In-Character
Full Name: Kayin Adekunle Adebayo Nicknames:
Addy by close friends
Adebayo by social equals with whom he is friendly, and of course,
Mr. Adebayo by and large
Birthdate: June 3rd, 1866
Current Age: 29
Gender: Male
Occupation: Heir to the Adebayo Trading Company
Reputation: 7 or 8
Residence: A small townhouse in London
Hogwarts House: Attended Uagadou
Wand:
Blood Status: Pureblood
Social Class: Upper Class
Family:
Taiwo Adebayo, Father [1840]Appearance:
Bosede Adebayo, Mother [1847-1884]
Kehinde Adebayo, Twin Brother [1866]
Callista Abeni Adebayo, Sister [1870]
Femi Adebayo, Brother [1873]
Iphigenia Adebayo, Sister [1876]
Ife Gbadamosi , Maternal Grandmother [1822]
History:Kayin has never cut a particularly imposing figure. At five feet, seven inches in height, his frame is a lithe one, toned from athletics but neither broad nor tall. He is well dressed in clothes fashionable in London, favouring colour over the dour black of some of his peers. Dark hair, eyes, and skin all reflect his Nigerian heritage. His is a broad smile, though not always in ernest. Kayin is right-handed.
It is worth noting that Kayin has a flawless accent. In Yoruba, his accent is Nigerian; in English, his accent is of the posh sort. His accents in other languages are not quite as immaculate, but he does his best.
His PB is Ncuti Gatwa.
Personality:Born in Lagos, Taiwo Adebayo grew up learning the family business: exports. When his father passed, Taiwo was only sixteen years old; against every damn odd, he turned his old man’s one-ship business into a shipping company in the decade to follow, rising to nouveau riche status. Through a combination of luck and business acumen, he continued to grow the business, eventually reallocating his family to England a decade after Lagos became a colony to further their prospects.Prelude: Legacy
Timeline
1866 Twin sons are born to the Adebayo family in Lagos, Nigeria. The elder is called Kayin, a Yoruba name meaning “celebrated child”. Both children are equally doted upon, and their mother, Bosede, is celebrated for delivering a pair of healthy sons. 1867 Seeing a potential business opportunity, Taiwo relocates the family to Britain. An infant at the time, this shift is not at all a struggle for Kayin personally, though in time he will learn that his parents did not always find it easy. 1870 Callista is born. A small, fragile baby girl is of little interest to a young boy. By now, Kahinde has shown his first signs of magic, but Kayode has not. 1873 Femi is born. Older now, Kayin had hoped a baby brother might be more exciting than a baby sister. His efforts to play with the infant yield mixed results, but he does demonstrate his first act of magic in conjuring pretty lights for Femi. 1876 Another—a final—baby is born to Bosede and Taiwo, a little sister for Callista called Iphigenia. To Kayin, her arrival is rather overshadowed by his impending departure for Nigeria.
Interlude: Transitions
It was Iya who took them from their comfortable London home back to Nigeria. Part of Kayin resented her for this, but not as much as he resented his father.
Neither boy had set foot in Lagos since the family’s departure some ten years earlier. Though they spoke Yoruba at home (Kayin did so with much more grace than his brother), their father’s approach was to be as English as possible for business reasons, a policy that extended to his children’s rearing. Why, then, the boy wondered, must they go to Uagadou instead of Hogwarts?
Tradition, Baba had answered in their native tongue. We must fit in in our new home, but we must remain ourselves, too.
It wasn’t a new home to Kayin. It was his home—but he could hardly tell Baba that.
So the twins had been packed up, shipped off, and were faced with a new challenge. Each put on a brave face about the matter, but each knew the other was nervous. As they approached the school, Kayin grabbed his brother’s hand.
Timeline Resumes
1876 - 1884 Kayin attends classes at Uaguado. In spite of his earlier apprehension, the fact that he is something of a social chameleon allows him to make friends with ease, and his linguistic gifts allow him to pick up many of the myriad tongues the school’s students boast. Academically, he does face challenges. The school only teaches wandless magic, which he struggles with. More than one classmate—and more than one instructor—blames his feeble English upbringing for this. To make matters worse, his twin excels, making Kayin feel like something of an academic outsider even if he is not one socially.
