Re-Introducing Big Time Rush OCs - The Jacksons
Hi @happinessismagicc! We saw your question to @partiallypearl here and wanted to answer your question about giving more info about Rhuben. At the same time we realized that some more people have been liking our BTR/OC stuff that may not know who the Jacksons are so we decided to make a post to reintroduce them! Sorry for the long wall of text ahead! Tagging @ceruleanmusings and @witchofinterest as well!
First thing to know is that we've written the Jacksons as multi-fandom OCs since 2004ish or so (we believe) but they're probably them most well known in the Suite Life fandom but even more so in the Big Time Rush fandom where we've written them since 2010. I think exactly a few weeks after seeing BTAudition.
The Jacksons are an Australian-Japanese-American family consisting of Riley, Rhuben, Patrick, Noah, and Sydney Jackson. They are a band called the DarkElements in their home of Australia who have had major success but are trying to break further into the American market. They are contracted/employed by Rocque Records to work with Big Time Rush and quickly get sucked into Big Time Rush's hijinks and craziness while changing their band name to Jax. Through shortly after they meet the boys, the boys find out they're being abused by their manager/foster father Robert, as their parents died when they were young.
Riley Rose Jackson: 16 (S1), 17 (S2), 18 (S3), 18/19 (S4)
Riley is the oldest of the Jacksons and it shows in her leadership of their family dynamic and of their band, despite only being a few minutes older than her twin, Rhuben. This is evident in the way she tends to play parental role to her siblings. She's outgoing, outspoken, stubborn, witty, charming, courageous, flirty, and, honestly, a bit of a jerk with a temper to match; the more positive side of her qualities being seen once Robert is arrested for abuse and she can be her true self. She protects her heart as much as she protects her family; fiercely. Riley is the most adventurous and mischievous of her family, always looking for a good time, which tends to get her in trouble. She reads people really well and can see right through people and their motivations quickly and will brutally call people out to their face without a thought and without a blink. But as much as people see her flaws, they see she just wants to be liked and is an amazing friend. She plays lead and rhythm guitar (sometimes bass) for Jax, sings lead and backing vocals, plays the piano, writes songs, and is the stylist for her band as well as Big Time Rush. She is close to all of her siblings but especially Rhuben and Patrick.
Ship: Kendall. Right when they first meet each other there's a spark between them that everyone sees and no one can deny. They bond over enjoying guitar and sports (him hockey, her baseball and surfing) but she keeps him at an arm's length from her out of fear. He is one of the main drivers of the guys and others figuring out hers and her siblings' abuse and want to save them...because his father turns out to be Robert's lawyer (of which he harbors a lot of guilt over). He at least insists that if they're going to be co-workers they should be friends to make things easier and she cautiously does. It's clear to everyone around them that they like each other, but with her distance, Kendall sets his eyes on Jo. It's not until season 2 where their friendship grows into them being best friends that Riley consciously realizes she goes to the Palm Woods and Rocque Records more without her siblings to hang out with Kendall that she has a crush on him...and feels guilty about it. Primarily in that he's with Jo, who is her best girl friend, but also because she knows he likes her, too. So she sticks to being his best friend...and gives him multiple mixed signals in the process. After Kendall breaks up with Jo in season 2, they grow even closer to each other through season 3 and almost get together, but Lucy arrives to where Kendall pivots to her after thinking that Riley doesn't like him/rejected him. By this point all of their friends and family continuously talk to the two of them that they like each other but they both insist they're only friends and the other one isn't interested (with Kendall dating Jo and going after Lucy while Riley continues to give him mixed signals). Through their friendship they continuously toe the line between being very close best friends and flirting with each other until Riley gets tired of him jerking her around and directly confronts him over his feelings for her, to which they admit their feelings for each other in a yelling fight during BTSurprise/BTDecision. However, they don't officially get together until BTCamping where Riley has a manic fit that Kendall saves her from. Season 3 and beyond, they have a great relationship as they take their friendship within it seriously and have a lot of respect for each other and are willing to help each other through their father issues and hard pasts. But when they fight, they can fight. They always makeup and forgive each other well, but they can have some really bad fights. As friends, she and Kendall hang out and talk a lot; they are always excited to tell each other stories about tour or their day, and she has a habit of giving Kendall advice with his problems and have him open up to her without him realizing it's happening. Key Notes: Loves to surf and spends a lot of time at the beach, has 1000+ nicknames for Kendall, has bipolar disorder, signified by the color red
Rhuben Skye Jackson: 16 (S1), 17 (S2), 18 (S3), 18/19 (S4)
Rhuben is the dreamer of the family and while she and Riley have the same sense of energy, she's seen as more introverted than her twin. This due in part to her ambition at being the best at anything she does that she'll disregard others' feelings - aka, she can really experience tunnel vision. Stepping in as a mother/father figure and taking care of/helping to raise her brothers is always a top priority for her. This also means she's known to keep her anger, frustration, and hurt feelings to herself before it reaches it's peak and she let's it all out in a single explosion described as a "verbal demolish" - carefully and purposefully using her words to "make people hurt" in retaliation for those that hurt her; compared to Riley's quick and blunt honesty in the moment. Perfection is something she strives for. She is ambitious, confident, spunky, coy, playful, and a risk taker but is also impatient, self-centered, and petty. Music and dancing are her life so it's not hard to find her working on a drumbeat or working out some choreography. She is the peacemaker of her family and is always up for a good time. She plays the drums for Jax, plays piano, writes songs, sings lead and backing vocals, has an interest in music production, and is the choreographer for Jax and Big Time Rush. Closest with Riley and Noah.
