Editing Doji Natsumi (section)

== Twenty Questions ==

1. Natsumi belongs to the Crane Clan.

2. Natsumi belongs to the Doji Family.

3. Natsumi trained at the Doji Diplomat School in Shizuka Toshi, chosen to train at the prestigious dojo despite her family's poor history after showing sufficient promise at the courtly arts.

4. Natsumi stands out within her school for her unrelenting perfectionism and drive to become the perfect Crane samurai, never resting on her laurels, always striving to be her best self.

5. Natsumi's lord is Doji Ryosei-sama, the provincial daimyo of Ookami Toshi. Though wary of the legacy of failure and shameful behavior hanging over her lineage like a looming cloud, he decided to give her a chance to prove herself as a Clan magistrate. She performed very well, and caught the eye of the Emerald Magistrates. Natsumi's duty to Doji Ryosei-sama is to represent him and the Crane Clan with honor and not embarrass him;Natsumi's duty tothe Emerald Magistrates is to serve the Empire with distinction and fulfill her orders to the best of her ability.

6. Natsumi wishes to be the perfect exemplar of a Crane Samurai and courtier, to prove herself and restore the honor and glory of her lineage, squandered by her ancestors. Often this dovetails nicely with her duty, as performing well earns her both, but at its core her motivation is selfish rather than humble service. She struggles with the desire to promote herself and demonstrate her abilities and skills even when it would be inappropriate.

7. Though the Crane Clan looks at Natsumi with some exasperated pity, given her unfortunate lineage, she is utterly devoted to the Crane Clan and its ideals - and aims to prove herself the embodiment of them.

8. Natsumi firmly believes that bushido is what separates samurai from heimin and hinin and animals.

9. During Natsumi's training at Shizuka Toshi, the senseis made note of her unusually sharp eye for even the most innocuous of details, even at great distances, and made certain to promote this talent.

10. Natsumi's father, Doji Keiichi, is a stubborn gambler driving his family into financial ruin; her mother, Asahina Naoko, is drunk more often than not. Her grandfather, Doji Haruto, famously bungled a trade treaty so badly that it nearly incited a war with the Crab. Her grandmother had to commit seppuku after insulting a Kakita daimyo. Their failures weigh heavily on Natsumi, not only in her own mind but in the minds of others - with such poor ancestry, many expect her to follow in their shameful footsteps.

11. It is important for Natsumi to always look impeccable, especially given everyone's doubts and concerns about her abilities. Putting time and effort into looking her best calms her nerves and settles her mind; that, at least, is something she has absolute control over in her life.

12. Knowing that she is expected to fail weighs heavily on Natsumi, and she is determined to prove her worth. But there is always that doubt that she won't be good enough.

13. Since her parents were always absent, whether out gambling or indisposed with drink, the formative influence of Natsumi's childhood was her uncle's wife, Doji Nanami. Doji Nanami recognized her niece's keen eye for details and courtly disposition early on, encouraging these traits. As a child, Natsumi would spend much of her time in her aunt's quarters, hanging at her every word and learning everything she could from her.

14. When distracted or deep in thought, Natsumi's head gently tilts from side to side.

Every morning, Natsumi spends some time curling her hair and arranging it just so. She's partial to decorating her hair with silk flowers, subtly perfumed to smell like the real things.

15. When nervous or anxious, Natsumi shifts her weight from back and forth between her feet.

16. Given that her branch of the Doji family is a disgraced one with little in the way of status and glory, generally kept out of the way of important affairs to avoid shaming the Crane, Natsumi hasn't had much personal interaction with members of other Clans and relies on common Crane attitudes and prejudices for her opinions. The one exception is the Scorpion Clan. Doji Nanami, her aunt and mentor, is Crane only by marriage; by birth she is a Bayushi Scorpion, and Natsumi's opinion of the Scorpion Clan is considerably more favorable than that of the Crane Clan at large. When Natsumi completed her gempukku and chose her name in honor of her aunt, Doji Nanami gifted her two things - one of them was a high-quality, Scorpion-made biwa.

17. Natsumi's parents were not very involved in her upbringing at all. If asked about her, they would describe their daughter as serious and unaffectionate, but in all honesty much of her rearing was left to her father's sister-in-law Doji Nanami. Doji Nanami, a biwa player of some skill, taught her niece the basics of how to play the instrument.

18. In a rare breach of convention, she chose to name herself after her mentor and aunt, Doji Nanami. This was especially unusual since her aunt is Crane only by marriage, originally being Bayushi Nanami of the Scorpion Clan. When Natsumi completed her gempukku and chose her name, her aunt gifted her two items - the biwa, and a fine, portable tea set.

19. Natsumi, from natsu meaning "summer" and mi meaning "beautiful".

20. Natsumi is a courtier; if she dies a violent death, it means something has gone very wrong. Her greatest wish is to die peacefully after a long, successful life, having earned enough glory and respect to rid her name and lineage of the specter of failure forever.