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 Posted: Tue Jul 22, 2025 4:30 pm
The Youth Conservation Corps program inside the city parks was supposed to be the less aggressively dirty, tiring, and demanding than the ones out in the nearby national forest. Which Jason figured was probably true, but somehow that didn't make him any less dirty, tired, or relaxed while he cleaned up yet another trail during the third week of the program. It'd be easier if he partnered up with someone, as was generally encouraged, but his team was in the midst of not one, not two, but three summer romances and he just didn't want to get involved or infected by that mess. Which was how he found himself in one of the more unused corners of their current park, smoothing out trails and cutting back branches to the tune of birdsong, snapping twigs, and... guitar.Not exactly professional, or near busking level, but still inoffensively pleasant enough guitar. Tamping down a section of path he'd had to dig a large rock out of, Jason decided he'd take a break at the rest area ahead. Take a look at the musician, and maybe check to see if anything repairing. Quietly slipping over from the small path, it took a moment to recognize the profile, not least because Riker Starmount simply wasn't someone he'd ever imagine playing romantic pop songs in the middle of a forest by himself. Or at all. Not that Jason knew him all too well outside of a brief Is Luke Safe? investigation. But still, the guy had the general aura of AC/DC on high blast, not Swiftie out in nature.Cool to know, though. When the music came to a stop it was greeted with the muted clapping of Jason Everleigh, wearing heavy work gloves, a telling amount of dirt and sweat, and a green shirt declaring him part of the DCYCC; bearing a tamper, trash bag, and grin. "Not bad, Starmount."
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Posted: Wed Jul 23, 2025 11:03 am
It wasn’t that Riker was trying to avoid Julian when he played. He knew Julian supported him, knew how much he encouraged him to keep practicing, but it still felt weird, knowing Julian hadn’t been playing his violin lately. He always had an excuse that sounded reasonable enough, and Riker never pushed, but he noticed the way Julian tugged at his sleeves when the subject came up. How he’d quickly and casually change the topic. How his eyes drifted toward some imagined horizon, like he was trying not to think about it, or that it didn’t hold his interest enough to focus on.
So… Riker stopped bringing it up.
He didn’t stop playing his guitar around the house, but… well… he also didn’t want to be judged by the others who lived there. Especially since he never thought he’d be learning Taylor Swift. Not that the music was bad -- it wasn’t -- but he’d spent so long building up armor that the idea of handing someone an easy reason to tease him felt reckless. Maybe even dangerous.
Which was exactly why, when he strummed the last cord and heard someone clapping, the breath in his chest caught sharp and hard. So much for peace. The hair on the back of his neck prickled. His ears flushed red.
It wasn’t that he was embarassed to play any of the songs he was practicing, but he was prepared for the mocking and teasing and name calling.
And to make matters worse, they knew his name??
Oh-- wait… Julian’s friend.
“I swear to god, I do not want any snacks!” Riker snapped, already too keyed up for this kind of surprise. He could probably make a run for it. He wasn’t really dressed for the heat, but he rarely, if ever, wore short sleeves. Even playing baseball, he usually had long sleeves under his jersey. Today was no different. Dark jeans, his usual lightweight zip-up hoodie hanging loosely on his shoulders… which he immediately straightened, like he could brace himself against whatever was coming next.
His hair was pulled into its usual low ponytail, with his red dyed bangs sticking slightly with sweat. The humidity made everything cling, made him feel on display. He hated it, especially now that he had an audience.
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Posted: Sat Jul 26, 2025 3:10 pm
The less than welcoming attitude wasn't at all unexpected, so Jason was mid-eyeroll when the declaration against snacks was made. "What?" It caming laughing, and a little incredulous. What a weird thing to say when...oh! Oh.In a way, it was even funnier now, but Jason swallowed back any further laughter as best he could. "You probably mean my brother, Luke. He's the one that likes to use food to..." he gave a vague gesture, walking toward the other boy now. "Make friends. Apologize. Comfort people. Fill awkward pauses." Rolling his shoulders into a shrug, he explained, "I'm Jason. The smart twin." He almost mentioned that they'd been in track together, but for one, it felt like almost half the school was on track team sometimes, way too many people in it to keep tabs. And second, the guy's hackles were already up, and it was all too easy to seem passive aggressive.
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Posted: Sun Jul 27, 2025 6:58 pm
“Your-- what.”
The words came out like he’d choked on them. Like they got caught in his throat and refused to move until he forced them out.