Ship: Logan. Riley, Rhuben, and Logan first meet as kids when the Jacksons briefly lived in Texas before they moved to California and Logan moved to Minnesota. Logan had always insisted that he knew DarkElements/Jax the band over the years, but no one believed him. They reunite when the Jacksons start working with Big Time Rush and Rhuben helps with choreography – specifically with Kendall and Logan who are not as confident with their dancing. Logan wants to jump back into their friendship but finds Rhuben more serious and standoff-ish then she was when they were kids. They both have a drive to succeed, ambition to reach heights with their careers, and a realistic look on life. With his dream of being a doctor, he’s one of the first to notice the Jacksons’ excuses for their injuries and how they acted around Robert. The two slowly rebuild their friendship over Logan’s first two years in LA. Through season 2, they are each other's sounding boards for their frustrations, insecurities, and needing the hard truth told to each other - making sure not to throw it in each other's face even in arguments. It's Logan's overall growing confidence through the swagger app, and how close they had gotten that helps Rhuben realize her crush on him. BTCrush/BTRocker/BTReturns has him start to realize he was building feelings for Rhuben as his brief interest in Lucy, crush on Peggy, and Camille method acting for “Spy High” made him start to notice how similar it is to Rhuben’s true nature after Robert is out of her life (Peggy), her over all look/style (Lucy), and her coy and alluring personality and love of life (Camille as Mila). Talking around admitting their feelings for each other, Rhuben tells Logan that nothing will happen between them if he continues to be indecisive about Camille and running to her with his problems. She is crushed upon seeing his obsessiom with Camille's tackle in BTReturns, and guilty for not being truthful to Camille as she is one of her best friends but still supports their on/off relationship. Logan looks towards understanding where his commitment issues come from and decides to take a step back from relationships until he’s figured it out. BTCameo has Rhuben finally breaking down upon seeing how Coco.0's Dara’s stepmother forced her to restrict her food (and slapping Kendall) and reveals to everyone her eating disorder (except James who she told in BTPromKings) and Logan supports and assists with her recovery; though it is rocky as he first is very heavy handed with "the literature" before realizing how she wants to be supported. His unwavering support solidifies her feelings for him as all in all Rhuben just wants to be loved in spite of people knowing the good, the bad, and the very ugly parts of her life and her past. They start dating in BTRides when they realize they’re trying to hold onto how their relationship was as children and not looking at it as the teenagers they are due to the safety they felt in childhood, leading them to take the leap into uncharted territory of a true serious relationship. Key Notes: Has an eating disorder, dancing is her life, signified by the color purple.
Patrick Bailey Jackson: 14 (S1), 15 (S2), 16 (S3), 16/17 (S4)
He's the jokester of the family and is the older and more outgoing twin to Noah. He likes to make people laugh with a silly joke or a tinge of stupidity but in general likes to make people smile. He'll be the one to cue up Backstreet Boys' "I Want It That Way" in karaoke but sing Weird Al's "Ebay" instead. But don't let his comedy fool you, he's actually very intelligent and uses his sense of humor to hide how angry he is inside at how his life turned out as well as the pressure Robert puts on them for the band. He enjoys surfing and working out and wants nothing more than to have a good time and to party. He doesn't always think before he speaks, which can either be hilarious or cringy. Patrick plays the bass for Jax (and sometimes guitar), sings lead and backing vocals, plays piano, writes songs, and enjoys coming up with concepts for music videos. He's closest with Noah and Riley.
