Camellia is named after the camellia flower, which is sometimes associated with the moon. Camellia flowers begin to bloom in late fall or winter, and bloom throughout the cold months. The camellia sinensis variety is the flower from which all types of tea are derived.
Giardini means “gardens” in Italian, and as Cam is from Venterre (which I hc as fantasy Italy), their last name is Venterrean.
Nicknames: Cam, which they usually go by rather than their full name
UPRIGHT: New ideas, curiosity, thirst for knowledge, new ways of communicating
REVERSED: Self-expression, all talk and no action, haphazard action, haste
Magic:
— Potions: They are very good at brewing potions and people travel far and wide to buy them because they always work. From headache cures to luck potions and everything in between, if Cam brewed it- it’ll work (or you’ll get a full refund, but that’s never happened before)
— Arithmancy: Arithmancy is a form of divination based on assigning numerical value to a word or phrase, Cam uses numerology and arithmancy to divine the future and answer questions about the past
— Astronomical divination: Cam uses the stars as a form of divination, as well as reading people’s astrological charts for astrological divination. They can pretty much guess someone’s chart on sight (or at least their sun sign) and they usually know the weather forecast for the week
— Cartomancy: They use tarot cards for divination and have a strong connection to the major arcana
Other abilities: speaks multiple languages, cooking, technical and construction skills (good with tools)
— PERSONALITY & PREFERENCES —
Personality:
Cam is an optimist, they always try to see the best in the world and in the people around them. They’re curious, intelligent, and love to share their knowledge with others. Cam wears their heart on their sleeve and is very direct and straightforward in how they communicate. They leap before they look, and often do impulsive things “just to see what would happen”.
They use their magic to help others whenever possible, and always try to do the right thing. Cam is very kind though they can come off as a bit intimidating or quiet on first meeting. Once someone gets to know them, they’ll find that Cam has a great sense of humor and cares deeply for their friends and family. They tend to avoid conflict, but they’d do anything to defend their loved ones.
Cam is introverted, but is quite restless and likes to spend time outside or with friends. They like to multitask and are often working on multiple projects at once. They tend to start more projects than they finish, but they can be determined and single-minded when they’re interested in something. They love to invent and tinker with things, and always keep their hands busy. While Cam is very intelligent, they lack “street smarts'' and can be a bit ditzy and naive.
Mental health: Cam is impulsive, restless, and doesn’t like to stay still. They have trouble focusing at times, but can also have periods of hyper focus where they need to be reminded to take breaks. They put on a confident face, but below the surface they are very scared of rejection from others. They’re the middle child of 9 total siblings, and they’ve got classic middle child syndrome.
Likes: stargazing, math, cold weather, hiking, collecting things
Dislikes: boredom, large bodies of water, bees, coffee
Fears: losing their memories again, being forgotten
Quirks: they can fall asleep anywhere, anytime and like to take little naps rather than a full night of sleep
Favorite food: garlic bread
Favorite drink: orange juice
Favorite flower: anemones
Favorite color: night sky blue
Most likely to: get hopelessly lost in their own house
— APPEARANCE —
Height: 5’7 , 175 cm
Eyes: dark blue
Hair: short and wavy, dark brown that’s more of a reddish copper color in the sun
Other: their skin has olive undertones and a few freckles spread around their arms and back, they tan easily in the sun
Tattoos: a small tattoo on their right wrist shows which phase the moon is currently in, they have the sagittarius constellation on their right forearm, andromeda constellation on their left upper arm, and a tattoo of the planetary symbols for jupiter and mercury on the back of their neck, they also have a few stick and poke tattoos of stars and planets they got as a teenager, each of their tattoos is black lined, but in the dark they faintly glow
Scars: top surgery scars, a lichtenberg figure/ lightning scar on their left arm from their wrist to their mid forearm caused by a magical training accident
Piercings: they have a nose ring and multiple ear piercings: double lobes on both ears, a double helix on their right ear and an industrial on their left
Color theme: dark blue, silver, gold, sage green, purple
Fashion sense: little shirt big pants vibes, baggy, colorful, 80’s / 90’s inspired (but make it medieval) they dress a bit like a dad on vacation at Disney World (they’d wear a fanny pack) they like to layer their clothing, picture a bowling alley’s carpet- that’s their aesthetic
— FAMILY & BACKGROUND —
Family:
Cam has 8 siblings, listed in order of age (start of story)
Cassia, female, twins with Calix, 31
Calix, male, twins with Cassia, 31
Calla, female, 29
Calanthe, female, 27
Canna, female, 23
Clio, male, twins with Crisanta, 22
Crisanta, female, twins with Clio, 22
Clema, male, 17
History:
Cam grew up on a ranch in a small town in Venterre. The Giardini family raised cattle and had a lucrative farm that had been in the family for many generations. Cam helped on the farm a lot growing up, but their clumsiness made them get in the way more often than not. They weren’t meant to be a cowboy, and no amount of riding horses and harvesting crops could change that. Cam grew up right in the middle of eight siblings, most of whom were not the nicest to them growing up. They often felt as if they didn’t fit in and dreamed of a day when they could leave the stifling family ranch behind.
Cam spent most of their childhood reading, practicing their magic, and sneaking out of the house to stargaze with their sister Calla. While it took them a while to come into their magical abilities, they soon became powerful enough that their parents wanted to send them away to Vesuvia where their Aunt Angela lived.
