Jacob didn't wait for anyone to come and fetch him for dinner, as he was dying of hunger and eating was the only thing he would do from now on in large quantities.
As he walked through the narrow corridors toward the dining room, Jacob asked in a voice that only his personal assistant could hear perfectly: "Intelligent assistant, tell me the fastest ways to gain weight."
"[... It's important to note that healthy weight gain is achieved through balanced nutrition and a gradual approach. However, if there is a need to rapidly gain weight in specific situations, here are some suggestions:
*Increase portion sizes in your meals to increase calorie intake. Add a higher amount of carbohydrates, proteins, and healthy fats to your dishes.
*Opt for calorie-dense drinks such as protein shakes, whole milk, natural juices, fruit smoothies, and sports drinks instead of just drinking water.
...]"
Jacob listened to each suggestion made by his personal assistant, who flew around him in stealth. This intelligent assistant didn't speak for others to hear but somehow could hear the responses in Jacob's mind.
Jacob asked this very peculiar and specific question for a simple reason that everyone overlooks as a tribute. In the Hunger Games, where food is scarce and participants can go days without eating, it is crucial to gain as much weight as possible before entering the arena.
By having a higher weight and therefore more fat reserves, the body has an additional source of energy to use during periods of food scarcity. This can be especially beneficial in situations where food is limited, and competitors must stay active and on the move.
Therefore, by having more weight, a person has a greater ability to withstand food shortages for an extended period. This can be crucial in the Hunger Games, where the event's duration can be several days or even weeks. Fat reserves provide the body with the necessary energy to survive and remain functional for longer.
However, it's important to mention that the goal shouldn't be to indiscriminately gain weight but to achieve a healthy and balanced weight. Additionally, each person has individual needs and limitations.
When Jacob arrived at the dining room, he encountered Effie Trinket, who was immediately surprised to see the new and very ingenious appearance of the male tribute. "Mr. Barber, I was just about to come and get you for dinner."
Jacob smiled slightly and pointed out, "It seems that won't be necessary, but I can't say the same for Katniss."
"Oh, that's true." Effie Trinket got up right away and said, "I'll be right back, I'm going to fetch Katniss for a nice dinner."
"Very well..." Jacob watched Effie Trinket leave, and once she was gone, he began eating anything he could find on the train.
...
Effie Trinket immediately went to fetch Katniss for dinner, following her down the narrow hallway until they reached the dining room with polished wooden walls.
There was a table where all the dishes were very delicate, and Jacob, who seemed busy eating some kind of jam-filled cookies, didn't bother to say a word.
"Where is Haymitch?" Effie asked cheerfully.
"Does that really matter?" Jacob turned his head to look at Katniss, but his words weren't well understood as he had his mouth full of cookies while finishing the tea that originally belonged to Effie Trinket.
"For God's sake, you've taken certain liberties..." Effie turned her gaze away from Jacob with a slightly upset tone.
"The last time I saw him, he said he was going to take a nap..." Katniss responded, seeing that Jacob didn't care.
"Well, it's been an exhausting day..." Effie Trinket commented, but she actually felt relieved by Haymitch's absence. However, even Jacob doesn't judge people who think poorly or distance themselves from those who make them feel bad. To a certain extent, he can understand it.
After Jacob finished the cookies and the tea that Effie Trinket had left after going to fetch Katniss, the dinner continued without any interruptions. This meal consisted of a thick carrot soup, green salad, lamb chops, mashed potatoes, cheese, fruits, and a large chocolate cake.
In these brief moments, Effie Trinket became Jacob's best friend as she passed him the food, reminding Jacob to leave space in his stomach as there were still many things to eat. But this didn't make Jacob hold back since, according to his plan, gaining weight wouldn't be achieved by eating sparingly alone, and besides, this meal was good and abundant.
"At least someone has good manners..." Effie said while looking at both tributes finishing their plates. "But you're not so bad, Jacob. Don't feel bad because at least you eat with utensils."
"Well, the last thing I want is to get sick from something I touch unknowingly..." Jacob didn't look up to speak.
Although Effie felt slightly overwhelmed by how quickly Jacob ate, she openly said something: "The couple from last year ate everything with their hands, like a pair of savages. They made my stomach turn."
