A Norton Campbell x Reader (identity v)

"Clack clack clack clack," "clack clack clack clack" It was the usual decoding sound and the pedantic accounting noises when one's fingers makes contact with the brittle keys, brittle as if a fatal glass that would break with a touch, yet smashing my harsh fingers belligerently against the cranky and anachronistic buttons seemed like the best alternative to deduct these antique machines and win an escape.

My heart rate began to accelerate, bumping against my chest ever so furtively, behind the bare ramparts of a brick wall near the Sacred Heart Hospital,

I'm almost finished with this cipher.

when I'm finished with this one, then there would only be one more ...

I peeked through the small gaps of the wall, and that's when my walkie-talkie had rung

"Luchino is after me! Get out of here!" Melly screamed a heart wrenching one through the handheld transceiver with a barely audible "Tame me" following after her yell.

My eyes bowled at the reptitlion's comment, that was a rather odd choice of words to use when hunting down a prey, but maybe the reptitlion had his own particular vocabulary.

"One cipher down" I muttered holding the walkie-talkie close to my mouth and that was when I watched her through the small hole, panting for breath as Luchino had jumped onto the entomologist causing her to falter to the mud ground under his grasp.

A luminating beam had shone above the cipher, signalling that it had completed deduction.

From a far distance, I saw Melly being chained to the chair, as Luchino stood still like a statue guarding for anyone who dares to approach his prey.

Frantically I grabbed an emerald amulet in my briefcase, shoving it in my pocket, snabbing my walkie-talkie once more, as the seer announced that the last cipher was primed,

I hesitated a bit as I wasn't a good rescuer or a kiter, more of a supporter role in the team, but with all the courage I had and considering that I was the closest to Melly.

"I'll go rescue Melly, over!" my voice garbled through the transiveice.

I threw the amulet over to the entomologist, having it hanging loosely around her neck as I try breaking the rusty chains that encapsulated her hands "Y/n , leave me be, it's alright, you already have the cipher primed, you should rush to the exit gate instead " Melly murmured under her breath, sounding like as if she was worrying about being a bulky baggage to the team.

"Melly don't worry, we'll win this together,"

"No, it's not about that-"

But before she could finish her sentence, I've been bombarded by Luchino harshly, laying on the ground as the heavy bruise on my limb had enabled me from sprinting or even strolling. Melly spirited away at the velocity of a lightning bolt, taking a few glances over her shoulder at me with eyes filled with guilt, whilst Luchino attempted to hit her down, thank goodness she had my amulet on, so that his vulgar attacks don't take as severe damage.

After Melly and Eli had escaped, I remained crawling on the floor like a slug in an attempt to make it to the dungeon, however Luchino had turned his heels towards me.

Please put me through the exit gate, please put me through the exit gate.

And it was as if he had heard my wishes, he had dragged me to the exit gate, before letting me crawl free on the earthy ground, utterly brutal, but what more could I ask for.

He kneeled down to my eye level, with words lurking through his mind, but yet his reclusive demeanour had taken over him, and without saying anything, he had set me free.

"How was your match, y/n," The enchantress said, leaning on the kitchen counter,

"It was alright I guess but besides that ,oh my god Patricia!!" I screamed triumphantly, waving a letter with a rose red stamp imprinted that was delivered earlier by an owl similar to brooke.

It's the fresh smell of parchment and ink, and the fresh smell of a new season commencing.

"My first letter of the season came!! ", I said, holding the letter up as a bright radiant smile hung over my face that showed all my gums and teeth,

"Pfft, every letter in each season has the same schedule and pairings, nothing interesting, at all, " The enchantress sighed meekly, looking down at her daily cup of caffeine drawing circles and circles with her spoon in ease by the kitchen counter.

"Did you get yours yet?", I rolled my eyes

Her lips parted as if she was about to speak, but instead she puckered her scarlet lips and shook her head lightly.

"Then you're just jealous that I've gotten mine already!" I bickered in sarcasm gently lifting up the seal from the letter, as Fiona rolled her eyes in response.

'I want you to draw me like your french girls'

I remember watching the cinematography for the first time in the theatre, where the black and white screen flickered against faces and the two protagonists' melancholic romance reflected upon my glassy eyes.

And ever since Edgar painted me a portrait of lavenders, the phrase had been orbiting my head when I had time to daydream, if not it would sporadically retrograde its way to my mind, hoping that one day maybe Edgar would paint a portrait of me instead of lavender, well not fully naked, but a portrait of me and to have it hung in his room with each and every stroke a story of the two of us.

I smiled at the thought of that, not even noticing that fountain of water that had been streaming down the corner of my upturned lips.

"Y/n stop drooling and smirking like that, it's weird,"

"Oh shut up,"

"I bet you she's thinking of Edgar," Fiona the magpie chimed in

"Who wouldn't know, I think Edgar knows about this himself," Patricia said as inevitability crossed her face,

"No, he doesn't" I eyed her intensively, hoping whatever she said wasn't true

"I'm betting on a tea leave reading session for free if Edgar's name is on that parchment,"

"Well I bet you he is," I exclaimed beaming at the enchantress,

I looked over to the letter, contemplating whether or not I wanted to know if the painter's name was on the parchment,

"What are you waiting for open it," said the Priestess

My eyes scanned through the parchment, under a search for the painter's name labelled under the participant row of my matches, ombambulating over the names over and over again

Naib Subedar, Anne Lester, Norton Campbell, Norton Campbell, Vera Nair, Naib Subedar, Emily dyer...

Yet no sign of Edgar Vladen..

However with a ubiquitous name that was scattered all over my schedule— Norton Campbell

"You have half your matches with Naib and Norton," said the enchantress acknowledging the frown that was plastered on my face,

"Yet no signs of Edgar.." I muttered under my breath,

"Y/n, don't be sad, there's so many fish in the sea," The priestess exclaimed, patting her hands gently on my shoulder,

"And we'd drop any man, at any time just for you, so who cares about stupid Edgar, you have us, and Martha and Vera and Tracy "

"Yeah, even Eli! You'd drop Eli for Y/n, right? " Patrica said with a wide grin, with a tint of irony in her words,

Fiona scowled at Patricia with a beaming hot-fury in her eyes.

I guess I'll just have to pray to have Edgar in my match pairings for next season...