Twin. Twin.
The word bumped around in his brain like it was something foreign and made no sense… until everything caught up with him.
No. No no no.
He stared at Jason’s face, as if he could force it into something familiar -- except that it already was, and wasn’t, at the same time. Similar enough to make his stomach drop uncomfortably. Different enough to put him even more on edge.
His fingers tightened around the neck of his guitar. It had been a gift from Julian, something he’d found at his Wonder. Delicate in design with pale wood and mother-of-pearl inlay. Nothing like Riker’s usual taste, but something he cherished anyway.
Maybe it was a good thing it hadn’t been Luke. Riker knew Luke was Lisse, and there was no telling how familiar things were for Lysithea Knights when they had no clue the person holding the object was also a Knight.
For now, he held onto the guitar like a lifeline. Or maybe just something to hold so he didn’t have to admit that his hands were shaking.
“Julian didn’t--” He started but quickly snapped his mouth shut. Maybe Julian did. Maybe Luke did. Maybe it hadn’t been something that interested Riker at the time because it hadn’t felt like a threat, because he’d already decided Luke was filed under ‘mostly-safe’ and therefore not worth the energy. Or because he was busy. Or didn’t care. Or didn’t want to care. It didn’t matter. At least not at the time.
“You can’t just say ‘smart twin’ like that,” he snapped, latching onto the smallest, pettiest part of what Jason said because it was easier to deal with than the rest of it. “What does that make him? The dumb one? The snack one?”
He looked over Jason again. At the dirt and sweat and stupid grin and stupid shirt and stupid tamper. His ears were burning hotter.
“Congratulations on being the smart one, I guess,” he forced a scoff. He could hear himself. He knew he sounded ridiculous, but he couldn’t bring himself to stop.
He sucked in a breath in an attempt to calm himself down at least, but the humidity and heat made it worse. Oppressive. Like everything was pressing in on him.
He shoved his hoodie higher on his shoulders like it could protect him from… what? The idea of there being two of them? Maybe the implication that he’d missed something important?
“I’m not hungry,” he growled again, despite the fact that Jason hadn’t offered him anything, but it was apparently the hill his brain had chosen. “I mean-- if you brought anything. I don’t-- I don’t want it.” He paused, awkward and defensive at the same time. “I have water. If you want it.” Ah, maybe he could have made the offer sound less like a challenge.
He reached up to rub the back of his neck, shifting awkwardly on the bench. “You said Jason right? Not Luke pretending to be Jason, because that would be a really stupid prank, and I don’t think he’s that mean.” He caught himself and sighed.
“Look, I don’t--...” He paused again and gestured, vague and frustrated, at everything in between himself and Jason, at the entire situation.
“--do great with surprises. Or… multiplication,” he grimaced, but it was at least the closest he could manage to attempting a joke under the pressure of all the sudden self imposed weirdness.
Although, if he thought about it, he wondered why there were times that ‘Luke’ hadn’t attempted to bother him in the halls when their paths crossed. Had he really missed the fact that there were two this whole time?
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Posted: Mon Jul 28, 2025 4:36 pm
Had he really missed the fact that there were two of them this whole time? It was probably the best, most funniest thing Jason had heard all week. Maybe even all summer. It felt like he and Luke had pulled off a huge prank, with zero effort or planning on their part. Honestly, the worst part was not just bursting out laughing outright. Starmount seemed in the middle of working himself and down over the whole thing, so Jason figured it would be better to just let the other boy cook for now. He accepted the redirection to make him the person who did something wrong with a sage, satisfied nod, "Yeah. That's just how it is with twins, you know? I'm smart, so he gets all the dumb. He likes food, so I can't, but it just means I like drinks instead." Settling down near Riker, Jason put his equipment to the side and watched the other boy come to terms with this shift in his reality. Poor guy, he just came out her to secretly practice Taylor Swift songs on his pretty guitar, and found himself in the middle of what probably felt like either a grand conspiracy or the realization that he had been a profound dumbass. "Cool yeah, I'd love some water," Jason accepted with the grin that had yet to leave and an appreciative batting of eyelashes. Nodding along with the dislike of surprises, and the painful equation of what is one times two, he offered, "Well, then it's a good thing we decided not to jump out of a cake in your geometry class." Jason gave Riker a sympathetic look, "It was a close thing, though." Then he gestured to the guitar, "Have you been playing long?"