Ship: Katie. He likes her as soon as he meets her...and has no idea what to do with it. He likes girls and has kissed them many times before, but has never had a girlfriend. So he has no idea what he's doing with Katie and they try to figure out all of their firsts together. But that doesn't mean he doesn't know how to flirt, he flirts with her a lot (often calling her 'sweetheart') but then seems not to know what to do after. They often shyly state how much they like each other...but get stymied on moving forward until they finally kiss and start dating. Kendall isn't happy about it and tends to try to intimidate Patrick but Riley quickly calls him out on it. *(Key thing to note is that in our fics we've aged up Katie from 10 to 13). Key Notes: Has IED, loves to surf, can't read music, signified by the color yellow. Can harmonize the fastest. Is the screamo singer of the band. Can imitate most voices. Wears glasses (mostly contacts. Noah does not.)
Noah Liam Jackson: 14 (S1), 15 (S2), 16 (S3), 16/17 (S4)
Noah is the quietest and most mature of the Jacksons, but that doesn't mean he won't quickly jump in and join his siblings or the guys in their hi-jinks and adventures. He doesn't need a lot of attention but is quick to point out when he's being overshadowed or overlooked, often becoming very strong in himself when needing to speak up for himself, which can shock others who mistake him for being a pushover. He's very sarcastic and deadpan, but is the one most people to go when they need someone to listen. He plays the drums for Jax, sings lead and backing vocals, writes songs, plays piano, and often is the one to come up with the melodies for their songs. Is the "product tester" of the band: He can re-work and edit lyrics, gives a different POV for choices on music video edits and style choices, etc. He is closest to Rhuben and Patrick.
Ship: Lizzie Zevon (OC). The younger sister to superstar Dak Zevon, Lizzie is the life of the party. She was one of the first people in LA around Noah's age that he and his siblings befriended and semi-worked with. She's very talkative, fun loving and just as easy going as she portrays herself to be on social media. Lizzie is the type of girl that pulls anyone and everyone she wants into her world and make them feel like the only person there. And her project was getting Noah to just simply talk to her – mistaking his being quiet for being shy. Noah has liked her from the beginning, and often would ask her to be his date to contracted social outings like award shoes and appearances when it called for a date, but didn’t exactly know how to cross the bridge into dating someone, (as he had girls usually take the lead in that area and he wasn’t using his sisters’ relationships as a roadmap, no offense to them) until Lizzie got impatient and kissed him. A conversation was never really had about their feelings for each other or asking each other out on a date, they were just together after that point. A true Noah move; with as little fanfare, attention, and drama as possible. She does have moments of wondering if he even likes her since he doesn't say it much, but he points out his actions prove he does. Key Notes: Patrick needs him more than he needs Patrick, has selective mutism, compared to his quiet nature he sings beautifully and has a very loud laugh, signified by the colors silver/gray/white. Enjoys solitude as much as being active and doing something fun. Doesn’t need/want attention all that much, which is why he doesn’t have a problem being “in the back of the band” but also doesn’t want to be overlooked. Due to being quiet, it means he’s taking in everything around him: he pays attention to people, their feelings, a great listener and the best person to go to for advice – some advice sounding wiser than his years.
Sydney Adrian Jackson: 10 (S1), 11 (S2), 12 (S3), 12/13 (S4)
Being the youngest of his siblings, Sydney tends to be spoiled and is fairly smug about it. He knows he's the favorite of the family. He's also smug about how much smarter he is than everyone around him. As he grows older he has a sense of arrogance to him but it is offset by his sheer friendliness. He knows he can get away with it until he's knocked down a peg. Nevertheless, he is incredibly sweet and likes to spend time with the people he likes. His genius level intellect (he's part of MENSA) makes it that he doesn't have friends his age and he's lonely due to that. So when he meets the boys he latches onto their hi-jinks very fast, often figuring out how their plans will go wrong long before it happens, but going along for the ride anyway. He plays piano/synthesizer, violin, and rhythmic guitar for Jax, sings backing vocals, writes songs, and tends to lean more towards the business side of their band, often projecting what ventures and promotions and sponsors will be better for them. He is close with all of his siblings but is also close with Kendall.
Ship: None Key Notes: Has panic attacks and separation anxiety, may be somewhere on the spectrum but we haven't decided yet, signified by the color blue. Is the only member of his family with dimples in his cheeks.
