full name: Emma Jones
gender & pronouns: cis woman & she/her
age & date of birth: 42, August 28, 1980
where do they live: Downtown
time living in lockwood springs: 32 years
occupation: retired singer, receptionist at the Spring Resort & Spa, ranch hand at Blue River Ranch
affiliation: keepers
rank: n/a
positive traits: creative, free-thinking, vocal
negative traits: bitter, blunt, careless
sister to @ethanjxnes & @junebeckett & jason (rip), aunt to @spencejones, @tammie--jones, @elijahxjones and @noraxjones
FULL BIO HERE
Tw: drugs, depression
Emma is the Jones aunt. Country girl at heart who tried to make her way in the big city (LA) as a singer (around 24). She met her now ex-husband and started gaining traction as he managed her career but also fell into drugs, alcohol and partying pretty hardcore. She fancied herself so in love with him that he inspired her music and she gave him writing credit (stupid) as she continued to make music.
Eventually she learned he was cheating on her (around 33/34) and planned to leave (he was shit, she almost od’d once and he was too scared to call 911). He learned she was planning to leave and divorce him and beat her to the punch. He made off with their (her) money and her songbook which he began to sell off to people.
She sued him for her music but soon after he left she learned she was pregnant so it became a mess. She moved back to Lockwood and her fight began to dwindle as she tried to clean up her life.
When her daughter was born, Emma fell into postpartum depression and ended up dropping the lawsuit (he had all her money and the fancy lawyers, after all).
Her family was her biggest support during that time and over the next few years, she began to return to herself and her roots. She now works as a receptionist and ranch hand at the family ranch, tending to animals and watching her daughter grow.
EXTRAS
Voiceclaim: Florence Welch, Emma’s style has always been a mix of singer-song writer and indie-rock. Her professional stage name that she put out music under was Emma Jay since she used to sign her name Emma J and it seemed the natural progression was
She turns off the radio most times if she hears one of her songs that her ex stole and sold. Sometimes they’re hard to escape because of how successful they were and frequently played in places. She’d known it would be a record breaking album and, ironically, the hits prove that she was right.
She still plays music but only for her daughter and family, she’s yet to get back on stage after everything but recently began writing again after an eight year hiatus
Got clean when she realized she was pregnant and hasn’t touched drugs since, though she does drink (in moderation) these days
She loves her nieces and nephews and feels like an extended big sister sometimes more than an aunt
Her daughter is 8 years old and named Vivian, but everyone calls her V or Vivi
Wolf laughs, waving his hands to gesture to himself now that he is finally back in the flesh to terrorize and adore his usual friendships. “Just today. Great, isn’t it? Five years goes by kind of fast when you think about it.” he’s jovial and excited just to be there, feeling the fresh air and life even if Neon Boots is stuffy with business this evening. His frosted eyes move to her drink and then to the clock, as if it will indicate the day of the week but Wolf laughs again. “Well, you’re not drinking alone anymore.” he declares, joining the seat beside her at the bar and waiting patiently for their turn to be served. He’s giving an interested smile as she speaks about Vi. “She was just three when I got locked up, right? I’m gonna have to come over to say hi properly. Is everyone keeping good?” Then Wolf remembers the news and he gently touches Emma’s shoulder. “I heard about Jason. I’m sorry, but I know it won’t be long until we will be hanging the bastard up in a Blood Eagle to show everyone to leave us alone.” Wolf states passionately. Some may call him a fantasist until they realize he has potential to make the dreams a reality, even the sordid and strange ones. He taps the cash as soon as she does and laughs. “What you mean? He dropped it.” he chuckles, finally placing their order and then quickly getting rid of the money that’s not his. “You think those places are built for people to change in, anyways? If I reform, half of them would be out of a job. I’m technically…doing the community a service.”