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Posted: Thu Jul 31, 2025 6:27 pm
He hadn’t meant to recoil when Jason sat down next to him. He didn’t think the guy had cooties or anything like that! But he was still waiting for the catch. For something horrible to happen. For Luke to jump down from a tree with a cursed coconut cake and try to smother him into a sugary, anaphylactic death. Which-- whatever. That would be fine. It was fine.
But now Jason was there. Sitting next to him. Accepting his offer for water. Batting his eyelashes.
And worst of all -- Riker felt his ears go hot, and then his cheeks, too.
Absolutely not. This was not okay. This was nothing to get flustered about. He was just going to grab the stupid water and give it to the stupid smart twin and then maybe survive the afternoon without being mocked to death.
“I would have punched you if you jumped out of a cake,” he grumbled, snatching up a water bottle he had in the bag like it personally offended him. He held it awkwardly, defensively out to Jason like he was ready for it to explode. Or be smacked out of his hand with some a*****e comment of just kidding! Or get some kind of comment about being lame for drinking normal water.
Thankfully, his attention was drawn to his guitar. He smoothed his hand over the mother-of-pearl inlay and shrugged.
“Uh… since Christmas,” he said, not really looking at Jason. “Julian-- you know Julian, right?” The question felt ridiculous. Of course he knew Julian. He had to know Julian. But something about the twin-thing threw off every assumption Riker thought he could safely make. Wait, what if he didn’t actually know Julian??
“Anyway, he gave it to me,” he shrugged again. “I’ve had a couple lessons but nothing serious. Elliot Reid’s dad played in a band apparently. The one who doesn’t look like he’s always going to cry,” he clarified, since both of Elliot’s dads were teachers at Azure. He might have felt a little guilty for knowing he was one of the people who’d made Elliot’s dad cry.
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Posted: Sat Aug 02, 2025 6:05 pm
Somehow Riker punching them made the image of jumping out of a cake for math class even more ridiculous. But then the other boy bringing out a bottle of water, and it was like a choir of angels started singing in the background. Taking it, Jason gave a Thank you! so effusive that it wouldn't have look out of place if he'd started crying in gratitude. Instead though, his head was tipped back and he was chugging that water like it might disappear if he didn't hurry. Finally, over half of it gone, Jason let up with a satisfied, " Ahhhhh. Thanks man," he said again. "I'd been brainwashing myself for the last half hour that I wasn't actually thirsty." The mention of Julian had him nodding in confirmation. He knew Julian. Not like, knew-knew, but just knew in an intentionally distant and passive sort of way. Giving someone an instrument seemed pretty nice, though. It was a sort of investment in another person, a hopeful expectation. And it seemed that investment was bearing fruit, if Riker was taking lessons, and had learned to play some modern songs well enough to recognize. "Oh, the math teacher?" Of Reid's two dads, that's the one he pegged as least likely to start crying. "Huh." So he was a music guy too. Was he secretly one of those secret Cool Teacher types that had a garage band? Well, whatever. He'd find out later. "You're pretty good for only half a year learning," Jason commented, wiping the edges of his mouth with the back of his hand. "Are you and Julian starting a band?" He could see the vision.
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Posted: Fri Aug 08, 2025 7:17 pm
Riker’s cheeks burned hotter, though this time it was something closer to embarrassment than outright panic. Jason’s easy grin and playful teasing weren’t exactly what he was used to… and it kind of made his head spin a little.
“Uh… thanks,” he muttered, brushing a hand through his ponytail like that would hide how flustered he felt. “I’m not that good,” he huffed, glancing down at his fingers twitching near the strings, and then back up at Jason like he was about to say something else but wasn’t sure if he should.
“We’re not starting a band,” he snorted softly, still clearly uncomfortable but trying to make the best of it. “Though… Cassidy’s teased about using his accordion to go along with Julian’s violin, my guitar… maybe Elliot on drums or something.” He shrugged a little like it was supposed to be a joke, even if it might not have been entirely.
“Uh… Cassidy Vincenza… goes to Azure too. Long blond ponytail, really sassy social butterfly type. Used to be on the baseball team but was in a bad crash and…”
Obviously couldn’t play, but Riker shut his mouth because that wasn’t his story to tell… Instead, he let out a little breath.
“Uh… and I’m not really using Starmount anymore.” He tried to sound casual, but the admission felt heavy, like he was getting ready to be teased or was trying to prepare himself for questions he wasn’t ready for. “Starting this school year, I’m changing my name. To McCann. Same as Julian’s.”
