Siyanda Nagi

Name: Siyanda Fatin Nagi

Gender: Agender (assigned male)

Age: 18

Grade: 12

School: George Hunter High School

Hobbies and Interests: Jazz music, playing the saxophone, caring for animals, fashion and makeup, engineering and architecture, fantasy and romance literature

Appearance: Siyanda stands at 5'10" and weighs 167 pounds. Ze has a generally boxy figure, with broad shoulders, a straight waist and hips, and a narrow chest; there is some light muscle tone in zir torso and arms, but ze otherwise would not be considered athletic-looking. Zir face is oblong and characterized by sharp angles, with high cheekbones, a sharp nose, and a tapering chin. Siyanda's hair is straight, thick, and black. It is worn in a shoulder-length layered cut, usually loose or with a small braid or two on the side of zir face but sometimes decorated with a circlet or headband. Zir narrow eyes are a bright amber brown, and ze has dark, arched eyebrows and long eyelashes. Ze has a cool, medium brown skin tone. Ze has Egyptian and South African heritage.

Siyanda likes to wear light, loose-fitting clothes in whites and light tones, and ze has a fondness for jewelry, particularly gold jewelry. Ze will occasionally wear dresses but generally prefers tunic tops or blouses and pants. For jewelry, Siyanda likes to wear stacking bracelets and necklaces; zir ears are pierced once in the lobe and once in the cartilage each, and ze usually wears pendant or hoop earrings in zir lobes and cuffs in the cartilage piercings. Siyanda often wears makeup to varying degrees, ranging from simple foundation to even zir complexion and cover breakouts to a full look with highlighter, eyeliner, eyeshadow, lipstick, and lipliner. Ze prefers makeup in black and metallic tones, especially gold and bronze.

On the day of the abduction, Siyanda was wearing a loose white slit-sleeve blouse decorated with small black bows at the elbow and wrist, light-wash blue jeans, and bronze-colored gladiator sandals. Ze was wearing a set of gold cuff earrings in the cartilage and gold hoops in the lobes of zir ears, a black velvet choker with a gold pendant in the shape of a stylized sun, a longer necklace consisting of a simple gold chain looped multiple times, and a stack of thin gold bangles on zir right wrist. Zir hair was worn loose and decorated with gold-colored circlet headband. Ze had worn a light and manageable amount of makeup consisting of a small layer of foundation, winged black eyeliner, and bronze-toned eyeshadow.

Biography: Siyanda was born on November 20, 1999, to Jalil and Zola Nagi in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Jalil and Zola had met on a mission trip to South Africa a few years prior; Jalil was taking a gap year for volunteer work prior to attending business school, and Zola was a journalist covering nonprofit work in the area, where she also had relatives. The two of them kept in touch after returning to the United States, and eventually relocated to be near each other and married once Jalil finished school and began working in Chattanooga as a finance consultant for several local companies. Siyanda was born the year after they were married and was followed by a sister, Faiza, three years later.

Jalil and Zola were busy and often strict with their children, but they were also affectionate and made sure to spend the free time that they managed to get playing with or otherwise paying attention to Siyanda and Faiza. They tried to instill good values and Christian faith in their children, especially espousing charity and tolerance, emphasizing that they were privileged to grow up in a stable upper-middle class home and that they should help others who were less fortunate or who led different lifestyles, especially if in doing so they were able to guide those others towards a moral Christian lifestyle.

Siyanda and Faiza proved to be similar in temperament; both were generally quiet but held a mischievous streak. Siyanda in particular delighted in provoking reactions from zir classmates and daring them to do things that ze knew would get them in trouble, finding it entertaining to do so as long as nobody got hurt or in serious trouble. Because ze was well-behaved other than this and a good student once ze started school, ze usually escaped more serious consequences than lectures from zir parents for the times that ze goaded others into acting out. When left to zir own devices, Siyanda liked to read and play make-believe by zirself in the backyard or on the playground.

