#also all of this might change after we see the next episode of AoM

[nightwonder7]

Hunters are (in most cases) how survivors perceive certain characters under the influence of drugs. But how likely is it that two people hallucinate the exact same image upon the same individual? Highly unlikely. We see an example of this with Norton and how Orpheus and Alice perceive him so differently. In Go Hunting, he is this large and bulky brute, while in Ashes of Memory, he is this tall figure made of rocks.

This has had me thinking of a potential point of tension. Bear with me, this is kinda long and rambly.

Let's say all the characters end up in this limbo that is the manor after they die during or after the games (with the exception of the deities cause... yeah, they're immortal. So they're just trapped there, forced to play part in these games for all eternity). Anyway! I personally like to think that most of members in the Da Capo gang managed to slowly reconcile with each other, or at the very least come to a mutual agreement, after they ended up in this limbo. Perhaps with the exception of Orpheus.

So when Norton is eventually granted a hunter form, it is the one born from the hallucination of Alice's psyche combined with the drugs. I feel like Alice would disclose this for the sake of honesty and transparency, even if the whole situation is a mystery in itself. But from Norton's point of view, it is Alice's fault he has now ended up like this, and what relationship they managed to build up just unravels.

Yes, he might find it invigorating to be able to let his pent up frustration go during the manor games. But this also leads to the other survivors becoming scared and untrusting of him, and thus ostracizing him. As if his relationship with the others wasn't difficult enough for him to navigate. His world view was molded from the harsh environment he grew up in where it was every man for himself. He's full of rage and despair over the situation, and he's taking it all out on Alice; so much so that the other hunters need to hold him back at times.

Even if it is beyond Alice's control, she still feels guilty over what happened to Norton because he took the form of her hallucination. And now she feels responsible to fix it, or at least find an explanation to why this happened to him. They had slowly managed to heal from the conflict between them during the manor games outside of limbo. But this new conflict just resets all of it. She would try everything in her power to fix their relationship. And perhaps with time, Norton starts to realise that Alice is not to blame for his predicament.

[petuniatom]

Dangerous Animals || Chapter Two || Tom Holland/Reader AU

Pairing: Tom Holland/Reader

Summary: Two bodies were found at the local lake, and somehow you and your best friend have managed to find yourself in the middle of the investigation. Meanwhile, your boyfriend, Tom, has a few things he wants to talk to you about. 

Warnings: Death, murder

A/N: He looked so angsty in “Edge of Winter.” But sidebar, this chapter is still setting up some things. Can’t wait to dive in some more. (And this is all coming in a day early!)

Word count: 2.7K 

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Series masterlist | chapter one

The ride in the police cruiser wasn’t thrilling. You always thought that riding in a police cruiser in some way was different, but after actually riding in the backseat, you realized how bland it was.

Zendaya shot you a meaningful look next to you. It was silent in the car, except for the occasional chatter from the radio.

The female officer, whose name you learned was Detective Hazel Swain, had asserted the fact that you and Zendaya were both people of interest, but in no way suspects. More so, you were two people who could have potential information. You weren’t sure why the Leawood Police Department would think so, but Hazel stated they’d explain later at the police station.

The two detectives let you sit in a conference room in the back. You sat silently in the chair, your best friend next to you as you waited.

“I’m worried,” you confessed. “Why aren’t they telling us anything?” Zendaya bit her lip.

“I don’t know, but just keep it together. Let’s see how it goes, and we’ll make the lawyer call as soon as we notice something is off,” she stated. You nodded your head.

Within a few minutes, the door propped itself open. A woman, different from Hazel and the previous officer walked in. She looked at you both meaningfully, as she plopped in the chair across from you. You knew immediately who she was, you’d seen her plenty of times in local newspaper clippings. You glanced over at Zendaya, who also held the same look of recognition. 

The expression on the woman’s face was confident and determined. You knew she was the type of woman to get shit done. If you weren’t so nervous at the moment, you probably would have looked at her with more admiration.

“Hi ladies,” she greeted. “I’m Alina Delos.”

“Hey chief,” Zendaya greeted. Alina let a small smile perk up on her lips.

“So you two know of me,” she stated.

“We’ve paid attention to your work over the past year since you’ve taken over,” Zendaya explained. 

“You completely changed up everything in the department,” you added, and the bit of admiration snuck its way into your voice. Alina looked at you both with appreciation.

“Then, I’m sure you can understand why us meeting at this moment is so vital for a variety of different reasons,” Alina stated. “We’ve built a lot up this past year, and we can’t afford to be losing it now. I need you guys to work with me here and tell me everything you know.”

You and Zendaya both looked at each other and shrugged. “There’s not much we can say,” you admitted. “We barely know anything. We just saw the article from Lancaster and my boyfriend called me because he was worried when he got the news alert. Then Officer Swain showed up and now we’re both here.” Alina nodded her head.

“Have you gotten any weird messages lately?” she asked. “Anything strange in your inbox?”