When he returns home to England between his second and third years (his first return to England since departing for Lagos), his mother takes him to purchase a wand against his father’s wishes. Though Kayin is forbidden to use this in his classes, he finds just having it relieves some of the anxiety.
As is expected of students at the school, Kayin begins studying to become an animagus. By the age of fifteen, he is able to transform at will into a flamingo which is… not particularly impressive, in his estimation, but will Do.
As his classmates begin flirting with their female counterparts, Kayin starts to join in, not because he has any particular interest in the girls, but because it is What One Does. By sixteen, he knows that he prefers his own sex—and also that this preference is unacceptable. Though he has crushes, they’re never acted upon; instead, Kayin begins pursuing the witches his crushes express an interest in.
At eighteen, Kayin concludes his studies. While his practical magic still leaves something to be desired, he is above average in more theoretical courses and generally well-liked by those in his social circle.1884 - 1885 With his twin, Kayin embarks on a tour of Europe. Both are horrified to learn of their mother’s disappearance and presumed death, but are discouraged from coming home. When they do return, it is to a much more subdued household than the one they left. 1885 - 1888 The twins begin working with Baba’s shipping company, learning the ropes in different areas. Kayin is good at making connections, but chafes under his father’s supervision and is absolutely abysmal with numbers.
Still, he does his best to play the dutiful son, at least by day. His leisure time, well, that’s his.1889 He meets [Neville] through mutual acquaintances.
Interlude: What If?
Wine. Dying lanterns. Conversations.
What would you be, if you had all the opportunities and none of the pressure?
A poet! A lion tamer! A luxurious bastard! How am I to know? The world is as it is, and my life with it.And if you had been born poor?
Well, then I might possibly be happy.
It was not his first time having sex, but it was his first time making love. That was how it was with [Neville], would always be.. For a time, at least.
Timeline Resumes
1889 - 1891 As much time as society and their individual lives allow is spent in [Neville’s] company—Kayin falls fast, and gods does he fall hard. If he begins to sometimes neglect social events where he might interact with young ladies, well, at least he isn’t out making trouble.
It is in the spring of 1890 that he overhears. Baba, he knew, had been deciding which of the twins should return to Lagos to take over the running of the company’s interests there. Kayin had assumed it would be him, as the elder—had dreaded the eventuality. But it isn’t, it is Kehinde, and Kayin is elated, would be elated, if he hadn’t overheard his father’s reasoning: He is more capable by far, more reliable. Would that Kehinde had been the elder twin, but we are where we are.
Kayin had always felt like a disappointment. Now he knew it to be true.1891 [Neville] marries. Kayin is hurt, even jealous, but reasons it can and will be fine. Until [Neville] declares that he must ‘be a good husband’ and severs their connection.
Kayin does not take this well
Interlude: The Selected Conquests of Kayin Adebayo
Miss Red |The first woman that Kayin ever pursued, a hunt borne of his desire to get back at [Neville] in some way. He led her on terribly, the two engaging in heavy kissing at a particularly risque house party. She turned down two proposals in expectation of one from him, which was never granted. There is bitterness on her part towards Kayin, but he does not think of her at all.
Miss Yellow |Kayin and Miss Yellow spent the bulk of the ‘93 Season in one another’s company. Neither had any interest in marriage for their own reasons, but enjoyed the other’s companionship immensely. His attentions meant she was not actively pursued by anyone she would not wish to be; hers rather kept him out of trouble with other young ladies. They remain good friends.
Miss Blue |
Aka the near miss. Miss Blue was a bit older than many debutantes in that particular season, and rather more desperate to marry. Indeed, she found herself with child and, when she could not get the actual father to wed her, launched herself at Kayin. He was happy to flirt with her, but an angry father threatening to kill him if he did not ‘take responsibility’, well, that was rather outside his zone of comfort—especially as he had never touched more than the chit’s bare hand! Veritaserum and a lawsuit saw matters remedied, the settlement seeing to the purchase of a small, but comfortable, London home for him.
Miss Violet |A popular young debutante, Kayin joined numerous other bachelors in the pursuit of her during the Season of ‘95, but ghosted her altogether when she began sending him missives of love.
Timeline Resumes
1894 Iphigenia enters society, and Kayin wonders which of his two sisters will be the first to wed. He knows which he hopes for, and which he expects—they are not one in the same. 1895 Kayin still: is doing his best, but that isn’t always enough for his father. Kayin still: resents [Neville]. Kayin still: would do anything for his family. Kayin still: wishes life weren’t so hard.