Jalil and Zola were heavily involved with their children's schedules and activities when Siyanda and Faiza were young, as they wanted to make sure that their children were well-rounded. Both were enrolled in music lessons and sports as soon as they were old enough, and they were also held to a routine of homework and studying once they entered school to ensure that they would keep their grades up. Siyanda took well to most of the activities themselves, though ze grew to chafe under zir parents' strict monitoring. It wasn't long before ze wanted to make zir own choices about zir extracurriculars, beginning with petitioning zir parents to let zem drop team sports.

Siyanda quickly realized that zir parents were highly resistant to direct opposition, so from a young age ze began developing zir skill at bargaining to get what ze wanted. The compromise that allowed zem to quit sports was telling zir parents that ze wanted to devote more time to music and switch from piano lessons to the saxophone so that ze could learn jazz music, Jalil's favorite. While this started as a convenient excuse, Siyanda quickly developed a genuine fondness for jazz and for playing the saxophone; ze has branched out into other genres from time to time over the years but always returns to some form of jazz as zir main fare. Ze readily joined the school band when given the opportunity and has been a mainstay in the concert band and jazz ensemble throughout middle and high school as an alto sax player.

Siyanda loved animals from a young age and was the one responsible for most of the pets that the Nagis had over the years. Ze would bring home any willing stray cats or dogs and even once rescued an injured crow which had flown into a window of their home. Siyanda's parents had mixed feelings about the many animals ze brought home, at once happy that ze was compassionate enough to do so at all and concerned about their home getting overrun with animals and whether Siyanda would be responsible enough to care for them all long-term. Most of the cats and dogs were given away to friends and neighbors or brought to a local no-kill shelter after a short time, at Jalil and Zola's insistence. Giving up pets was always a somewhat upsetting experience for Siyanda, despite knowing that the animals were going to people who would take good care of them. Ze did keep a few animals over the years, including the crow that ze rescued, as it was rendered unable to properly fly and instead took up residence in the backyard. In addition to the bird, which Siyanda named Lotte, ze currently has two cats, Pumpkin and Pie.

From the time puberty struck, body image became a consistent problem for Siyanda. Ze often swung between loving and hating zir looks and was never quite able to figure out why. Ze changed zir appearance often throughout middle school and early high school, growing out or cutting zir hair, trying different styles of fashion, and dieting or working out in sporadic bursts, in attempts to find something ze consistently liked.

Siyanda increasingly found zirself shying away from traditional masculinity, especially with Faiza's influence; she had always been interested in fashion and makeup trends and was surprised but pleased that her older sibling was now also showing an interest. Faiza had no qualms about introducing Siyanda to makeup, jewelry, and more androgynous fashion, and she was able to coax Siyanda into trying such looks with little objection as Siyanda had a serious soft spot for zir sister and enjoyed bonding with her over something new. The two of them got their ears pierced together for Faiza's twelfth birthday, and Siyanda willingly modeled outfits and makeup that Faiza put together for zem, despite increasing disapproval from their parents.

Though Jalil and Zola never intervened or outright forbid Siyanda from presenting zirself the way ze wanted, their early reactions to Siyanda's forays into non-normative gender expression ranged from denial to passive-aggression. Typically, they would comment that Siyanda should be careful of zir image and how it might reflect on the family, trying to discourage behavior that they did not approve of without acknowledging the probable root cause. They tended to be casually homophobic and transphobic, dismissing most people who did not conform to typical gender and sexuality as attention-seeking. Siyanda had internalized these sentiments and understood the implication that zir growing rejection of what zir parents considered acceptable hobbies and presentation for a male was a problem. This was the main factor in why it took zem so long to recognize and even longer to accept the fact that ze was not happy with being identified as male, even with the availability of LGBTQ media and resources afforded by internet access and LGBTQ-affiliated organizations.

