❀ application for route_29

[suncrushed]

Player
Name: Nena
Personal Journal: kuwata
E-mail: nenabearr@outlook.com
AIM/MSN: nenabearr (AIM)
Timezone: CST
Current Characters in Route: N/A

Character
Name: Juniper Woods
Series: Ace Attorney
Timeline: post-game
Canon Resource Links: Wiki

Personality: In the very first case of the game, Juniper is described by the Judge as a "sweet, meek girl", and that particular phrase summarises her personality, really. Juniper is timid, quiet, and not particularly accustomed to socialising with others, presumably from her frequent bouts of illness preventing her from attending school regularly during her youth; as such, she has a knack of stuttering and pausing in the middle of or between her sentences during conversation, and she's shown numerous times in her sprites occasionally averting her gaze when speaking to others, likely because she's much too shy to hold eye contact with whomever she's speaking with for a long time.

But past her shyness, Juniper is friendly and polite, making it easy for her to befriend others. She is a very optimistic person who always sees the best in others and never their faults; she is aware that, yes, everyone has flaws, but she is more than willing to look past them. She is also very selfless and kindhearted, almost always putting others' best interests and needs before her own; after all, she cherishes friendship above all else, and in her eyes, a friend is a person who's loyal and true. That is exactly what Juniper wishes to be, so if there's anything that her friends need that's in her ability to do, then by all means will she do it. She's shown lending her friends moral support when necessary, motivating them if they're disheartened, and even giving them fruits and vegetables from her garden to them for snacks.

Juniper's love for her friends is unquestionable; as aforementioned, their well-being comes before all else, including her personal beliefs and values for justice and truth. When it comes down to protecting those she loves, she is willing to sacrifice those things for them. For example, she withheld accusatory information about her friend, Hugh, from her friend, Athena, who was defending her; if freeing herself meant imprisoning her friend, then she did not want to resort to those means. Her want to protect her friends went so far as to her wanting to replace Athena as her lawyer with another, Aristotle Means, who was renowned for the belief of "the ends justify the means" and would have more than likely forged evidence to ensure a win, and later even publicly confessing in court to a murder she didn't commit in order to prevent her accused friends from being imprisoned.

Though she may falter at times from the right path, ultimately Juniper is a responsible and honest person, and she always ends up doing the right thing. With some convincing from Athena and Apollo, along with her faith in them, she declines Means' offer to take her case, and she ends up revealing the information she had been keeping to herself. She upheld her title of student council president when she was enrolled in her academy, going so far as to act with a bravado, and executed her duties properly. Juniper strives to be a prime example that others will admire and follow, which is one of the reasons that she wishes to become a judge.

The other? She simply wishes to put an end to what is known as "the dark age of the law", really. This goes hand-in-hand with Juniper's beliefs; she strongly believes that deception and wrongdoing has no place in the court of law, those who result to such are unforgivable, and that only the truth and justice belongs, and she's willing to do whatever is necessary to ensure that she accomplishes her goal. It could be considered an idealistic goal, yes, given the fact that she and her two friends swearing to accomplish this feat alongside her are not enough to change humanity, but it's her main drive. It's an aspiration of hers that she's highly passionate about, therefore never will you catch Juniper willingly doing anything against the law, be it as minor as lying or as major as murder.

Her good standing in reputation and submissive nature makes her prone to being a target of manipulation or framing. Twice has it happened to her, and while it's certainly nothing she holds resentment towards, it's needless to say that she feels some immense stress when in the presence of the court. This also contributes to her passion to become a judge and eradicate false charges and evidence, but it also displays exactly how emotionally fragile Juniper is. She breaks down when she's under pressure, as demonstrated during the first trial when prosecutor Gaspen Payne was consistently badgering her with questions; she broke down in tears, went into a coughing fit, and got so lightheaded that she had to be ordered to sit outside in the lobby to calm down.