•
“First day out and you’re back at Boots?” Emma laughs, “some things really don’t change. At all.” Said with no judgment but a hint of amusement. Wolf’s easy-going nature contrasts his brothers like night and day. There’s no bitterness in his voice as he talks about being out, no lamentation for missed time, just joy in the face of freedom. It’s refreshing in it’s own way. “I guess I’m not. Thanks, Wolf. And yeah she was. Now she’s talking and walking and running and it takes all of us to make sure she’s not jumping off fences or into bales of hay,” Emma grins because it’s a Jones right of passage to be a menace on the ranch and to take care of each other. Vivian is nothing short of loved. The mention of her brother threatens to sober her up for a minute but she shakes her head. “I appreciate it…we all do. Time helps?” she says half-heartedly, studying her glass before glancing at him, “but that would help more.” Finding who did it and making them pay. “Oh, right, I’m sure. People only come to Neon Boots who have money to spare,” she grins, though, honestly glad for the friendly face, scoffing at his response. “They should’ve given you a ribbon or something, least reformed, keeping jobs open and food on tables.” She could picture him wearing it proudly too. “So, day one, huh? You catch your brothers yet? Were they happy or disappointed to see you?” Emma prods with a slight teasing tone, taking a sip of her new drink.
The quest for employment has become top priority for the older Cross, instead of the usual conquest that men attempt after five years without the softness of a woman’s touch. His brother’s suggestions have been useful but Wolf still likes to keep his options open, going from pillar to post throughout the day with crumpled up resumes. Neon Boots is where his day ends, and it isn’t surprising as he reunites with his old friends loudly. It doesn’t seem to matter that his wallet is empty right now until he reaches the bar and sees another familiar face. “You missed me too?” he asks with a gentle tap on Emma’s shoulder for attention. He looks to her almost empty glass and then back to her. “Oh, that simply will not do.” he mentions softly, and neither will his empty wallet. “One moment.” And then he’s gone. During his absence, there’s a rumble of chairs and a few yells of obscenities and a small crowd of M.C members surrounding the brief confrontation. Wolf returns to the bar without even watching the man he just robbed get carried outside nursing a black eye. “I’ll get the next one.” he smiles to Emma, placing the newly acquired cash on the bar top. “How you been, Jones!? I bet Vi is as tall as you now, huh?”
Emma’s blood is still boiling after seeing Cody and she’s gone down a spiral of bitter thoughts when they’re cut off by a nudge, causing Emma to jump slightly, thoroughly pulled from an internal rant at the sight of a familiar face. “Jesus, Wolf,” she laughs, rubbing the back of her neck, “gave me a heart attack.” In her thoughts, she’d been thinking about how hard a horse’s kick was and if Cody could maybe cross paths with one. The distraction is probably for the best, she thinks as she takes a sip of her beer and nods at him, “did you just get out?” His presence on the Southside and in Lockwood overall was hard to miss but last she heard, he’d gotten locked up for stealing someone’s card game. Before she can say anything else, Wolf is gone but the tell-tale sign of chaos that erupts is enough to pull her attention, brows raised as he emerges with a smile. Emma gives him a bemused look, glancing back at her drink and shrugging yes at the offer. She downs the rest of her beer, welcoming the way it helps wear the edge off the day. “Me? I’m great,” she says with a nod, almost as if to convince herself. She wouldn’t let thoughts of her ex ruin her night too. “If you couldn’t tell by the whole drinking alone on a Wednesday,” she adds, with a self-aware, slightly self-deprecating laugh. “Vi is amazing!” A genuine smile spreads across her face, “she’s eight now and not quite as tall but getting there. I bet she’ll be taller actually.” Emma’s always hard pressed to not draw out her phone and show just how great her daughter is. Instead, she gestures at the seat beside her and then back at him, “seems like prison didn’t change you much, Cross,” said as she taps the cash with an amused expression.