It was Faiza who first approached Siyanda directly about the possibility, asking zem in private one day whether ze was gay. Siyanda's immediate reaction was denial, but over the course of their conversation it finally clicked that zir issues with personal image stemmed not from sexuality, but from gender. It was a shock, and Siyanda kept this revelation to zirself for several months while ze made zir first real effort to look up information regarding gender non-conformity and tried to work out what exactly applied to zem. Ze was unable to come to completely solid conclusions, and in frustration decided that ze wanted to reject the idea of gender completely rather than trying to work through so many overwhelming possibilities.

An eventual confession and further discussion with Faiza was followed by Siyanda's first hesitant visits to George Hunter High's LGBTQ association. Exposure to various identities and people in different stages of figuring themselves out proved to be a great comfort to Siyanda and a help in working out what labels, if any, ze desired to apply to zirself. Though Siyanda suspects that it may be subject to change in the future, ze settled on describing zirself as agender and chose to switch to using neutral pronouns. Though ze is technically out about zir gender among zir peers, Siyanda doesn't go out of zir way to engage or correct people who are unaware, preferring avoidance over confrontation with anyone that ze suspects might be hostile about it.

Siyanda initially wanted to leave things there and keep zir realizations secret from zir parents, but the recognition of zir discomfort with being identified as male now magnified said discomfort. Siyanda eventually decided to test the waters with zir parents by gradually bringing up the topic of non-binary gender and other such subjects in casual conversation with them. Ze was not received well for bringing the issues that zir parents had tried to deny out into the open. Once when Siyanda broached the topic, Jalil shut down the conversation and stated in no uncertain terms that he did not want either of his children to decide that they wanted to lead such a lifestyle. Though Siyanda did not express it outwardly, this was a serious blow to zem, and ze dropped the subject completely after that, not bothering to try educating zir parents on issues of gender and sexuality and that such things were not a choice.

Zir parents' rejection led Siyanda to perform some deep soul-searching during the middle of zir high school years. While ze determined that ze was not willing to formally come out while living under zir parents' roof, ze refused to give in completely and conform to their expectations and desires. It was at this point that Siyanda began seriously looking towards zir future and planning accordingly; ze decided that ze needed to become independent sooner rather than later for zir own good. Accordingly, ze picked up zir first jobs at 16. Over the last couple of years, Siyanda has performed several part-time jobs, including working as a cashier, barista, pet- and babysitter, dog-walker, and tutor. Ze currently maintains all the above positions as well, aside from the cashier job, wanting to save up as much money of zir own as possible. Ze also occasionally volunteers at a local animal shelter out of personal interest.

Siyanda also doubled down on zir school work; already a capable student, ze has been able to maintain a high class rank through extra effort, as ze wants to make zir resume look as good as possible. While zir grades are good in all areas, rarely dropping below straight A's, ze particularly excels at applied math and science in the vein of engineering and architecture. Siyanda first stumbled upon the possibility of an architecture career when looking into possible jobs relating to zir best subject and found that ze liked the idea of it. While it is not a true passion, working as an architect is a career that Siyanda can see zirself enjoying and making a comfortable living in. In addition to zir school work, band practice, and tutoring, Siyanda acts as a library aide, manning the library help desk and running errands for the school librarian during zir free period a few times a week.

Taking on so much extra work has often left Siyanda stretched thin in terms of energy and time during zir high school years. Long days and late nights of work and homework have seen Siyanda becoming increasingly reliant on coffee and energy drinks to stay awake and alert, and ze has nodded off in class on more than one occasion in recent times. Zir sister and teachers have noticed and expressed some concern over this, but Siyanda brushes them off with the reasoning that ze will be able to cut back and adjust zir schedule after graduation. Constant sleep deprivation leaves zem irritable, and ze now has the added problem of a caffeine addiction, which results in headaches and sluggishness when ze doesn't get zir daily fix.