“We get hundreds of emails per day,” Zendaya answered. “It’s not really easy for us to say also whether anything is weird. We get odd messages all the time. I haven’t checked for a while, and I don’t think Y/N has either. Usually Tom is the one to kind of look over that.”

“Sorry, but who is Tom?” Alina asked.

“My boyfriend,” you answered. “He’s also our producer. We all do our different things on the show, but Tom edits the show for us, helps with our microphones, and usually is the one to go through our tips.” Alina nodded her head and toyed with the manila folder in her hands.

“I suppose I should let you to know how you got roped into this. We got a 911 call at Kinakee Lake this morning from a mother who was going on a late night hike with her kids, and they’d found the two bodies on the outskirts of the lake.” You winced at the image. While death itself was gruesome, it was even worse when children found their way into the mix. 

“So they were officially murdered?” you asked.

Alina nodded her and responded, “Above their bodies, someone signed it, AOM, which is the initials to your show.” And while Zendaya was about to cut in, probably to say that was a bit of a reach, Alina held up her hands and continued, “And one of the victims was Samuel Hodges, who you two specifically mentioned in your episode on the Glendale ripper.” 

Zendaya’s face scrunched up, “Wait, hold up? When did we mention–” 

“He’s the one everyone thinks who did it,” you spoke quietly. “Who was the other victim?”

“A Jane Doe currently,” Alina answered. There was a brief pause in the room. Alina watched both your faces temporarily and then proceeded to ask, “Where were you early this evening? At around 5:00 p.m. or so?”

“Zendaya came over so we could record our show. Harrison Osterfield was there, too,” you replied. “We were together up at my house until the officers came.”

Alina jotted your response down on a notepad in front of her. She then lifted her head up and asked, “And what about your boyfriend, Tom?”

“At his place. He has a deadline tomorrow, so he’s been working all day.”

“And Tom was the one who called you worried right?” she asked. You nodded your head. “Do you know where he is now?” 

“He was on his way to my home right before your officers picked me up. I don’t know where he is now, maybe with Harrison?”

Zendaya gave you a warning look with her eyes. You bit your lip as you started to realize that Alina was taking more notes as you were speaking about Tom, then while the two of you were talking about your own alibis.

“So, if we gave you a ride home now, it’s possible we’d be able to get Tom in for a questioning easily as well?” You and Zendaya nodded your heads. 

“Tom wouldn’t do anything if that’s what you think,” you blurted. Zendaya shot you the warning look again, and you knew it was time to stop speaking. Alina gave you a knowing smile and shrugged. 

“It’s just procedure,” she stated nonchalantly. “I think we’re done. One of the officers will take you home. We’ll both be in touch.”

She moved over to the door, propping it open for you both. You practically scurried out, cursing at yourself for putting Tom in the position of being a possible suspect, but also acknowledging that you only said the truth. As you both moved into the hallway, you saw Harrison’s head peak up from the front of the police station. He nudged a body next to him and mumbled something, then stood up with a big smile.

But your eyes immediately moved over to the person standing next to him. The curly haired brunette, whose coffee eyes were wide with concern as they stayed steady on you. You practically leaped to the end of the hall, nearly jumping into Tom’s arms. You relaxed as you felt his firm grip come around your waist as he tugged you into his chest. His face buried itself in your neck.

“Fuck, I was so worried,” he mumbled. 

“Tom,” you spoke urgently, slightly pushing back to where you were still in his arms, but you could at least look him in the eye. “I think they’re going to question you.” Tom raised an eyebrow, glancing around.

“Who is?”

“Chief Delos. I told her about how you were gone and she got suspicious and—“

He cut you off, “Calm down, darling, it’s okay.” He started rubbing your arms. “We’ll figure it out.”

“Tom, I’m worried,” Zendaya added. You both turned over to your other two friends who were with you. In the midst of your reunion, you’d briefly forgotten they were also there. “These police departments, they’re good but sometimes just telling the truth doesn’t cut it. Sometimes, they’re just desperate to pin it on someone.”

Harrison nodded his head. Quietly, he suggested, “I might start lawyering up, mate.”

Tom didn’t know how to respond for a moment. He glanced over at you, as if seeking some reassurance that they were just exaggerating, but you bit your lip again, concerned.

“Lawyers don’t make you look guilty,” you tried to comfort, but there was no use. Tom moved away from you, plopping into the chair and burying his head in his hands. You looked at Harrison and Zendaya, feeling at a loss for what to do and Harrison nudged his head in Tom’s direction, almost as if silently saying go on over. You sat in the seat next to Tom and gently rubbed his back.

“There was an email,” he finally said. “I saw it right before I called you. It said that you and Z had a surprise at the lake. I thought that maybe for a second that you and Z may have gone and then the headlines came up and…” His voice drifts off as he looks up at you. You gulp, knowing what he was about to say, but thankful when he doesn’t finish the thought. 

“Why don’t you just go in and see how it starts out?” Harrison suggested. You all nodded your heads in agreement.

“You definitely should tell the police that they were trying to contact us,” Zendaya said. Tom lifted his face out of his palms.

“Yeah, I know,” he agreed. You pushed back his hair with your hand and gave him a small smile. 