But even though Juniper may be discouraged at times, she's a relatively positive person who continues to look on the bright side of things. She never stays down for long, and she is always rejuvenated when she's in the presence of her friends, often saying that they've given her strength and hope when she had none. They're truly what's most important to her, and she'll do everything in her power to ensure that they're safe. If something were to happen to one of them, then she would be completely distressed that she was unable to protect them and she would continuously blame herself. She is truly someone who wants to help those she cares about in the best way she can.

Strengths/Weaknesses:
✓ A true friend. Juniper is one of the most kindhearted people you could ever meet, making it easy for her to get along with others and for her to befriend others. She values friendship highly, and those who have earned the title of being her friend have her everlasting loyalty and trust.
✓ Ever the optimist. Juniper has a bright air of optimism that doesn't ever dim. Though she may be discouraged at times, she always seems to return to the belief that even when things are bleak, so long as she has hope there is a way out of the situation. This optimism isn't solely focused on situations, however; she sees the good qualities in others before she does the bad.
✓ Nature fanatic. Juniper's biggest fondness is nature, and as such, she spends most of her time gardening. She has extensive knowledge of the way fruits, vegetables, and other plants work from myths and rumours behind them to what benefits they have to those who eat them.
✓ Student council president. When the situation calls for it, Juniper can suppress her timidness and put on a brave face. When she's like this, she's much sterner than before, and she seems confident in herself. It's almost as if she's a different person, if it weren't for the fact that this persona falters easily.
✓ Judge of justice. As an aspiring judge, the truth is very important to Juniper. She doesn't believe in the "the end justifies the means" mantra; she thinks that people should be honest instead of deceitful. What she wants to prove is that lies and fabrication have no room in the court, and that only the truth and justice should be allowed.
✓ Arts and crafts. Juniper is also very good at knitting and sewing, given the fact that she's always knitting a scarf whenever she refers to Apollo and that she mentioned in Turnabout Academy she made her Lamiroir costume herself.

✗ Meek and mild. Though she's no doubt friendly, Juniper is also shy. She doesn't take the initiative in speaking unless it's absolutely necessary, but when she's around those she's comfortable, she tends to open up more.
✗ I won't let you hurt them! That aforementioned loyalty of Juniper's can also get her into some trouble when she allows it to fuel her. She is not above withholding information, evidence, or falsely confessing to things she did not commit to ensure the safety of those she cares about.
✗ Rather too trusting. With her little experience with human socialisation, Juniper is too naive for her own good, and as such, it makes her an easy target for others to manipulate her.
✗ *cough cough* Juniper has a very weak constitution, making her susceptible to sickness. Because of this, she is very frail and cannot overexert herself, making it easy for those that are stronger than her to overpower her.
✗ Emotionally fragile. Juniper cannot handle a lot of stress, and when that stress has become overbearing, she tends to break down. Her weak physique stretches out to her asthmatic attacks that result when she's nervous, frightened, or traumatised, and she has to inhale the sunflower atop her hat to calm herself down.

Pokémon Information
Affiliation: Breeder
Starter: Sunkern
Password: Caramel Popcorn

Samples
First Person Sample:
E-Excuse me...

[The voice speaking from the PokéGear is faint and hesitant, and the speaker's face perfectly demonstrates the nervousness laced within her voice. Her eyebrows are furrowed, and her eyes are quivering slightly; she honestly looks frightened out of her mind and a bit pale.]

I... I don't know who's listening, but for those who are, um...

[Juniper pauses, suddenly coughing into her fist, though the fit lasts for nothing more than a minute at the most. She reaches for the sunflower adorning her hat, breathing into it to calm herself down. When she's done, she looks rather sheepish about her recent spell, but it doesn't deter her from continuing to speak.]

My name is Juniper Woods. I just arrived here. I don't, ah, know where I am, or how I got here for that matter... I know that it's called New Bark Town, but...that doesn't really answer my question. I-If anyone could give me an explanation as to what is going on, then I... I would really appreciate it.