Zir hectic schedule has also caused zir social life to suffer; most people Siyanda is on good terms with are more acquaintances than friends, as ze does not have much time to devote to socializing and prefers to unwind on zir own when ze does have free time, though zir lack of social presence also means that ze has few real enemies. Over the years, Siyanda's opinion of others has gotten more pessimistic in light of zir exposure to abused animals, intolerance, and zir own increasingly strained relationship with zir parents. In general, Siyanda has come to feel that many people are untrustworthy and that people who always see the best in others are naïve. Ze is still quite good at talking zir way out of trouble and convincing other people to do things for zem, which ze tries not to be too mean-spirited about, though the temptation is there especially when ze is overtired or in a bad mood.

Siyanda has never had a romantic relationship, still unsure of just what zir romantic and sexual orientation is and considering that something to work out in the future when ze has less on zir plate. Ze finds various people attractive to some degree, but has difficulty thinking of zirself as attractive or desirable despite previously receiving compliments on zir looks and getting reassurance from others on the rare occasions when ze has broached the subject. Strangers sometimes flirt with zem, which makes zem uncomfortable more often than it makes zem happy because of the assumptions often made about zir gender. Due to the way ze presents, people who don't know zem tend to assume ze is a woman or an effeminate gay man; the misgendering bothers zem, but ze doesn't go out of zir way to correct strangers and instead prefers to exit the situation as soon as possible.

When ze does have free time, Siyanda most often likes to relax by listening to or playing music and reading. Jazz is still zir favorite genre to play and listen to, and ze has gotten especially fond of the dark jazz and doom jazz subgenres for their unique blending of musical styles. Ze prefers to read fiction over nonfiction, finding escapism in the fantasy and romance genres; the overlap of the two found in paranormal romance is one of Siyanda's guilty pleasures, as ze often finds the subject matter problematic and the technique mediocre, but still enjoys the concept and general stories.

Things in the Nagi household are somewhat tense these days. While Siyanda's parents are very pleased with zir work and school accomplishments, they take issue with Siyanda's personal life. Only Faiza is fully aware of exactly how Siyanda identifies, but Jalil and Zola are not oblivious given Siyanda's preference for more feminine presentation, open interest in traditionally feminine hobbies, and zir lack of relationships with girls. Ze has also stopped attending church with zir family, feeling unwelcome there, which zir parents are not happy about. A rift has grown between zem and zir parents. Jalil and Zola have recently made efforts to try and mend it, deciding that they would rather compromise their beliefs than lose their relationship with one of their children, but Siyanda retains many bitter feelings over the hypocrisy of zir parents espousing tolerance towards others while refusing to even give zem a chance to openly express zir identity. Ze remains close with Faiza, whom ze loves and cares for deeply, and makes sure to spend time with her often.

Siyanda intends to take a gap year or two after graduation to work full-time and save up more money, as ze wants to pay at least part of zir own way through college without needing to rely on zir parents. In the months since turning 18, ze has also been making plans to move out of zir family home; while ze expects to stay in the Chattanooga area for the foreseeable future, ze has a long-term goal of moving somewhere with a more liberal social environment.

Advantages: Siyanda is good at talking zir way out of trouble and has few outright enemies in the school. Ze is somewhat manipulative and good at goading others into acting. Siyanda is wary of others and unlikely to trust people unquestioningly. Ze is ambitious and hardworking.

Disadvantages: Siyanda's mistrusting nature, generally low opinion of others, and suffering social life may make it difficult for zem to form and keep alliances. Siyanda has a dependence on caffeine and experiences headaches and sluggishness if ze goes more than a day without it. Ze has been pushing zirself to exhaustion lately, which is beginning to take its toll on zir mental and physical health. Siyanda's preferred method of conflict resolution is to leave the situation, which may not be feasible on the island.

'The above biography is as written by backslash. No edits or alterations to the author's original work have been made.'

Threads
Below is a list of threads containing Siyanda, in chronological order.

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