At the age of twelve Cam went to live and train with her, and Cam found that they were quite adept at making potions. They were so good, in fact, that people began to travel far and wide to purchase them, making their Aunt’s magic store famous. Angela was a powerful witch, but a bit unconventional in her teaching methods. She was not a very kind woman, and she often exploited Cam’s magical talents for money or status. Eventually, Angela used the funds from Cam’s potions to buy a lavish manor in the Heart District where she retired, leaving Cam to run the store.
Not long after, Cam met Asra at the masquerade. The two became fast friends and Asra began to help them at the shop. Cam became an amateur astronomer around this time, frequently climbing onto the roof or travelling out to the woods for a better look at the night sky. They built their first telescope, with the help of magic of course, and began to chart and name the stars. For a few years, they were content to run the store during the day and study magic and the stars at night. They hardly got enough sleep- but that's what energy potions and tea are for!
All too soon, the plague came to Vesuvia. Cam made the decision to close the shop to focus on making healing potions for a nearby clinic, run by Julian Devorak. Asra begged them to leave, but Cam knew they could do the most good by staying. It was this dedication to helping others that led to their eventual death.
After their resurrection, they found relearning magic far easier than learning how to speak or walk. Cam spent most days practicing potions and accidentally setting houseplants on fire. They also regained their interest in the night sky, and relearned everything from the notes they’d made years before. Cam began to focus more intently on astronomy and using the stars for divination. Their connection to The Magician strengthened, as did their magic.
In their post-canon life, Cam builds an observatory and seeks answers in the cosmos. They're always looking for ways to use their magic to make something new.
Five facts:
alcohol has pretty much no effect on them, they don’t ever get drunk
they wrote a math textbook for fun, but it didn’t sell very well
despite what their more nerdy interests might lead you to believe, Cam is a bit of a jock and likes sports and being active (they especially love hiking)
however they aren’t particularly good at these activities, Cam is very clumsy and often runs into things, they’re a bit of a hazard to those around them
Cam’s magic is strongest at night, and they’re a night owl in general so they often stay up all night to work
notes: Yay! Here’s my starry-eyed babe, I’m very excited to finally have Cam’s bio update done! Special thanks to @leila-of-ravens because I used her oc bio template again 💗
Apolonia is surrounded by a wealth of candles of different size, shape, and color, as she watches Cam climb up to the observatory deck. She stands behind a blanket, laid out between her and them, and atop of it is a picnic basket.
"Hi." Lonie beams, though nervously. "I hope you don't mind me sneaking in to set this up. I wanted to spend some time with you for your birthday, given that we're always mostly missing each other." she explains as she kneels down onto the blanket and opens the basket.
"I promise I won't fall asleep this time. I had lots of black tea and I had it late and I want to hear all about the stars." She says, unpacking the contents.
She pulls out some utensils first, and then a still-warm loaf of garlic bread that she made that day, wrapped in a cloth; next is a small bowl of homemade shallot and parsley spread, two jars of mushroom soup made with those she forraged herself, carrot sticks from her vegetable garden, a jar of freshly squeezed orange juice, and finally, a small cake that she baked herself, with dark blue glazing and golden script of Cam's nickname, decorated with edible golden glitter, and a single blue candle on top.
"I know the candles intefere with visibility but we can just snuff them out when we're done eating." she explains, bringing the cake's candle to one of the pre-existing flames. She then offers it to Cam. "In case we don't see any shooting stars tonight."
They blow out the candle and she leans over to press a kiss to their cheek.
"Happy birthday, Cam."
(—leila-of-ravens 💙☀️🌙)
As Cam steps out onto the observatory deck they're taken aback by the beautiful glow of candles and what looks like the perfect set up for a picnic. But of course the most beautiful sight of all is Lonie, smiling and highlighted in a halo of candlelight. Cam's heart skips a beat or two as they look at her, and they nervously brush a hand through their hair.
"Lonie," Cam takes a step towards her. "Did you really do all of this for me?"
Cam is at a loss for words as they listen to Lonie explain the picnic surprise she'd planned for them. As she unpacks the basket and promises not to fall asleep too early Cam laughs, taking a seat next to her on the blanket.
"It's ok, if you fall asleep I'll just carry you home. It wouldn't be the first time," they smile, thinking of the time they'd given Lonie a piggyback ride across town when she was too sleepy to walk.
Lonie's brought all of their favorite foods, and no doubt all of the ingredients are fresh from her garden. Cam's cheeks are starting to hurt from all of the smiling they've been doing, but they can't help but grin as a wave of affection for their partner washes over them.
Lonie pulls out a beautifully decorated birthday cake and lights the candle, and they listen proudly as she remarks that they'll need to put all of the candles out later for better star visibility. Cam leans in to blow out the birthday candle and beams as Lonie kisses them on the cheek.
Cam places their hand on her shoulder as they lean in towards her. "Thank you, Lonie. It seems my wish has already come true." They gently press their lips to hers, trying to convey how grateful they are through a kiss. "You're better than anything I could have wished for."
I considered making this their theme song! I think the vibes and the lyrics really suit them. Cam had 8 siblings but spent most of their childhood lonely and feeling like they didn't quite belong. They were an outsider in their own family, until they found their place studying magic and the stars
I can't remember who's to blame
I can't remember nothing at all
And of course, they lost all of their memories so this line is fitting as well. When they woke up without any memories the feeling of being lost was overwhelming and Cam had a hard time figuring out who they are. They had to learn to believe in themself without anyone there to tell them who they were supposed to be
