Does anyone else remember in Ye Olde Writeblr Days of Yore when we were all making OC bingo cards? I was looking back through my old ones and realized they could really use some updating. So...the trend doesn't have to be dead if I say it's back, right? We can have a revival?
Anyway, here is Part 2 of the New and Improved OC Bingo with Aris, Ash, and Katri's cards! Aris and Ash got a redesign, Katri got her own card for the first time!
I’ve always thought it would be fun to do these, and I noticed one of Quill’s ( @quilloftheclouds) edits going around, so I thought I would give it a try! All of these use free images and templates from Canva!
Bonus name info under the cut!
All these characrers are Constellan!
A Note on Middle Names: You may have noticed, not everyone listed has a middle name. Why? Middle names are actually a regional thing in Constella as a holdover from their colonial days. Depending on which foreign power ruled which portions of what is now the fully unified and independent Republic of Constella, different linguistic and naming conventions took hold., as well as various policies and laws around names themselves. Whether or not you have a middle name largely depends on your family’s origins and geographic history. In more traditionalist regions where colonial rule was not as centralized, middle names didn’t take hold as prominently.
A Note on Name Order: Names in Constella also have a lot to do with social class, reflected in the order and origins of names. At one time, being upper-class meant blending into the norms of foreign powers, and since it hasn’t yet been 100 years since independence, such practices still leave their mark. For the uppermost classes (or those who aspire to be upwardly mobile,) it’s common practice to have a Constellan name on paper, but to use an English, French, German, or Nordic name in professional settings. Some use these adopted names in their social circles as well, but some observe their Constellan names among friends. Another common arrangement, most popular among middle-class folks, is to use a Constellan name in the front/as a first name and a foreign name in the middle. For those who hail from traditionalist strongholds, are devoted practitioners of the Marnesh ethnoreligion, or come from more disadvantaged material circumstances, Constellan names are used both in the front and in the middle, if a second name is present at all. The history of names here is a somewhat frought topic, but most would say a Constellan name is a marker of pride and the strength of the people.
Onto the bonus name info now!
Lizrendell Desslin- She prefers to go by a short and simple “Liz,” which some mistake to be short for the Hebrew name “Elizabeth.” Not so! Her full Constellan name means “dark eyes.” Hers are purple in color, something that pops up more rarely in comparison to brown, grey, or even green eyes. There’s a folk saying, especially among the older generations, that violet eyes are a mark of keen intelligence.
Nerissa Vannarjee-Just “Rissa” to most, her full name has associations with Greek mythology (the birth of Aphrodite, the nymph children of Nereus), as well as Shakespeare. A character called Nerissa appears in The Merchant of Venice. The meaning is quite appropriate for a hydrokinetic, don’t you think?
Tavi Victoria Simorian-I thought up this name especially for the character...or so I thought! Pronounced similarly to “tabby,” it means “someone who protects” in Constellan. Years later, I came to find its actually a real-life name! It can be used as a diminutive of David, primarily for girls, or as a diminutive form of Octavia, which is an old Latin name meaning “eighth.” Victoria is also Latin and a feminized name, too; this time for Victor. It’s meaning is quite easy to parse, “someone who brings victory.” It seems a good combo for someone like Tavi, who guards her family members with upmost dedication, and fights fiercely and passionately to correct injustice.
Ash Monroe Gutierrez-Ash chose their own name when they transitioned, and it’s very important to them. Sometimes used as a short form of Ashton, it can refer to ash trees, but Ash themselves chose it for its associations with fire and volcanoes. For a pyrotechnic with a penchant for geoscience (and a sparky personality), you can’t get better than that! Monroe is well-known as a surname, but it’s sometimes used as a unisex first or middle name, a common theme for Irish and Scottish names alike. I like its spunky sound! Bonus: Gutierrez is a Spanish surname which means “son of Gutierre.”
Aris Athena Portokalos- Fondly called Ari on occasion, hers is another case of me making something up, only to realize later, “Wait, that’s a name?” In Constellan, it’s a feminine name which means “ambitious”: that’s Ari through and through! It’s also a unisex Greek name which means “harvest.” Athena seemed appropriate for someone who is known for their intellect (to the point of basing their self-worth around it, Ari stop that.) Bonus: triple hit! Portokalos is also a Greek name, belonging to the family of the protagonist Tula in “My Big Fat Greek Wedding.” It’s said to mean “orange,” perhaps as a reference to farmers who tended orange orchards. I had forgotten where I heard it originally, but went ahead and picked it up.
Bethki Pemmer-Usually just “Beth,” her name is meant to compliment her gentle, curious, and rather shy nature. In Constellan, it means “she who observes.”
Ione Lee Nazir-We’re back with yet more Greek mythology: stories say that Ione was one of fifty sea nymphs called Nereids. Hmm, sound familiar? Hint: look at her partner’s entry! With a lovely purple meaning fitting for a gardener, the association with violet stones (and flowers) means that Rissa calls her “Violet” from time to time. It can be pronounced in a variety of ways: I use EYE-own, but eye-OH-nee and ee-OH-nee are also used. Lee is a short, unassuming English name which means “meadow.” In Ione’s case, it’s a family name, used by her mother and grandmother in the middle place as well. Bonus: Nazir is an Arabic name which can be used as a first or last. As a variation of Nasir, it means “helper,” but it can also be used to mean “beautiful,” “pure,” or “warner” as in “one who is sent by Allah to warn mankind,” in which case it is used as an epithet for the Prophet Muhammad. Ione shares her father’s Islamic faith.
Katri Newsome- A case of double names, Katri is her legal Constellan name, which means “knowing.” It’s the name she prefers, and how Aris and the rest of the family refer to her. Her parents, however, tended to call her Kendra, an English name with the same meaning. While she didn’t always know what Aris was up to in the early years of her apprenticeship at the tail end of her “villain years,” Katri came to know her better than virtually anyone else, second only to Ash. Sound-alike cousin Katiri, is another Constellan name, this one meaning “little wren bird,” which is used as an occasional nickname.