He glanced away and shrugged again, like that was enough to shield himself. “He was kind enough to… let me, I guess,” he mumbled, awkward and hesitant, but beneath the surface it could probably be heard very clearly how pleased he was by the choice. It was a relief to start fresh, in a way.
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Posted: Sat Aug 09, 2025 4:55 pm
Bobbing his head along with the names, Jason paused for a moment at Cassidy Vincenza before nodding with recognition. Yeah, that had been a big story hadn't it? Especially once he'd returned. But what was the and... about him? Another instrument? Singer? Songwriter? Because even if Riker wasn't starting a band, it sounded like he had a potential one at the ready. He gave the other boy a closer look, even more so as his tone shifted, suddenly a little hopeful and...defensive? Over a name change? Something told Jason it wasn't as straightforward as a marriage, divorce, or adoption. Things that were both a pretty big deal, but also pretty normal. No, kind enough to let me, sort of affairs. "So....Riker McCann? Riker McCann." Jason tried it out, finishing with a third, " Riker McCann," accompanied with a wink and a fingergun. " Yeah, that sounds really good. Like, I know you couldn't help it before, but man, this city really loves its star names, right?" Star names were great, but it had to be rough being Guy Starname in Starname City. "Anyway, you should totally start a band. You're in high school and learning to play guitar with a bunch of friends who can also do musical stuff. It's kind of the only time you can start a band and people go, Wow! That's so cool! Instead of asking when you plan on getting a real job." He shot Riker a wry smile, "It really would be cool, though."
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Posted: Wed Aug 13, 2025 6:17 pm
Riker stared at the wink, feeling the heat in his ears spike all over again. He didn’t quite know what to do with someone else saying his name like that. The way he was rolling it over like it was already a part of him.
The part of him that felt fiercely protective over it bristled, but not in a bad way. It was Julian’s name. Now it was his, too. That was… a big deal. Bigger than he really wanted to explain.
He let out a small, uneven breath and tried to force his shoulders to relax. He wasn’t very successful.
“...Thanks,” he said, voice quiet but steady. “It means a lot.” He left it at that, without trying to explain why.
The corner of his mouth twitched at Jason’s insistence on the band thing. “I mean… if we ever do, I guess I’ll save you a ticket. Discounted,” he added after a small pause, like that was the best compromise he could offer.
His eyes dropped to the guitar again, brushing over the strings without playing them. “But… for now, I think I’m gonna keep learning. One thing at a time.”
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Posted: Sun Aug 17, 2025 4:55 pm
Definitely some sort of weighty, complicated situation. Not something to explain to a random classmate. Actually, it must have been a bit...vulnerable, to haver told him about it all. Testing the waters? Well, neither of them crying or punching one another, so hopefully Riker would find telling the next person a bit easier. "Oh, nice. Good thing I've started saving up from," he tapped his t-shirt, cheerfully proclaiming him part of the Destiny City Youth Conservation Corps. "The pay is actually pretty decent," Jason assured the other boy. "I might even be able to afford tickets to two concerts." Pausing, he emptied the last of the water bottle, finishing with a satisfied sigh. Leaning back where he sat, Jason put his weight on his elbows and stretch his legs forward. Feeling something pop, he sighed again. "I didn't take you for Taylor guy. What else have you learned to play?" Was he purposely taking his time here? Was he procrastinating his apparently well paying summer job? Yes. he'd been on his feet for hours in the heat doing dirty work literally full of dirt.
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Posted: Sun Aug 17, 2025 6:22 pm
Riker relaxed a little further, although he still felt like he was waiting for something to shift. He glanced up in the trees just in case Luke was ready to jump down on him. No, that sounded insane. But it wasn’t like Jason’s easy grin gave him much to brace against. Still, he hadn’t realized how much tension had been in his shoulders until the tension started to fade, leaving him more tired than he wanted to admit.
He glanced over at the logo on Jason’s shirt. “...Conservation Corps? That’s what you do?” There was genuine curiosity there, although he wasn’t sure if he was just making himself sound awkward about it. “That’s kind of cool.”
As for himself.. “I work on a food truck. Snack’N Cheese. It’s pretty simple stuff. I mostly just do the orders and serving and cleanup. Sometimes it’s busy, but… not bad. Beats being stuck inside all day,” he shared, although surprised that it seemed easy to just talk about it.
“If I ever need extra cash, maybe I’ll check out what you guys do. Doesn’t sound bad since you can afford to just sit around,” he observed, maybe a little skeptically. Maybe a little judgy, but nothing malicious. It wasn’t like he was going to run off and tattle on Jason for taking a break.
