kagehira

The more effort, the more rewards?
The first and foremost thing that comes to mind when people think of Norton Campbell is that he's hard working. As long as can be remembered, he's always been "the first to go down into the mines and the last to leave it." He keeps a steadily growing collection of recommendation letters filled to the brim with glowing praise, and the only regret of any employer that's hired him is that they couldn't keep him longer. He has a strong sense of ambition that drives him and, even aside from being an ideal worker, one would think that he's an ideal citizen, too. After all, how else can one explain the way that he cares for the retired and homeless old miners who resided in the hospice, if not a sense of kindness? From this, one would think that Norton Campbell is a perfect gentleman, someone who would garner the respect of the whole town for his hard work and good deeds. Unfortunately, that isn't the case.

'Just what kind of heart lies hidden behind that face of yours;
sometimes gloomy, at other times glittering with a brilliant smile?'
The reality is that his hard work and good deeds aren't the only thing Norton is known for; he also has a reputation for "emotions as changeable as the weather." His moods are fickle, and his behaviour can even be unpredictable—one never knows what to expect when they approach him. While he's always had a capricious nature, it's only become worse since the incident that occurred in the mines. Already off-putting mood swings have become more extreme, and shifting from a sinking and gloomy depression to a fierce temperamental outburst isn't unheard of. Combine an unpredictable attitude with his extreme sense of ambition, bordering on avaricious at times, and it's easy to see how others were intimidated. Even since his arrival at Oletus Manor, others have been warned off of approaching him too easily, thanks to his being "unstable."

"...And just what are you trying to get from me with that, I wonder?"
Perhaps that's the reason why he has such a low-standing view of himself. When it comes to the praise showered on him through the official Twitter, his replies often reflect his disbelief. When shown one of his fans' collections of merch for him, he asks, "How do you deal with me being all over the place?" More notably, when one fan praises him for his good looks and charm, the gloomy reply he offers is: "There you go again, laying all those polite nothings on me… Charm, huh… If I had any of that, it must’ve been a long, long time ago…" As much as he works hard, as much as he does his best, the fact is that the people around him have never looked at him with real respect—employers wanted to profit off of him, and the townsfolk surrounding him have always been intimidated by his determined pursuit of success. While this leads to an inherent suspicion of the motives that others have when they show him kindness and a lack of belief in the sincerity of their words, he isn't heartless, so to speak. When rude, he'll generally apologize, he tries to treat people as well as they treat him, to return favours, and to be a good person—even if his motives for doing so aren't always so selfless.

But one thing never changed: he always sought out chances to change his fate.
After all, he does have a goal that he wants to achieve. Just once, he wants to live in comfort. He wants to experience the life that he feels he deserves. Norton's life so far has been pretty miserable, after all; in his recently revealed letter, he even says: "I lived like a rat in the gutter. [...] The constant scorn and ridicule... I endured it every time just so I'd get a chance to climb up the ladder." It's a hope that he clings to desperately, and he's resolved that he won't let anybody stand in the way of turning it into a reality.

As he said, "No life is more precious than others." After all he's been through and all the work he's put in, it's only fair that he should be rewarded—that's why Norton Campbell came to Oletus Manor. That's why he deserves the prize more than anyone.

➔ Magnet
➔ Outdoor Skills
➔ Disruption
➔ Attraction

➔ What does your character consider to be their top three strengths?
Efficient, because he's hard working and good at what he does. Persistent, because no matter how many times he gets knocked down, he'll always keep moving forward towards his goals. Determined, because he won't let an unfortunate lot in life define his future.

➔ What do others consider to be your character's greatest weakness?
His unpredictable nature. The kind of person that Norton really is—whether he's motivated by kindness, greed, or something else entirely—doesn't really matter, because people can't even begin to make a guess at it. Erratic changes in his behaviour make him hard to understand and unsettling to be around, so they can't bring themselves to bother to do so.

➔ What are your character's three greatest fears?
He dreads the idea of living as nothing more than a rat in the gutter for the rest of his life. The incident that occurred at Golden Cave gave him severe claustrophobia and an intense fear of people dying around him while he alone survives again.

➔ What would your character choose for a last meal?
Beef stew because it's hearty and filling and no empty stomach.

➔ Has your character ever killed? If so, how did that affect them? If not, how would it affect them?
No, he hasn't before—not directly, anyway. He would be willing to, though. If they really stood between him and his goals, which he's worked so hard for, which he's earned, which he deserves, he wouldn't let anyone stand in the way. He would likely feel very conflicted afterwards though, experiencing more extreme mood swings between what he deemed as the necessity of his actions and the weight of taking another's life.

➔ If your character was given one selfish wish, what would it be?
Money. Money is the reason that he's always worked so hard. Money is the reason that he snuck into that mine and caused the collapse that only he survived. Money is the reason that he sought out Oletus manor. It's not unusual for Norton to make a selfish wish; if anything, he's earned that right by now.