Emma has imagined a million scenarios over the years where she sees Cody again. A million scenarios in which she does everything from scream and yell at him to kicking him in the balls to chasing him with a knife to screaming some more to flat out ignoring him to laughing in his face to running away. In the end, it’s not like any of those. Emma gets home from her morning shift at the spa, turns off her engine and only as she’s approaching the front steps of her small ranch house does she see who’s standing there. There’s a second of stunned silence when she’s frozen at the bottom of the steps, looking up at her ex-husband in disbelief that he’s even there. It’s followed by rapid movement as Emma holds up her hand and turns on her heels. “No, you don’t do this to me.” She shakes her head, already walking back towards her car. She feels an urgent desire to pick up her daughter from school early and hold her close. “You can’t just show up like this, Cody.” Emma feels a knot of anger she thought had long since been untangled tightening in the pit of her stomach at the idea that he thought he could just waltz on up to her home. What if Vivi was around? No. He doesn’t get to do this. Not to Emma. Not to her daughter. @cody-madden
“So what did you do when they said they wanted to do something but refused to go?” Emma asks Ethan as they do one last round about the ranch. She thinks if anyone will have solid advice it’d be her brother who’d raised four kids practically on his own. “Vivi wants to try everything and I feel bad saying no but she loses interest so easily,” she sighs, picking up a stray bucket off the grass, carrying it back with her. “I don’t want her to resent me for not letting her try things though...” She hadn’t had as many opportunities as her daughter would growing up but she never held it against anyone. That was life. She had, however, sought to make a way for herself and while she’d ended up Vivian (and wouldn’t trade her for the world), those years away had cost Emma. @ethanjxnes
June followed along the best she could, nodding and then furrowing her brow, nodding again and humming. “No!” she gasped in-between her sister’s retelling of events. “So the younger Sullivan held a torch for Tammie this whole time? Well, we all kinda thought something was going on but then we figured it was just…us being hopeful she’d leave Ryan for him.” June rambled and she’d never say any of this to Tammie, not wanting to upset her. “Beau does not seem the time to run anybody outta town, but then again, there’s something about the Sullivans, you know?” June shrugged. “If I was 15 years younger and didn’t love Wyatt with my whole heart. They’re good men, or seemed it. Just shows you don’t know what the hell anybody is like.” June sighed, looking down at Cooper and giving him a little kiss on the top of his head as he struggled with a yogurt pot. “I’m guessing neither of them would be dumb enough to go to Boots any time soon, right?” June smiled a little cheekily to her sister. “So you know, maybe we should do a few nights at Boots just to…make sure they’re not dumb?”
•
Emma watches as Vivi moves from the slide to the sandbox, sighing because she’ll have sand in the house for weeks. She nods at June’s questions. “Yeah, I guess so. I mean…I think he should’ve said something but also, you know,” she makes a face, as though to say that Tammie was Tammie. “So it probably would’ve gone similarly. Except maybe if he had, she wouldn’t feel like they’d been friends for no reason?” She shrugs, uncertain of the situation. Her niece reminded her of herself: stubborn and strong willed and with a heart that felt and loved fearsomely. “He doesn’t. He’s always been nice from what I’ve seen.” Emma snorts at her sister’s words, twisting a piece of hair at the thought of the Sullivans, “mm, yeah, the older one too. Wouldn’t mind him rescuing me sometime,” she says with an eyebrow waggle and a laugh. Emma helps Sawyer again with the goldfish and snickers at her older sister’s suggestion. “Juney, are you saying we should get front row seats to this show? Because yes…yes we definitely should drop in. To make sure they’re not dumb,” she repeats her sister’s words with a knowing smile.
“Urgh, Vivi and her pesky skills. She always beats me.” Tammie played along, fighting back her own laughter so she didn’t give her and her aunts game away. It was moments like this that cemented Blue River Ranch as a magical place to grow up on, the land never feeling right if even one of them ventured too far. Which was why Emma returning had felt like fate, life restoring itself to where it should be but also why the loss of Jason could be felt in the wind. She nodded to Emma, swooping up the closest twin to her as they stomped in time round each side of the truck. In unison, Aunt, Niece and little twins all appeared either side of Vivi who squealed with laughter. “Gotcha!” Tammie exclaimed, using her free hand to playfully grab Vivi’s arm closest to her. “You almost had us but you know your mom basically knows everything, right? That’s why you gotta listen to her.”
•
Emma can’t help the warm smile that fills her face as her niece plays along. She loves her family but there’s a particular bond between her and Tammie that she cherishes. Maybe it’s because she sees a bit of herself in her, or maybe it’s because she can tell how much love her niece has for Vivian, her young daughter following her big cousin like a small shadow. “Hmm, she always beats me too! Maybe we need to play a different game next time,” she grins, following around the other way before they surprise her daughter who descends into a fit of giggles. She lifts up one of the twins and rushes towards the trio dramatically, “bear hug!” Emma exclaims, pulling Tammie, Sawyer and Vivian into a hug with her and Cooper.
