Sasha Belanger

Sasha Belanger is a fictional character in Nathaniel J. Nelson's serial Seventh Circle. First introduced in the first episode, Sasha is a member of the same paranormal enthusiasts' group as Vinny Howell.
==Description==
Sasha wears "comically large" glasses. She is ethnically Chinese – and was born in Chinca – and her adopted parents are Jewish. Although extremely well-versed in paranormal investigation and the history of such things, she is considered the skeptic of the group, sometimes being referred to as "Agent Scully" by her peers. She apparently knows more about conspiracy theories than most of the group, but is apparently worried about coming off as right-wing, particularly in regards to antisemitic conspiracies.
Sasha is fiercely independent, only allowing Greg to pay for three-quarters of their rent because it makes mathematical sense with her schedule.Seventh Circle season 1, episode 10, Possession: Part II She refuses any financial help from her parents, and often refuses their emotional support as well, though she sometimes calls her mother for encouragement.Seventh Circle season 1, episode 7, The Yellow Door: Part II She fails to tell her parents about either Seventh Circle or her job at CVS, not wanting them to either worry about her or offer aid.
Although Sasha is committed to Greg, she appears considerably less enthusiastic about their relationship than he does, and prefers not to share her interest in the paranormal with him. Sasha is snarky, and often condescending, but she is seen to care about both Greg and her parents on a deep, hidden level. Unlike Vinny, Sasha is always wanting for money, working as much as possible at CVS yet never seeming to have enough due to her commitments to school and Seventh Circle. She is often annoyed that Vinny is so cavalier about his higher income and more relaxed lifestyle.
Like Vinny, Sasha has an extensive knowledge of pop culture, specifically horror movies, but unlike Vinny, she wants Seventh Circle to take itself seriously, rejecting such things as merchandise and social media outreach. Greg appears to side with Vinny on this issue, as they discuss their approach to Mike Wells in television terminology.
==Biography==
===Early life===
Sasha was born in China and abandoned by her birth parents, eventually being adopted by Abigail and John Belanger, a Jewish couple from the Midwest. She was raised in Madison, Wisconsin, and developed an interest in psychology, philosophy, and the paranormal.
During her freshman year at Boston University, Sasha's car broke down on the side of the road in East Boston. She had it towed to Jack's Auto, where the counter attendant, Greg Lopez, offered to look at it for her. Greg was mocked by the mechanics, as he had little mechanical knowledge; feeling sorry for him, Sasha asked him on a date, thinking this would show up his coworkers. In reality, they were ribbing him goodnaturedly,Seventh Circle season 1, episode 7, The Yellow Door: Part II but their date (to see Captain America: Civil War) led to a longterm relationship and a cohabitation situation.Seventh Circle season 1, episode 6, The Yellow Door: Part I
===Ignition===
While attending college in Boston, Sasha moved in with her boyfriend Greg Lopez in East Boston. At some point, she began attending the same paranormal enthusiasts' group as Vinny Howell, which met in Cambridge. In January 2017, Sasha was the only member of the group to follow Vinny out when he quit, which led him to realize that she may be the ideal candidate for a partnership.Seventh Circle, season 1, episode 1, Ignition: Part I
When Vinny told Sasha that Allegro had contacted him about starting a team, Sasha was excited, but hesitant, knowing she would have to work this into her schedule and avoid falling behind in school, while still maintaining her job at CVS. She hesitantly told Greg about her new team, and he apparently humored her, which annoyed her. When Allegro told them to meet him in Ticonderoga, New York, Sasha reluctantly asked Greg to drive them.Seventh Circle, season 1, episode 2, Ignition: Part II