Upon hearing this, Jacob thought that even though it was normal for Effie, talking about someone who died against their will was too dark.
The couple from last year were two Children from the Seam who had never had enough to eat in their lives. Surely, when they had all this food in front of them, good table manners were the least of their concerns.
Even Jacob didn't really worry about manners. He only started eating with utensils as a reminder from his intelligent assistant, indicating that he could get sick from any bacteria on his hands.
After finishing all the food, Jacob looked at some fruits near Effie, and she brought them closer after sensing his intense gaze.
"I wouldn't recommend you keep eating; you could vomit at any moment, and I hope it's not in my presence."
"Don't worry, I know my abilities and limitations, so this is within my capabilities, and I'll stop before reaching my limitations..." Jacob replied with a cunning smile. Then, almost to anger this woman with a special character, he wiped his chocolate-stained fingers on the tablecloth, causing Effie to tightly purse her lips.
Katniss, on the other hand, was truly intrigued by Jacob, who volunteered as a tribute. Since she met him, his behavior had always been abnormal, as if all his actions were driven by thousands of unknown thoughts.
His way of eating, speaking, and communicating felt fake, at least to Katniss, who had been observing him since she applauded in the district square. But right now, she was more concerned about not vomiting all the food she had eaten.
After that, Jacob followed the others to watch the summaries of the reaping from all of Panem. This was a luxury even within the districts because, even if the Capitol tries to celebrate throughout the day so that everyone can watch from their districts, it's impossible unless you are from the Capitol itself, as they are the only ones who don't have to attend the reaping.
But Jacob was taking advantage of this to see his opponents and determine if they would be a problem he had to consider in the arena, while strengthening his hands with a homemade gripper he had managed to bring along.
Jacob watched the other ceremonies one by one, the names, the volunteers, and the non-volunteers, which were more common. He examined the faces of the other tributes he would compete against, and out of all of them, there was only one person who concerned him, the monstrous boy who hurriedly volunteered from District Twelve.
Jacob immediately thought, "The ones I need to watch out for are Cato, Marvel, and Thresh..."
Knowing their background, he knew that Cato was an expert in hand-to-hand combat and used his strength and skill to hunt other tributes. Due to his lethality and fierce hunting, he was one of the tributes Jacob needed to be wary of in the beginning.
Clove, Cato's companion, was certainly capable, but by Jacob's standards, he didn't consider her a problem. Although she was skilled with knives and showed great aggressiveness in the arena, there was nothing else remarkable about her contribution.
As for Marvel, he was the tribute from District 1. He was strong and skilled with spear and knife throwing, making him a lethal threat to other tributes due to his combat style suited for all types of situations.
And last but not least was Thresh, the tribute from District 11. Although initially, he didn't seem like a lethal opponent during the reaping, he demonstrated great physical strength and skill in hand-to-hand combat, which caught Jacob's attention to potentially have him as an ally at least in the early days of the Games.
Finally, the ceremony of District 12 arrived, the moment when Prim's name was chosen, and Katniss ran forward to volunteer. Desperation could be seen on her face and in her voice. Then there was Jacob, who volunteered as a tribute, and they talked about his charisma and positive attitude to be a voluntary tribute for the Games.
The audience's attitude praised Jacob for applauding when Katniss volunteered and mentioned that at least someone from District 12 felt the excitement of the events.
Some said that District 12 had always been somewhat underdeveloped, but its local customs could be charming. But another tribute lamented that Jacob didn't belong to another district with a better audience since just by seeing Haymitch stumbling, those groans from the crowd took away a lot of credit from District Twelve.
More was said about Jacob than any other tribute, as at all times, there was a gleam in his deep eyes that captivated all the spectators, ultimately making him one of the most striking and charming volunteer tributes.
Although his sickly complexion was also criticized, many said that behind that mask was a fierce participant, and those who said this were the same ones who saw Jacob spitting at someone from the District Twelve audience.
Upon seeing this, Jacob always had a cold smile on his face, muttering, "Damn bastards, I hope I have good sponsors at least..."
Meanwhile, Katniss was deep in thought, while Effie Trinket was displeased with the state of her wig.