Zona "Sangaii" Rosa

=• Biography •=

Jayne Laine was born and raised in the nondescript Southern Oregon town of Grants Pass as the only child of proud parents Howard and Selma Laine. Loving, kind, and traditional to the core, the couple eschewed what they referred to as the “hocus pocus” of the magical world. Instead, they valued old-fashioned hard work and determination; Howard and Selma firmly steered their daughter toward conventional pursuits, resolutely ignoring the fact that young Jayne appeared to have “unnatural” abilities, particularly a latent aptitude for telekinesis.

Growing up, Jayne achieved as much success as her unremarkable childhood would allow. She attended mainstream public schools, maintaining a near flawless disciplinary record (save for a single incident in which she was caught huffing glue in the 2nd floor janitorial closet in 7th grade). Though not a particularly gifted pupil, Jayne’s diligence usually resulted in straight As on her report cards. A kind but reserved girl, Jayne was liked by many but beloved by few; she had a wide but shallow social circle of many acquaintances but few close friends. Jayne participated in 4-H, Girl Scouts, swim team, the student council – all the trappings of a happy childhood, but she took little pleasure in them. As the years passed, she felt a growing discontent: something was missing; something was wrong.

Though offered scholarships to somewhat more prestigious universities, Jayne choose to study psychology at Southern Oregon University in Ashland, Oregon, to remain close to her ailing parents. In declining health, both Howard and Selma relied on their dutiful daughter to provide assistance with the tasks of daily life. While caring for her parents, Jayne continued the habits that had served her well to that point: she was active in campus clubs and served as an officer in her major’s honor society, continuing to maintain an A average. During Jayne’s senior year, her mother and father passed on -- Selma first and then Howard in rapid succession. Jayne grieved for their deaths and the emptiness she felt in her own life.

After graduation, Jayne’s life progressed as typically as one might expect. She married her college sweetheart, Jonathon Dow, a man for whom she felt affection if not love. They relocated to Washington, DC, and found safe, stable, utterly uninteresting federal employment with the Department of Defense. They acquired a nondescript split-level home and the accompanying mortgage. After several years of increasing dissatisfaction with her career trajectory and life in general, Jayne returned to school and earned an M.B.A. in an utterly futile attempt to shake things up. The achievement left her feeling hollow, doing nothing to assuage her restlessness.

Consumed by ennui, Jayne moved like a zombie through her own life. Every day, she shuffled between home and work, going through the motions, phoning it in. Jayne took up an old vice, hunching over in her cubicle to covertly huff her beloved rubber cement to erase the deadness in her chest (This office product eventually inspired her unique hairdo). She whiled away the hours, playing chicken with the electric stapler just to feel alive, marveling at how all her extraordinary efforts had resulted in a life so achingly ordinary.

And then the bee came.

On the eve of Jayne’s thirtieth birthday, the anima bee drifted through her bedroom window on a light summer breeze. Jayne inhaled the bee with a gentle breath and exhaled a sigh of utter satisfaction. There was no coughing, no hacking, no resistance – it was the homecoming she’d been waiting for her entire life. Jayne knew the bee was her awakening, even when deep in dreams.

It changed everything. Jayne welcomed the abilities bestowed upon her and rejoiced in her newfound sense of purpose. With renewed interest in life, she devoured all the information she could find on magic and the occult. Jayne spent long nights in the library, poring over books about topics such as necromancy, shamanism, and psionics. She honed her offensive skills, proving particularly proficient with an assault rifle and a shotgun – implements with which she had some familiarity due to childhood trips to the shooting range with her father. Jayne focused on the new world of possibilities unfolding before her to the exclusion of all else, neglecting her job and her spouse.

Jon, deeply disturbed by what he saw as his wife’s seemingly unnatural overnight mutation, became distant and withdrawn. He resented Jayne’s new abilities and her preoccupation with the Dragon, complaining bitterly about her increasingly frequent absences doing “God knows what with God knows who.” Eventually, he sought comfort in the perfectly plebeian arms of a Starbucks barista named Tracie. Jayne noted this turn of events with dispassion, finding it a fitting end to her old life; she signed the divorce papers with relief.

=• The Dragon •= Sangaii is completely dedicated to serving the Dragon. Unquestioningly obedient without needing to understand the Dragon’s designs, she is an efficacious and valued faction member. Sangaii is content in the naïve belief that because she’s found her right place in the world through the Dragon, its motives and actions must be just.

In joining the Dragon, Jayne shed her old name as well as her old life, choosing the name Zona Rosa after a minor but pivotal character in William Gibson’s cyberpunk novel Idoru. However, she is more commonly known as Sangaii, a nickname derived from the Japanese word Sangai, meaning havoc.

Though Sangaii continues to rent an apartment in the Washington, DC area, the residence goes largely unused; home is wherever the Dragon needs Sangaii to be. Incongruous with her appearance, Sangaii maintains a cover profession as a federal government office employee. Through special arrangements made by the Dragon, she retains her former position and is cryptically classified as “on assignment.” However, she returns to her old cubicle only on the rare occasions that she feels nostalgic for her favorite brand of rubber cement.

Sangaii is currently partnered with a female Illuminati agent called Joki. Sangaii was selected for this very unique assignment based largely on her absolute allegiance to the Dragon and her ability to play nicely with everyone, regardless of ideological affiliation. The two women are tasked with executing specific maneuvers to undermine Templar objectives. The arrangement is indefinite, pending frequent and thorough scrutiny on the part of both factions. Though their relationship was tenuous at first, Sangaii and Joki have since forged a solid (somewhat grudging) bond and trust each other with their lives.

=• Physical Appearance •=

Sangaii's appearance is carefully calculated to make a distinct impression. Her dramatic hairdo, makeup, and clothing represent a shunning of the conventional path she walked for so long.

Some may find Sangaii beautiful. Her face is symmetrical, with wide amber eyes under arched brows that tend to give her a countenance of knowing amusement. Given her efforts to present a tough exterior, Sangaii’s expressions are surprisingly open and empathetic. Her figure is slender, the taut underlying musculature padded by curves in pleasing places. Knowing that her body is a tool of the Dragon, Sangaii attempts to care for it well (occasional drug use notwithstanding) through proper nutrition and exercise. Red is her dominant color, from the reddish tones in her mohawk and tanned skin to the bright clothes on her back. Because of this, she seems to exude an aura of warmth.

Continually experimenting to determine which of her parts will accept new holes, Sangaii’s body is an ever-changing landscape of piercings. Her only body art is an elaborate dragon tattooed on the right side of her shaved scalp, intended to illustrate her total dedication to the Dragon.

=• Personality & Mannerisms •=

Sangaii’s wild appearance belies her introverted nature. Calm and intentional, she prefers to observe and analyze a given situation rather than jump to immediate action; she proceeds with caution, loathe to be caught off balance if surprised. In her work, this occasionally poses a hazard, causing Sangaii to pause when quick thinking is required. Sangaii does not shrink from violence, nor does she engage in it for its own sake. She regards it as a means to an end, not something to be enjoyed in and of itself.

Among people she does not know well, Sangaii is usually quiet, listening rather than participating – particularly in large groups. She feels more at ease in one-on-one conversations in which she can focus all her attention on a single individual. Adept at reading others, she can successfully interact on a superficial level with nearly anyone. Sangaii finds satisfaction in closer relationships, though, and is unwaveringly loyal to the few she calls friends. Unsurprisingly, Sangaii’s inhibitions tend to fade when under the influence of alcohol or glue. She has a wry sense of humor and a mischievous streak that rise to the surface in these conditions.