[The feed suddenly loses focus as Juniper kneels down, but it quickly returns, now settled on a small seed-like creature: a Sunkern. It looks relatively cheerful, beaming brightly at the camera. As Juniper speaks off-screen, she reaches out a hand to brush one of its leaves gently and almost distractedly. She's still confused as to what's going on, but she doesn't seem to be startled by the creature.]

I understand that...these creatures are known as Pokémon and that we're supposed to go on a journey of some sort with them, but... Um. Well, I-I don't know how to care for Pokémon. I've never...owned one before. This is all so strange...

[The last word of her sentence sounds choked, as if she's sobbing, but her expression doesn't seem to be tearful. Sunkern, concerned, seems to nudge Juniper's hand in an effort to calm her down. She flashes the Pokémon a grateful smile and returns to her feet, facing the camera towards her again.]

A-Ah, I... I'm sorry about that. But, um, like I said before, if...anyone could help me out, I'd really appreciate it. O-Oh! One last thing... I was wondering if any of you have seen or heard of my friends...? Their names are Athena Cykes, Apollo Justice, Robin Newman, Hugh O'Conner, and Phoenix Wright. If you've seen them, could you please let them know that I'm here? ...T-Thank you.

Third Person Sample:
Juniper tapped the pen against her chin thoughtfully, peering down at the Breeder's Guide she had been given at the very beginning of her Pokémon journey. Beside her was the notepad she had also received which she had been using to jot down breeding notes as she went through the book. She had just recently arrived to the next city, Cherrygrove, after its tedious and exerting three-day journey, and was now residing in the city's inn. Because of the trip, this was Juniper's first time looking through the guide, but...later than never, she supposed, and as far as she was concerned, it was never too late to learn more about her new situation.

She still didn't quite understand everything other than what her "mother" had told her in New Bark Town and the few tips she received along the way, but she wasn't as terribly confused as before. Three days of travelling alongside Apollo, which she had named the Sunkern in dedication of her flame, had helped her get acquainted to at least being around Pokémon, and she found that all her worries about caring for it had vanished for the time being. Now, if only she could understand the breeding portion of her journey.

She placed the pen down on the table, turning to face her Pokémon who was currently perching on the bed. "So, since you're a Sunkern, that means..." She reached for the notepad and glanced down at the few notes she took, gazing back up at the Pokémon. "...You also belong to the Grass egg group. ...Mm, so that means I'll have to...find other Pokémon in that particular egg group that you can breed with." She paused, a thought suddenly coming to mind that she hadn't considered before. "...Oh! If you're fine with that, I mean. I...wouldn't want to force you to breed, and you're not yet ready."

Of course, Juniper would be caring enough to consider the Pokémon's own feelings on breeding with another.

Sunkern didn't seem to mind the suggestion, however, giving an enthusiastic cry in response. Juniper couldn't help but smile, a light laugh escaping her lips. She stood up, walked over to the bed, and sat down beside Sunkern as she continued speaking to it. "Then if you're fine with that, I am too. ...B-But not now, of course! You're much too young." She doesn't dare mention that it's weak, too; not only would that be rude, but she's sure that it knows of that fact already. ...Admittedly, she feels a bit of a connection with Sunkern because of that fact; it was akin to her own physical weakness. If she were by herself, she probably wouldn't have been able to even make it to Cherrygrove, but being with Sunkern had given her energy to press on. Perhaps they inspired each other?

She doesn't dwell on that thought, though, instead continuing her words from earlier. "And I still need to finish reading the guide before I even attempt breeding... It would be a shame if I messed up. So, how about we train you tomorrow morning so you can level up a bit? Then, by the time that I'm ready to try breeding, you'll be able to help me. Does...that sound good?"

Sunkern gave another cry in response, one that Juniper understood as agreement. Her smile grew slightly, and she affectionately petted it, minding its leaves.

"Then... it's a promise! We'll do our best while we're here, okay?"