InsaneJournal

NAME: Kingsley Xavier Shacklebolt II
AGE/BIRTHDAY: 30 (Go on. Laugh.) / October 7th, 1949
BLOOD STATUS: Er. Halfblood? The Shacklebolts are mostly pureblood folk, but they've never been a family to enforce the whole purebloods-only marriage shtick, so there are a couple Muggleborns and Halfbloods here and there on the family tree.
FORMER HOUSE: Gryffindor class of 1968
OCCUPATION: Auror

FAMILY:
FATHER: Kingsley Xavier Shacklebolt, Sr. (b. 1921). Retired Hit Wizard. Former Hufflepuff. Kingsley Shacklebolt Sr. was a bit of a slacker as a kid, but he later made up for that by studying up and becoming a Hit Wizard for the Ministry. He fought in the war against Grindelwald, and as a result, has a crazy high respect for Dumbledore. While he's nowhere as strict as his wife, he was the one who warned Kingsley against prejudicing himself against Muggles and Halfbloods. Kingsley Sr. is rather jolly and up for a laugh, if not a bit gullible. He's got his fair share of quirks, such as geeking out over the latest magical appliance (magical lawn mowers, anybody?) and forgetting to wash the dishes for days on end. Kingsley Sr. and Ironelis squabble over stupid shit like who's going to do the spring cleaning or whether they need another magical toaster, but it's nothing to jeopardize their marriage. Kingsley likes his father well enough, except when he's being a slob. [PB: Laurence Fishburne]

MOTHER: Ironelis Etta Shacklebolt, née Griffiths (b. 1926). Book critic for The Daily Prophet. Former Slytherin. Ironelis Shacklebolt is as stubborn as her name suggests. She's notorious in the literary circles for her one-star reviews and shooting down every single book Fifi Lafolle ever wrote. Good luck milking out a word of praise from her. As a parent, though, she's strict and imposing as any tiger mum could get, but she'll fuck a mofo up if anybody lays a finger on her two children. Kingsley was always the kid who hated it whenever he had to do chores or study for his Auror examinations during the summer, but he does love his mum as any son should. In terms of personality, he's more like his mum. They both hate whiners, time-wasters, and incompetence; if anything, his mum was the one who pushed him to strive for excellence. [PB: Alfre Woodard]

SISTER: Gabrielle Evelyn Shacklebolt (b. 1955). Dancer at Wizarding Academy of Dramatic Arts (WADA). Former Gryffindor. Gabby is Kingsley's baby sister, and nevermind the fact that she's 25 -- she's still a baby sister. She's a perfectionist who's rather serious about dance, though she's prone to being flighty and boy-crazy. Kingsley gets along quite well with her, except when she's, you know, being flighty and boy-crazy. As the big brother, Kingsley was always charged with the task of giving Gabby's exes the staredown as a means of intimidation. [PB: Arlenis Sosa]

PATERNAL GRANDFATHER: Jervis Shacklebolt (b. 1895)
PATERNAL GRANDMOTHER: Medea Shacklebolt, née Kibaki (b. 1901)
PATERNAL UNCLE: Forrest Shacklebolt (b. 1924)
MATERNAL GRANDFATHER: Apollo Griffiths (b. 1902)
MATERNAL GRANDMOTHER: Anaïs Griffiths, née Baraza (b. 1903)
MATERNAL AUNT: Zora Jones, née Griffiths (b. 1928)
MATERNAL AUNT: Robin Harper, née Griffiths (b. 1931)

NAME. Shacklebolt = "bolt which passes through the eyes of a shackle" (OED). In heraldry, the shacklebolt symbolizes "victory; one who has taken prisoners or rescued prisoners of war." (source)

SEXUALITY: Heterosexual with a serving of bromancing on the side with IDKMYBFF BENJY?!
SIGNIFICANT OTHER: Kingsley's living and enjoying the bachelor life for the most part.
CHILDREN:: Hahahahahahahahahahahahaha, Kingsley is totally side-eyeing you right now. See his boggart.

