okay so hear me out tumblr: a murder family hunger games au that isn't tragic!
75th annual hunger games where they choose tributes that have already won
hannibal, a career tribute, won 15 years ago at the age of 16 by cannibalizing fellow tributes to survive.
will won 8 years ago at 17 and has barely any memories of the experience due to the encephalitis that was only ‘caught’ after he won. (he tried watching the games he was in once to jog his memory; it was unsuccessful and he ended up vomiting.)
abigail won last year at 15 as she was a favorite and received plenty of help on top of being adaptable and lucky.
will has lived a more or less quiet life with his two dogs since he won, sort of a recluse.
when will meets the other tributes, some he doesnt give much mind to, whereas others peak his interest. among them, barring hannibal and abigail:
randall tier, francis dolarhyde, bedelia du maurier, freddie lounds, beverly katz, margot verger, mason verger
he liked abigail well enough when she was tribute. even though she was a career tribute, she didnt have the same cruelty as other careers tended to have. she is in the room across from his during the cohab period. she is sweet and the youngest tribute and he decides he wants to protect her.
he is talking to abigail when they are approached by hannibal and while will is very wary, abigail immediately gives hannibal a hug, eyes watering. hannibal holds her, looking both fond and sad.
he introduces himself to will and will gruffly says he knows who hannibal is and he is sure hannibal knows who he is. hannibal cocks his head and concedes the point. he says that he was abigail’s mentor and will is surprised. will doesnt remember hannibals run perfectly clear as he was only 10 at the time, but he remembers that hannibal was terrifying, a predator through and through.
this hannibal in front of him seems to be an almost different creature entirely. will might have been fooled if not for the cold, calculating feeling he had caught when he accidentally looked into the mans eyes.
“awful to have mentor and mentee in the same game,” he says, testing how hannibal feels about being pit against abigail.
“awful to have two siblings in the same game,” hannibal returns, leaving little for will to go off of.
“i dont think there will be any love lost between the vergers.”
“they seem to be partners.”
“it wont last long,” will answers gruffly.
“you believe he’ll betray her,” abigail guesses.
“i believe she will betray him.”
hannibal is silent for a moment, watching him no doubt, before finally saying, “astute observation. i believe you are correct.”
will, abigail, and hannibal end up training together and forming a sort of unspoken alliance. will finds that he actually likes hannibal and the three of them get along really well.
he also likes margot and beverly and has hannibal agree not to kill them unless they have to.
once the game starts, they try to distance themselves first to let the majority kill themselves off. margot and bev kill mason at their earliest convenience.
once the numbers start dwindling and shit begins to really hit the fan, alana and jack come bustin in with their resistance shuttle to pick up their friends and yeet them the fuck out. they also take bev and margot, obviously.
if you have watched or read the hunger games you know where they go after that.
everyone lives! because this is my story idea and i say so! yay!!