At that point, Hazel Swain came back over to your group. She blinked as she saw the two additional members to your party.

“I’m assuming one of you is Tom?” Hazel asked, holding out her index finger to quickly gesture in between Tom and Harrison.

Tom raised his hand and quipped, “That would be me. Uh, you need me for questioning?” Hazel nodded her head.

“Follow me to the back please.” With that, Tom followed her to the conference room that you and Zendaya were previously in.

You were anxious as you waited for him. Zendaya and Harrison both plopped on the left side of you, and started making small talk about a lot of the events in the town. For the most part, you were tuned out of the conversation; your brain was only focusing on Tom. 

Finally, he sprung out of the room, a neutral look etched on his face. You gave a quick glance at Harrison and Zendaya then promptly stood up. 

“What did they say?” you asked in a rush as Tom approached you all.

He glanced back and whispered to the group, “Well, I forgot I had cameras in the house, so I was able to confirm my alibi that I was working when it all went down. But I brought forward the evidence I had, so they’re currently working with that.”

“That was it?” Zendaya asked. Tom nodded his head.

“She asked some other stuff about my relationship with the podcast, but it was short. I don’t think it’ll turn into anything more. Or at least, I hope not.” His voice, though quiet, remained energetic throughout the statement. You felt yourself inflate with pure relief, knowing he was off the hook. But then, Tom gave you a meaningful look — the look that he usually gave you when you had to talk about something, and you knew that there was a lot left to unpack this evening.

You all piled into Tom’s SUV on the way back. It was mainly silent in the car, though not uncomfortably so. Everyone in the car had different worries coursing through their heads. When you all stopped at your house, you all went your separate ways. Zendaya strode off to her car, with promises to call you when she got into her apartment. Harrison lingered for a minute, but then Tom seemed to have a silent conversation with him through eye contact. He quickly waved a quick goodbye to you and told Tom he’d meet him up at the house.

It was quiet as you approached your front porch, with Tom following shortly behind you. You both stepped into your home, but you were a bit surprised when he didn’t take off his shoes at the front door as he normally did. You glanced down at his feet briefly, frowning, and then asked, “What’s going on?” 

He let out a long sigh and then leaned against your wall. He fluttered his eyelashes, and his eyes looked at you almost solemnly. “I’m worried, Y/N. About all of this. You know that the last thing I ever want to do is lose you and tonight scared the shit out of me, because for a second, I honestly thought I did.” He stepped off from the wall and grabbed your hands. “Please promise me you’ll stay out of this. I know it’s interesting, but just please. I’m worried that if you do something it’ll provoke whoever killed that couple.”

You gulped and whispered, “Tom, I’m already in it.”

“I know that, but after this, if we can in any way, let’s please just avoid this situation.” You thought about it for a minute. Internally, there was that instinct to find the truth. Your whole podcast was all about ensuring victims of cold cases were never forgotten, so their families could find truth. Yet, Tom was also right. Doing so could come at the risk of your own personal safety. As much as you wanted to get involved, to out more of what was going on, anyone who tangled with someone bold enough to murder was probably going to end up dead themselves.

So finally, you nodded your head in agreement and stated, “Okay, I will.”  

He then cleared his throat. “Do you feel comfortable staying here, or would you like to come to mine tonight?” 

Without hesitation you said, “Yours. Without a doubt.” 

Tom let out a long sigh of relief. “I was hoping you would say that.” He pushed back your hair from your face, and your lips curled up at the edges for a small smile. “Do you want to maybe grab just your things for tonight? And then tomorrow, we bring over more, yeah?” 

You slowly nodded your head. “Yeah, I’ll get started.” So you moved to your room, and shoved some clothes and toiletries into a small gym bag. Before you left, you filled your water bottle and went with Tom out to his car.

He was more careful than usual throughout the drive. He was cautious and slow as he approached stop signs, and his eyes darted around a bit more than usual. Even stranger, the town was almost completely empty at this point. Usually, you would see a few people oddly walking around the streets this late, but tonight, there was no one. By this point, everyone had probably heard the news and quickly darted into their homes.

When you pulled into Tom’s garage, he stopped the car and looked at you for a minute. “Are you okay?” he questioned quietly. “I never asked earlier.” You shook your head. 

“I’m freaked out, Tom.”

He moved his hand to squeeze yours comfortingly. “We’ll found out who did this, okay? This will be over soon.”

And God, you hoped so. You really wanted Tom to be right, but something inside you knew that this whole incident was only the beginning. 

When Tom took a quick shower that night, you scrolled through Twitter, seeing a whole batch of tweets from Colton Lancaster. You cast a quick look at the the door, then opened his first tweet to start reading the full thread.

At that point, the shower stopped running. You quickly typed out a tweet from your podcast account. You’d already agreed with Zendaya to start recording the episode again tomorrow.

Within seconds of posting, Colton Lancaster retweeted, and you soon got the notification that he sent you a DM.

You bit your lip, reading the message over and over again. You glanced at your bathroom door, remembering your conversation with Tom earlier. And then you typed, “Yes.”