LOYALTY/ALLIANCE: Ministry. As much as he doesn't approve of all this Voldemort business, Kingsley hasn't yet reached the point where he feels that joining a vigilante group is necessary. Kingsley has always thought that the Ministry was the best vehicle to enact change. He might have a bucketload of respect for Dumbledore, but let's be honest, what would happen if Dumbledore died? From what he knows of the Order, they don't seem as organized or fully-stocked as the Ministry. Kingsley wants to be fighting for a cause and a competent group, and well, the Ministry seems to fulfill both requirements.

That said, he does have his gripes with the Ministry. They're forcing him to go on a rat race with two terrorist groups around the bloody world. They don't pay him that well enough for all his hard slog. They overwork him. He doubts they even have an actual gameplan. His morale with the Ministry is wearing thin, but ideally, Kingsley just wants this whole Voldemort mess to be over with so that he can go back to working regular hours.

ROLE IN THE WAR: Kingsley's an Auror for the Ministry, which means he gets to kick arse and take names. If his tall, imposing stature doesn't intimidate you, well -- he can perform a mean curse. Wizarding combat is his freaking forte. He's got a good bullshit detector, and really, nothing much gets past him. He's amazing at Stealth and Tracking; he passed with flying colours in the advanced discipline. Thanks to his constant deadpan expressions, you really can't read his poker face. He can talk to Muggles without garnering a single odd look, because he can actually dress like a Muggle like it's no big deal. He's pretty darn good at what he does even though it'd be nice to have a pay raise.

POLITICAL VIEWS: Kingsley respects Muggles. He admires the feats that they've been able to accomplish without magic, such as cars and airplanes and televisions and Muggle music. Granted, he's not so much fascinated with these things as he is deeply impressed. While he doesn't think that the Statute of Secrecy should be repealed, he doesn't see the harm in Muggleborn wizards. He's befriended quite a few at Hogwarts and no way are they inferior as Voldemort would suggest. His ideal vision of a wizarding world is one where all wizards are treated equally. He's all about equal opportunity and meritocracy.

Kingsley's views on werewolves, centaurs, and vampires are a bit different than that of the Ministry. He believes that much of the animosity surrounding humans and half-breeds is built up on the prejudices that humans have created. He personally doesn't mind them at all, as long as they're not harming anybody.

APPEARANCE: At 6'4" and broad, muscular build, Kingsley Shacklebolt's imposing presence is no laughing matter. He has a cool calm that can either be seen as reassuring or intimidating as all get out. He is bald (less fuss that way) with dark eyes, a strong chin, broad shoulders, and a single gold hooped earring. Another thing to note about Kingsley is that he's ridiculously deadpan. His usual expression du jour is pretty stoic, or if you're lucky, wry amusement. He's not one to crack a smile, unless he's around his closest friends, like Benjy or Regina or his sister. He doesn't even bother rolling his eyes at your incompetence; he's too tactful for that but he will shoot you a deadpan look that reads ARE-YOU-SERIOUS if you're really that stupid.

Oh yeah, another thing? Kingsley can dress like a GQMF. That's not to say he's wearing Armani suits to buy the groceries, but seriously. Earring? Check. Nicely pressed oxford shirt? Check. Neatly ironed trousers? Check. Unlike most of wizarding Britain, he understands how Muggles actually dress. If you were a Muggle and you randomly saw him on the street, you'd actually be impressed. On most days, he looks quite professional, save for the earring, which adds a bit of roguish charm. Or so he says.

Kingsley has a fairly deep voice when he speaks. He usually speaks slowly but clearly. Also, let it be known that Kingsley Shacklebolt does not believe in exclamation marks, especially not when he speaks. His speech is usually pithy and to-the-point. He doesn't use "um" or "er" or "YAY!!!!!!" in his sentences. No run-on sentences, either. Kingsley doesn't ramble. Period.

Backtracking a little bit, Kingsley's grandparents (Jervis and Medea Shacklebolt) grew up in the British East Africa protectorate (aka Kenya). Both had gone to wizarding school in Kenya and gotten married in a tribal ceremony near the Ngong Hills southwest of Nairobi. However, with British colonization spreading, they gathered up every last penny they had and moved to Britain -- London, more specifically. Jervis used up his savings and opened a bar in the working-class neighborhood of London, and his wife Medea was a lounge singer at the bar.

