Juniper Kemble lives on her family’s farm in Crick's Bend and writes to Temerity in Argentum.1 She has been in love with Temerity since Temerity saved her life, which her whole family knows.2
Description
Personality
Juniper makes room for people before they ask. She had moved a chair out of the way so that Rhysaene could eat at the table, and told her hers was a pretty name.2
Juniper is playful with the people close to her. When Hazel said Temerity had never mentioned her, Juniper assumed Hazel was teasing Temerity, the way Temerity might play around with Juniper’s brothers, and played along. Her exuberance went once she understood it was true.2
Juniper does not lie well. Asked whether she had been upset, and whether she and Temerity were only friends, she answered both times in a way nobody at the table believed.2
Juniper speaks plainly once she decides to. On the porch she told Temerity that Temerity no longer got to decide what people deserve from Juniper. When Temerity said Juniper should not wait for her, Juniper said Temerity was deciding what was best for her again.2
Biography
Session 5
Juniper was helping her mother with dinner when Temerity came in. She looked her up and down, said she had not expected her back so soon, and asked whether she was already a Light Warden, and then whether she was in trouble.1 Told about the Dragoons of Bahamut, she said she had always known Temerity was special and was glad they saw it too.1
She said she had tried talking to Eliza Kemble and got nowhere, that Eliza answers yes or no to everything, and that it was hard on her.1 She held Temerity to stopping by on the way back, and apologized for getting so much ink on her last letter.1
Session 8
Juniper answered the door of the Kemble farm on the evening of 28 Coldrise, 1714 PSF, glad to see Temerity, and said the family had waited dinner for her.2 When Hazel said she had not known Juniper was one of the Kembles Temerity talked so much about, and then that Temerity never had, Juniper assumed they were teasing Temerity. Temerity’s stammered apology showed her they were not, and she told them all to come in, without her earlier exuberance.2 She had already moved a chair aside so that Rhysaene could eat at the table, and told her hers was a pretty name.2
At dinner she told the story of Temerity dying to save her from bandits and coming back in silver fire.2 Asked by Hazel why she had been upset earlier, she said she had not been, and nobody believed her. Eliza Kemble then told the table that June had been in love with Temerity since Temerity saved her life. Juniper went red, and nobody at the table was surprised. When Hazel said she could not see why Temerity would deny someone like Juniper, Juniper insisted they had agreed to be good friends and that was all they needed, and was not believed.2
Temerity asked to talk to her on the porch. Juniper said she hated that Temerity had been put on the spot, and that she had promised to be all right. Asked again, she said she did not understand why they could not, and asked whether Temerity really did not feel that way about her.2 She told Temerity that she had known her longer than her new friends had, that danger and leaving were not the real reason, and that Temerity was refusing because she did not think she deserved it. She said Temerity no longer got to decide what people deserve from her, and that she had tried to be strong and do what Temerity asked and could not.2 “I get to decide that, not you,” she said, when Temerity said it was not fair to her.2
Temerity told her she could not do this. Juniper said she knew, that she had only wanted Temerity to see that she deserved it, and that she would still be there when Temerity kicked the Sorrow’s ass.2 When Temerity told her not to wait and that she deserved someone who would make her happy, Juniper pointed out that Temerity was deciding what was best for her again.2 Temerity said she would not pursue her, would still write, and did not want a relationship with her. “I guess I read it wrong after all,” Juniper said. She told Temerity she was the best person she knew, and that maybe Temerity would find that kind of relationship with someone someday.2 Asked whether a hug would be inappropriate, she said “Why are you always like that?” and hugged her, then said she looked forward to the next letter and went up to bed.2
Session 9
Temerity told the party at the Sterling Sovereign that she had told Juniper she did not want a relationship with her, and admitted it was not what she felt.3 That morning Eliza Kemble had agreed to keep an eye on her.3