In Ticonderoga, Sasha visited the fort with Vinny, and was annoyed when he pushed her out of meeting with Allegro: over this trip, she felt increasingly annoyed by Vinny's assumption of leadership, and his inability to recognize that she had less time and money than him.Seventh Circle, season 1, episode 3, Ignition: Part III Sasha readily agreed to investigate the haunted Bennett House at the request of Allegro, though she, like Vinny, was afraid. During their night in the haunted house, Sasha showed sufficient bravery, and often reminded Vinny not to make assumptions based on fiction. When Greg appeared outside, Sasha was ecstatic to see him; however, he was gunned down, apparently by nothing,Seventh Circle season one, episode 4, Ignition: Part IV'' and the shock of his death led Sasha to sit, catatonic, in the living room for some time. When she had sufficiently recovered, Sasha rebuked Vinny for choosing to do nothing and ran out of the house, making a mad dash for Greg's car. She was set upon by Greg, still alive and posing as El Fantasma as part of Allegro's scheme to test Vinny and Sasha. She ran into the woods (which she would later regret, realizing she had behaved like a horror movie victim), and at some point, Greg revealed himself, at which point Sasha, for reasons neither of them understood, demanded he have sex with her on the forest floor, keeping his mask on. Though Sasha was furious at Greg, and at Allegro – now revealed to be Taul Bennett, a young recluse – she agreed to join the new paranormal investigation team, now branded as the new version of Seventh Circle.Seventh Circle season 1, episode 5, Ignition: Part V
===The Yellow Door===
On Valentine's Day, 2017, Sasha stopped by Jack's Auto to get lunch with Greg. Although Sasha was unenthusiastic about Valentine's Day, she was irked that Greg appeared to have forgotten. She worked a shift at CVS until late in the night, then accepted Vinny's invitation to drink at his apartment. Unbeknownst to Sasha, Greg had prepared a lavish meal and romantic evening for the two of them, believing the surprise would be greater if she thought he had forgotten the holiday entirely.Seventh Circle season 1, episode 6, The Yellow Door: Part II
For their first official trip as Seventh Circle, Sasha and Vinny went to Burlington, Vermont, where they investigated The Yellow Door: a homey restaurant haunted by a poltergeist. Sasha walked around Burlington on her own, observing the University of Vermont campus and waxing existential about her college experience. She buys cigarettes – unknowingly from Mike McMann, whose daughter in law was present at the destruction of the original Seventh Circle – and calls her mother, hoping for an encouraging talk.Seventh Circle season 1, episode 7, The Yellow Door: Part II Over the two-day Burlington trip, Sasha became annoyed at Vinny for always taking the lead, and managed to remind him that they were supposed to be partners. Sasha was the first to make the connection between the Yellow Door's poltergeist and their monthly baked bean special, which led to them realizing the restaurant was haunted by the ghost of Martha Robbins. After witnessing true poltergeist activity, Sasha showed more enthusiasm than usual, even hugging Vinny. Despite always needing more money, Sasha decided to skip another shift at CVS to stay in Burlington and attend a student protest.Seventh Circle season 1, episode 8, The Yellow Door: Part II
===Possession===
While Sasha was ready to use her spring break for Seventh Circle purposes, the appearance of her parents in Boston threw off these plans. Taul refused to hold off on their investigation – a child possessed by a demon that may be time-sensitive – which led to Sasha and Vinny reluctantly choosing Greg Lopez and Jack Harrison as temporary partners. Sasha couldn't leave Boston while her parents were visiting, but more than that, she had lied to them, not telling them about Seventh Circle or CVS, as she didn't want them to worry and/or offer her help. At this time, Greg offered to pay Sasha's full rent – he already paid for three-quarters of their combined rent, as she couldn't work fulltime – and she was tempted, but refused.Seventh Circle season 1, episode 9, Possession: Part I When Vinny published the Seventh Circle Facebook page without Sasha's knowledge,Seventh Circle season 1, episode 10, Possession: Part II, Sasha's parents realized she had lied to them and confronted her. She admitted she didn't want them to think she was wasting her time with Seventh Circle, and accidentally revealed that she worked at CVS as well. She again claimed she didn't want them to worry, and she argued about them offering help, but finally they came to an understanding. Sasha took one of the two hundred-dollar bills her father offered, and her parents understood that she needed to be independent.Seventh Circle season 1, episode 11, Possession: Part III.
==References==
Category:Seventh Circle