“As for songs, uh… beginner stuff. Chords, strumming patterns. General rock. Mr. Reid said it was ‘the law’ to learn Wonderwall,” he snorted quietly to himself. “Said it would be awkward if someone asked me to play and I didn’t know it. Don’t you dare get any ideas,” he warned, shooting Jason a wary look, his amusement disappearing for the moment.
Then Jason’s Taylor comment caught up to him, and he felt his ears burn. “You recognized it, though,” he said, tone tentative, almost accusing in its curiosity. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “So, uh… what does that say about you? Are you a Taylor guy?”
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Posted: Sun Aug 17, 2025 8:07 pm
"It's only for a couple months in summer, but it's pretty fun. And I get to learn a lot, about like, maintaining trails and fixing stuff. Building places for people to hang out." And it was outside, which meant he got to roam around and, yeah, be a little lazy for a bit. No air conditioner, though. Definitely a downside this far south. "Food truck is cool," he nodded. "Like, probably not actually cool, I bet it's hot as heck. But so's working out here." Just thinking about it had Jason pulling at the collar of his tshirt, giving it a dramatic little series of flaps. "You should though, as long as you don't mind..." Jason gestured to himself, with all the day's well-earned bits of grime and dark patches of sweat. "It looks great on a transcript." Snorting at Wonderwall, Jason opened his mouth to begin his request when Riker stopped him with a look. Shutting his mouth, he still couldn't help the grin. "Some people hate to admit reality, but the reality is she's an icon for our generation. Pretending not to recognize her stuff is like my grandpa pretending not to recognize Sinatra. Silly. But..." He shot Riker a solemn, judgmental gaze, "Don't get it twisted, I'm a Sabrina Carpenter guy."
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Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2025 1:27 pm
Riker returned Jason’s look with one that clearly showed him trying very hard to process things. “Isn’t that Taylor’s daughter?”
He thought he remembered Énna saying something about that once, but it was too much to keep straight. He frowned, turning it over in his head, until the timeline didn’t add up at all. He’d been wondering why it seemed weird, because he didn’t think Taylor Swift was that old…
His ears burned again and he shuffled his feet against the ground. “Now that I said it out loud, uh… I think that was supposed to be a joke,” he admitted with a grimace.
Trying to move past his misunderstanding, he latched onto something easier. “So… you build trails and stuff? That’s not what I thought conversation work was. That actually sounds kinda useful,” he said, a note of approval in his voice, followed by a small shrug. “Definitely better than being stuck inside all day.”
Jason’s words about Taylor stuck in his head, though, and he looked down at his hands on the guitar. “...She’s iconic, huh,” he huffed, like he was deciding if that was the case. Énna would certainly agree. His mouth twitched, caught between something of a smile and a wince.
“Okay, fine. I didn’t pick that one by accident. I… I’m not really a Taylor guy, but someone I kinda like is. I thought maybe if I learned to play it, they’d…. You know.” He trailed off with a grimace, cheeks flushing a bit as well. He strummed a single lazy chord, trying to wave it off like it didn’t matter.
“Got any suggestions for other songs I should learn?” he asked, risking a glance up at Jason, wary but also curious.
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Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2025 3:21 pm
Turning his head, Jason stared wide-eyed at the revelation. He knew music, but celebrity news wasn't at all part of that. Was she?! How old was... The embarrassed admission from Riker had Jason clutching his chest a little and wheezing out a laugh. "I almost believed you, man. What the heck..." Getting his breath back, he nodded. "Yeah. Sometimes we learn about what you're probably expecting, from like, science guys and park rangers. But the work is mainly practical, hands-on stuff. Things I'll definitely make use of on my own time." In space. Oh what was this, though? Was this a... crush? Jason tried not to smile too much or too knowingly. Clearing his throat he sat up. "Just knowing what people like and are interested in? They really like it. So learning one of their favourite songs is a pretty cool thing to do." Clearing his throat, he went on, "When I was in middle school, I had this like, enormous crush on my soccer captain? But like, I had... have this rule about dating. So I never said anything, but I wanted to say something. So I learned Santana's Smooth on piano, and sometimes I'd play it when everybody was hanging out before practice. And it was fun, people danced to it, and so did he. So it felt really good, you know?" Jason nodded to himself, "Anyway, the answer is Smooth, by Carlos Santana, and it sounds a lot better on guitar."
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