 

Fault Line by C. Desir : Trigger WARNING: THIS BOOK CONTAINS A RAPE. It is not shown, but it’s the main conflict in the book. Over the years I have struggled with if I liked this book because it was good or if I liked it because of how much it fucked me up. I read this book in one sitting and when I finished, I sat in my bed for a good hour and just…. didn’t move or do anything. You will NOT be rooting for the main couple. The narrator is unlikable and you will HATE all the characters in this book. The ending is NOT happy and I don’t know why I’m recommending this but GOD. This book, after so many years, just stuck with me because of how fucked up it was. It deals with the whole “recovery” process in such a dark way that we normally don’t see in YA fiction and I think that’s what makes it stand out so much. If you want something darker, read this. But read it with caution. If this isn’t something you like then please, don’t bother reading it. It’s not happy and it’s sure as shit not fluffy. Summary : Ben could date anyone he wants, but he only has eyes for the new girl—sarcastic free-spirit Ani. Luckily for Ben, Ani wants him too. She’s everything Ben could ever imagine. Everything he could ever want. But that all changes after the party. The one Ben misses. The one Ani goes to alone. Now Ani isn’t the girl she used to be, and Ben can’t sort out the truth from the lies. What really happened, and who is to blame? Ben wants to help her, but she refuses to be helped. The more she pushes Ben away, the more he wonders if there’s anything he can do to save the girl he loves.

Meddling Kids by Edgar Cantero : If you like Scooby-Doo or Archie’s Weird Mysteries this book is probably for you. 1990. The teen detectives once known as the Blyton Summer Detective Club are all grown up and haven’t seen each other since their fateful, final case in 1977. Andy, the tomboy, is twenty-five and on the run, wanted in at least two states. Kerri, one-time kid genius and budding biologist, is bartending in New York, working on a serious drinking problem. At least she’s got Tim, an excitable Weimaraner descended from the original canine member of the team. Nate, the horror nerd, has spent the last thirteen years in and out of mental health institutions, and currently resides in an asylum in Arhkam, Massachusetts. The only friend he still sees is Peter, the handsome jock turned movie star. The problem is, Peter’s been dead for years.The time has come to uncover the source of their nightmares and return to where it all began in 1977. This time, it better not be a man in a mask. The real monsters are waiting. 

Fatal Throne by Candace Fleming ; A book about Henry VIII and his six wives. If you like historical fiction then this book might be for you! It’s told through the perspective of his six wives (and even Henry himself) and it’s a really fascinating read. 

Okay, I think I’m going to stop here. Let me know if none of these speak to you and I’ll give you some more recs! I didn’t know what kind of genres you liked, so I tried to throw in a little bit of everything.