As much as I ask you about Kathryn/Owen, I'm more interested in Julia/Owen for these questions.
I was hoping someone would give me Owen and Julia. XD
How differently do they think of each other now compared to when they first met?
Well, when they FIRST met, Owen’s thoughts on Julia were limited to “wow, she’s pretty” and Julia’s thoughts were “ugh, Starfleet boys.” But I don’t know if that counts. They got past that limited impression pretty fast.
But if you took what they thought of each other, say, six months into knowing each other, and compared that to what they thought of each other years into their marriage, or at the end of their lives, I’m not sure it is that different. They both stay fundamentally the same, but I guess how they think of each other is just tempered by time and life and struggle.
Julia has always been so taken by what a fundamentally GOOD person Owen is. Over time, she doesn’t stop thinking of him that way, but it is a deeper, more nuanced understanding. Just because he’s good, doesn’t mean he doesn’t make mistakes.
Owen’s impression of Julia might actually change more. He was most struck early on by what a open, loving, passionate person she is, but over time, he really comes to understand and appreciate how forgiving she is to those she loves (not just him).
What do their friends/family think of their relationship?
Julia’s parents love Owen. They (a Starfleet Academy professor turned administrator and a doctor at Starfleet Medical) thought it was absolutely HILARIOUS when their daughter who vowed to have nothing to do with Starfleet fell in love with the Starfleetiest of Starfleet officers.
Owen isn’t very close to his father, but he thinks Julia is wonderful. Sometimes Owen thinks his father likes Julia more than him.
How do their personalities/skills complement or contrast with each other?
They complement each other well. Owen is the more reserved one, while Julia is more personable. Neither of them is particularly needy, so they are able to tolerate him being away on missions better than most (she goes with him on the ship for a number of years when their kids are young, but she gets sick of being in space and later stays in SF with the kids while he leaves on missions). They are both able to have their own lives and their life together, and it’s not a problem for them.
What is their favorite aspect of each other?
UGH. It’s always so hard to narrow it down.
Owen really loves Julia’s confidence and passion. When she smiles while she talks abut something she loves, he gets all wiggly inside. And Julia really loves Owen’s soft under-belly. He can be very IN CONTROL, and SERIOUS, and RESERVED, but sometimes he’s NOT in his element, and he’s a little off and nervous and shy and vulnerable and she loves that he can be vulnerable around her (it’s pretty rare for him).
Do either of them have pet peeves about each other?
Sometimes Owen has trouble expressing his feelings and it drives Julia up the wall. He’s very HONEST, but he isn’t always very OPEN.
Julia is comfortable with a higher level of mess and chaos in life than Owen is, Which means that when he gets back from a long mission, the house is probably a WRECK and it stresses him out.
How would each reconcile with each other after a fight?
Well, after normal sized fights, Owen sends little gifts to Julia to make up for things. It doesn’t matter if he’s on the opposite side of the Alpha Quadrant, he will find a way to get flowers or her favorite chocolates or some other little token that says “I’m sorry and I’m thinking of you” delivered to their home or to her office.
With bigger things that are harder to make up for (*cough* cheating on her *cough*), he is a little lost. He’s usually not someone who makes a lot of mistakes, so he doesn’t have a lot of practice with big things. So in cases like that, he resorts to just doing whatever Julia wants. He wants rules, some sort of script or guidance. Tell him what to do and he will do it, no matter what.
Julia varies it up more. She is good at telling what Owen needs, and adapts to suit the situation. Sometimes that means she just tells him she’s sorry, gives him a kiss, and then leaves him alone to give him some time to himself. Other times he needs a little distraction, and she arranges to get the kids out of the house so they can have some alone time (*wink wink nudge nudge*). And other times it might be something else, but whatever it is, she can usually figure it out.
What would be their ideal vacation getaway together?
Their lives are pretty fast paced. Owen explores strange new worlds, seeks out new life, and boldly goes all the time at work. so he doesn’t actually need anything that exciting to make it special. And Julia does a fair amount of off-world travel too, for conferences (she’s a professor at Berkeley). Frankly, both of them just like having all their family in one place for once.
So their ideal vacation is family vacation with the kids at Lake Tahoe. Julia’s family has a vacation house there on the north side of the lake (originally obtained by Julia’s grandfathers, Afrand and Matias Paris-Rivera). Julia prefers going in the winter for skiing (a love she passed down to their son, Tom), while Owen prefers sailing in the summer.
They go at least twice a year.
Think of a new way (AU, different situation, etc.) they could have met for the first time.
AU where they meet later in life. Owen is still in Starfleet and Julia is still a professor with a long family history in Starfleet, but they didn’t meet while they were young.
Owen never married, he was always too busy with work. Julia got married and had three kids (Kathleen, Moira, and Tom), but eventually got divorced.
They bump into each other when Julia goes to her mother’s office at the Academy (she’s the head of the Astrosciences Dept.). Owen is teaching astrophysics at the Academy, so she’s effectively his boss. They chat (Julia tells him she’s a professor, and he thinks she means at the Academy, but how could he have not noticed someone as beautiful as her?!, but she corrects him), and he wants to ask her out, but he’s hesitant because she’s his boss’ daughter.
After he doesn’t ask her out, he regrets it. But when they run into each other a second time, she asks him out. He says yes.
Give me a ship, and I’ll answer these questions.