It’s enough momentum to topple them over into a small pile, Emma careful to land with the twins on top of her (though based on how she’s seen them roughhouse with their father, this is a piece of cake). “See!” she presses a kiss to Vivi’s cheek, sitting up “Tammie says it so it’s true.” She winks at her niece and wiggles a brow, indicating a game they’ve played before. “The sky is green, and the grass is pink and we’re all jellybeans, isn’t that true, Tammie?” Emma says as Vivian laughs at her absurd statements, head swiveling to Tammie, as though to confirm what Emma’s saying is fact or fiction.
The picnic bench had become June and Emma’s base. They’d offered to bring the little twins along, one on each of the sister’s knees while they watched Vivi, Henry and the new girl Ashley enjoy some enrichment time. It also meant June could catch up on some gossip, because good and bad news traveled fast even though she was all the way in Southside. “So wait, Beau…okay, back track for me.” she flipped some hair out of her face that Cooper was tugging. “So Beau told Tammie to end it with Ryan or Ryan to end it with Tammie? And he just kissed her on a roof the other week? I can’t keep up.” she gasped, knowing exactly why their niece was annoyed. “My God, both of those boys were lucky all of us weren’t around. Can you imagine?”
Emma keeps an arm draped loosely around Sawyer and shakes her head at her sister. “Okay so Ethan said that Beau likes Tammie, wait –– ” she scrunches her brow as she watches her daughter run away, trying to recall the trail of second-hand information she’s now passing to her sister. “Okay so Ryan and Tammie were together, we know that, but I think Beau liked Tammie even then,” she clarifies, helping Sawyer with the bag of goldfish that keeps closing on him, “so apparently he told Ryan to break up with her and when he didn’t he ran him out of town?” Emma wrinkles her nose, “But I don’t get how Beau ran him out of town? Have you seen him? But yeah, he kissed Tammie but not when she was with Ryan? Though I mean, I don’t know? He doesn’t seem the type but if you run your best friend out of town for a girl...not a great look either.” She shakes her head disapprovingly before shouting take turns, Vivi, as her daughter tried to get on the slide yet again before Henry had a chance. “Yeah, but you know Ethan’s probably going to lose it when he sees them. Though I guess if they know what’s good they’ll keep their heads down.”
There wasn’t much time for Tammie to sit rigidly in her pissed off mood. Not to mention that it was difficult to be sour faced around the little twins and Vivi. Work wasn’t really getting done when she spent time with them either, opting for a game of hide and seek near the main ranch house. The twins hadn’t figured out self awareness yet, so they just remained stood in place and Vivi’s bright yellow coat was making Tammie’s job easier too. “TEN!” she yelled out, spinning around and pretending to not see the little toddlers right in front of her, or notice the giggling Vivi behind a parked truck. Hearing footsteps, Tammie glanced and smiled when she saw it was Emma approaching. She huffed dramatically, plonking her hands on her hips. “Well, I don’t know what to tell you, Em. I swear I had Vivi right here, and now she’s just gone. Don’t be too mad at me.”
Emma comes home to find an empty house and laughter outside and is immediately grateful that she’s got her family close. It makes working an early morning shift tolerable knowing she’s not paying for some random ass person to come watch her kid. Not when Tammie is around and willing. And of course she pays her niece in drinks and free advice but also knows she’d help regardless, especially with the way Vivi trails after her older cousin like a little shadow. “Mm, really?” Emma stomps around dramatically before brushing a hand over her chin pensively. “How could she just disappear?” she returns loudly, sighing as she continues to faux-look for her daughter. “Is she here?” Emma asks with a grin, jumping up to inspect the trunk bed. “Nope....she must have used her magic again. It’s not your fault, Tam.” With a wink, she indicates that her niece should go around with one toddler while she takes the other to surprise her daughter, already anticipating the bout of giggles when Vivi realizes she’s been got.
Did I disappoint you? Did mommy make you sad? Do I at least remind you of every girl that made you mad? Make me perfect, make me your fantasy. You know I deserve it. Well, take it out on me. Am I your dream girl? You think of me in bed, but you could never hold me. You liked me better in your head. Make me evil, then I’m an angel instead. At least you’ll sanctify me when I’m dead.