The Three Faces of Kayin Adebayo
- The Son: Dutiful. Trapped. If both things can at once be true, Kayin has mastered this. At home, or around those connected to “home”, he does his best to be what his father wants him to be: measured, reliable, protective of his siblings, the business, and the Adebayo reputation. He is intelligent with a hint of devilish wit, but sometimes chafes against the bridle placed on him by his father’s expectations. He is affectionate with his family, polite with acquaintances, and measured in business. He only feels miserable some of the time. This is the Kayin most people see.
- The Rake: Though some might think this is truer to Kayin’s nature, it is still a mask he puts on. Oh, he enjoys it immensely—the cards, the theatre, the racing, the occasional, slightly illegal use of his connections. The women, well, he doesn’t care for those but This Kayin must. He is fun-loving with an acerbic wit and a bit of daring to him. This is the Kayin of the clubs, Kayin after dark, Kayin the flirt, Kayin the man teetering on the edge of being a disappointment.
- ???: This is Kayin at his truest, his most raw. Only one person has been trusted enough to see the full breadth of it..
Key TraitsKayin is a man of sins and failings; all his shortcomings, one suspects, can be traced to five traits that have long guided him:
- Proud: Kayin is proud of his family, proud of his accomplishments, and protective of the reputation of both. He does not stand for slander, and his good humour falls away if laddish ribbing persists overlong.
- Insecure: His mother died; his father always had a back-up son, one in Kayin’s own image. In school, he was never half so good at magic (or any aspect of schoolwork) as his brother. Of course the wizard has developed insecurities! He yearns to someday find the one person he will not disappoint, though doubts very much that person will ever exist.
- Covetous: Kayin has a hunger, he wants. He wants a love he cannot have, a freedom that has been denied him. He often finds skills and possessions in others that he wishes he could possess, that would surely fix his shortcomings or shore up his reputation further.
- Loyal: There is nothing that Kayin would not do for those he cares about, even to his own detriment…
- Unforgiving: …except forgive a perceived betrayal.
Core Values
- All the world’s a stage. Whether through upbringing or experience, Kayin has long believed that perception is more important than truth. He cultivates the image of himself he wishes people to believe, and avoids introspection and self-improvement.
- Blood is not only thicker than water, but more vital. One honours their family and in turn is honoured by them. Disagreements and resentment are all well and good ‘in-house’, but the family must be united in all things to the outside world.
Assorted Beliefs
- On Activism: Causes are for people with too much time on their hands and who are not interesting enough to have proper hobbies.
- On Class: In spite of his father’s experiences, Kayin believes that class is immutable: one born to the working class will always carry that with him, and the same is true of the upper classes. It takes a remarkable actor to ‘pass’ well enough that others forget his humble beginnings. There is no sense in class mixing, as they are fundamentally incompatible outside of the prescribed order.
- On the British: Magical society has been kinder to colonies than their muggle counterparts, but Kayin has been raised not to be complacent. Give them a piece, they’ll take it all; show them a crack, they’ll tear down the wall.
- On Feminism: Kayin has enough Strong Women™ in his life to know that they can be formidable creatures, and is happy to let them use their strength to advance their cause rather than doing so himself.
TRIVIA:
- His animagus form is a flamingo.
- Languages: Fluent in English and Yoruba; near fluent in French and Portuguese. He is currently learning Arabic for business purposes, and has bits and pieces of a variety of African languages from his time at school. Kayin is fortunate in that languages come easy to him—and even more fortunate in that he enjoys their study.
- Kayin carries his wand “just for show—you know how these British can be”, but in actuality struggles to do more complicated wandless magic without knowing he has it to fall back on. He always uses his wand in dueling tournaments.
- Sends correspondence by way of a pearl-spotted owlet called Bunmi
- Loves both the decadence and the tranquility of a long, hot bath
- In his leisure time, he enjoys dueling, tennis, and the muggle sport of rugby.
- He is a skilled player of cards—he insists it is because he can read people well, but mostly, he just cheats a little.
- In the modern era, he would be diagnosed with dyscalculia. His struggles with sums and bookkeeping is just one of the things straining his relationship with his father.
- Boggart: TBD
- Amortentia: TBD
Out-of-Character
Name: KayteAge: Over 30
Contact: PM Aldous Crouch