When they had a kid, Kingsley Shacklebolt, they would take care of him during the day and keep him upstairs above the bar during the nights. They spent most of the time working, and as a result, Kingsley Sr. was a bit of a latchkey kid growing up. He wasn't exactly academically motivated, and most of his free time was spent dicking around with his slacker friends. After graduating from Hogwarts, he mostly stayed at home as he barely made an effort to find a job. This led to an intervention from the parents, who were ultimately displeased to the point of threatening to kick him out of the house if he didn't get his act together. Not wanting to become a family fuckup, Kingsley studied hard. He reopened his old textbooks and practised his hexes in the vain hope that somebody out there would want to hire him. He was in luck: Grindelwald's power was on the rise, and there was a dire need for more people to fight. Figuring he had nothing left to lose, Kingsley Sr. fought in the war and helped capture Dark Wizards in Germany. His efforts did not go unnoticed and he was awarded by the Ministry for his wartime achievements. He was subsequently hired as a Hit Wizard by the Ministry, where he worked until his retirement.

After his wartime efforts, Kingsley Sr. was interviewed by a budding journalist by the name of Ironelis Griffiths. Living up to her name, Ironelis had the iron will and stubbornness to match. Her mother (Anaïs) made her living as a nanny for the privileged British family living on the plantation nearby in Mombasa, Kenya. Her father (Apollo) was a local Kenyan herbologist. Like Kingsley's paternal grandparents, both of them saved up to move to Britain. Ironelis grew up self-sufficient; even as a young child, she had to do all the paperwork and chores for her parents, who were still getting acquainted with their new life in England. She taught herself to read from old newspaper clippings and books. She loved to write and studied hard in Hogwarts to earn a job at the Daily Prophet. She and Kingsley Sr. married in 1947, and two years later, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Jr. was born.

CHILDHOOD: Born in the Wizarding community of Upper Flagley in Yorkshire, Kingsley Shacklebolt had a rather normal-ish childhood. He would play with the neighborhood kids in the playground near the corner and challenge them to Quidditch pickup games in the field nearby. Because Kingsley grew up in a largely magical community, his knowledge of the Muggle world was limited at best. When he was 5, he was greeted by the arrival of a new baby sister, Gabrielle. Kingsley felt somewhat obliged to take care of her; even if he hadn't, his mum probably would have made him anyway. The two kids were parented with an iron fist; they had to read whatever books their mum assigned them and write book reports about them. They had to do the chores. They had to drink their milk, eat their veggies, and go to bed early. Most of their Halloween candy was confiscated, because no way in hell would Ironelis Shacklebolt allow her kids to get cavities. That's not to say that Kingsley grew up in prison though; for every good deed that Kingsley and Gabby did, they would be rewarded, by way of toys or money.

Around the age of 8, his parents announced that they were packing up and moving to the city -- London. No more would Kingsley be segregated from the Muggle world! As the Shacklebolts got settled into their new neighborhood, they realized that they weren't the only new family. Coincidentally, the Fenwicks, a formerly nomadic family, were settling down in London as well. The parents became friends, and often brought Kingsley along to the get-togethers. It was here where Kingsley found a BFF in one Benjy Fenwick. The two got along instantly like two peas in a pod. Even better? The two realized they were wizards.

HOGWARTS: A few years later, Kingsley and Benjy were on the Hogwarts Express, eagerly awaiting the magic that lay ahead. As he watched his friend get sorted in Hufflepuff, Kingsley was a touch disappointed when he got Sorted into Gryffindor, but no matter. The two were inseparable as ever, despite the different houses. Kingsley was a good student; he wasn't naturally brilliant, but he worked hard to achieve a good number of Outstanding marks in his classes. He was well-liked by most people in his house, and he was in a bunch of clubs and teams (including a Beater position in the Quidditch team). Furthermore, in fifth year, he was awarded the coveted Prefect badge.

Due to his academic success, it only seemed natural that Kingsley would pursue a respectable career -- like becoming an Auror. After all, what could be more badass than kicking Dark Wizard arse and getting paid for it? He loved duelling, and Defense Against the Dark Arts was his favorite and best subject at Hogwarts. He and Benjy worked their arses off to get accepted into the programme. One of his happiest memories include getting the acceptance letter in the mail. The summer before training, Kingsley was ecstatic. He was getting restless during the break, and couldn't wait to start.

POST-HOGWARTS: However, only a few months into training, Benjy decided to take time off to travel. As much as Kingsley would have loved the free time to go and join his friend, he knew it would be hard for him to get back on track if he ever took a break. And plus, he had wanted to be an Auror since, well, forever. He wasn't a quitter. Why would he stop now?

So Kingsley stuck with it, and rather liked the job. Even if Moody was a total hardass, he grew to respect many of his colleagues. They were the best, the brightest, and the elite. Unfortunately, this feeling of amazement didn't last long. Voldemort was on the rise, and suddenly, Kingsley no longer had the freedom of planning his own schedule. He was called on duty around the clock, and for little reward. And it wasn't helping that the success rate of his missions was decreasing. He had only ever seen the silver lining of being an Auror, and now he was beginning to see that the job wasn't nearly as glamorous as he had made it out to be. He barely had time to hang with his friends, let alone sleep. And when he found out a few months ago that he had to tag along on a trip around the world to collect Horcruxes? Ugh, not cool.

So basically, it's safe to say that Kingsley's disgruntled with his job. He can't fathom quitting anytime; he feels that he has a lot to lose and well, his future would be fucked. Plus, it's just not in his personality to outright quit something. He had always thought the Ministry (after all, shouldn't you always trust the government?) was the most competent vehicle to stop the rise of Voldemort, but something's telling him that's not necessarily the case.

FIVE THINGS:

• IDKMYBFFBENJY?!!? Suffice to say, Benjy is like Kingsley's brother from another mother. I'm totally looking forward to this, not just because of epic friendship times (!!!!!!!!!!!!!), but also because er, one of them happens to be secretly involved in a terrorist group. Gasp! I'm curious to see how this will go down.

• Being a surrogate brother to Regina. Kingsley's never been one to admit things like this, but Regina is like his little sister. Even if he's been on the receiving end of her multiple spaz attacks, he'd still calm her down by getting her tea and writing her a poem. Outside of panic attacks, he and Regina totally exchange bitchfaces whenever shit hits the fan at the Ministry. The day they both found out they were going to Romania? What the fuck, man. What the fuck.

• I really want to play somebody who's strictly Ministry affiliated (sigh, Edgar doesn't count!). Kingsley technically agrees with a lot of the viewpoints of the Order, but he just doesn't think a vigiliante group is going to be effective enough to enact change. Plus, "terrorist" never looked good on anybody's resume. He's kind of in a dilemma, because he hates the fact that the Ministry is dragging him along for this around-the-world trip but he's still kind of optimistic that the Ministry will take care of this and all will be restored to peace and quiet. Uh-huh.

• Kingsley's intimidating as fuck, not to mention he's ridiculously deadpan and disgruntled. It'd be so hilarious if he could just death-glare at every incompetent being in the Ministry. And he still wants his pay raise.

• Despite the aforementioned disgruntledness, though, I'd love to explore Kingsley's lighthearted side. He likes cute girls, and he's a lot less serious around his friends! I'm sure that besides Benjy and Regina, there's more people that he respects enough to call his friends!

STRANDED:
Kingsley would bring the following:
• His wand.
• A supply of chocolate-covered pretzels
• A Wizard's Wireless. Listening to it calms him down, and he needs to stay updated on (in order of priority): news, the Tutshill Tornadoes Quidditch broadcast, and the smooth jazz channel.

He'd take Benjy, as if there were any question about that. If that weren't possible, maybe Regina? Hell would be one of his ex-girlfriends or a whiny toddler who wasn't potty-trained. Or being forced to listen to country music.

JOURNAL ENTRY: First person. You can find more information about journals here.

RP SAMPLE: Third person, past tense.