The twelve chariots fill the City Circle circuit. All the windows of the buildings surrounding the circle are packed with the most prestigious citizens of the Capitol. Black horses as dark as coal carried Jacob and Katniss along with all the other tributes to President Snow's mansion, and it was then that Jacob didn't let go of Katniss' hand, waiting for all of this to be over.
The music ends with dramatic notes.
The president, a short and thin man with white hair as paper, officially welcomes us from the balcony above where Jacob stood.
Traditionally, the focus is on the faces of all the tributes during the speech, but on the screen, Jacob and Katniss appeared more than they should have.
As it gets darker, it becomes harder to take your eyes off their sparkling attire. Although they make an effort to focus on each pair of tributes when the national anthem plays, the camera remains fixed on the District 12 chariot, which circles the circle one last time before disappearing into the Training Center.
As soon as the doors close, they are surrounded by the prep teams, who mutter barely intelligible compliments. Jacob looked around and noticed some glares from other tributes filled with hatred, confirming that Jacob and Katniss had done a good job.
"I... See... You... In... The... Arena." Jacob looked at some tributes and made a heart shape with his thumb and index finger of his right hand.
Then Cinna and Portia appear, helping Katniss down from the carriage first, and then Jacob jumps down. Portia helps remove their capes and immediately extinguishes them with a spray bottle.
This is a good time to look at the tributes, and away from districts one and two, Jacob was looking for useful allies who appear cornered. The audience seeks blood, but they also want to see certain groups unite to take down other tributes.
"They don't seem so strong when we have them a few dozen meters away..." Jacob murmured as he turned his head to the side.
"You shouldn't focus on that yet; we have a week of preparation to study our enemies."
Jacob agreed with Katniss, looked towards the horses, and pointed, "You did a good job. It would be foolish not to think that our costumes were very eye-catching during the presentation."
"Well, it seems that both of us were sincere with our performance out there," Katniss said with a smile.
Jacob smiled back, and even though he didn't know Katniss well, these brief moments made their bond stronger.
...
If there is a way to make the audience notice you in the Hunger Games, it is to draw attention with many points. First of all, you shouldn't be too bloody, as it's not pleasant to watch.
There was a tribute who took the Hunger Games very seriously and started eating his victims. In those games, even the Capitol was considering sending peacekeepers, but he eventually died at the hands of mutated dogs.
But the important point is that the audience felt uncomfortable, and that was enough for the Capitol to consider sending peacekeepers to eliminate that tribute. With this in mind, creating a group of weak and isolated allies who will likely die in the bloodbath will be enough to cause a thrilling but exciting emotion.
During this time, Jacob had considered connecting with certain individuals who, if all went well, would be his allies to eliminate the tributes who had been trained since childhood.
The Training Center has a tower designed exclusively for the tributes and their teams. This will be Jacob's home until the games begin.
Each district has its own floor; you just have to take an elevator and press the corresponding button for the tribune's number. It's easy to remember, ensuring no one gets confused.
Jacob had ridden elevators before, but it wasn't something he did every day in his abandoned village in his home world. But if he compares the elevators in his world to the ones here, the differences are incredible.
The walls of this elevator are made of glass, so you can see people on the lower floors becoming tiny ants as the person is propelled upward.
It's exciting, and Jacob wondered what it would feel like to launch oneself from this part of the elevator, but for obvious reasons, Jacob dismissed those aggressive thoughts.
It seems that Effie's duties do not end at the station; Haymitch and she will supervise them until they reach the battlefield itself. In a way, it's an advantage because, at least, we can rely on them to transport us from one place to another on time. But for now, we can only count on Effie Trinket since Haymitch had not reappeared since they separated on the train.
Surely he's unconscious somewhere; it was common for that old man to get so drunk that he forgot about the situation he was in. Here, Jacob differs on whether this old Haymitch really cares about all the tributes he's supposed to advise.
On the other hand, Effie was as happy as if one of them had won the Hunger Games. From her words, it was the first time that the team she accompanied caused a sensation at the opening ceremony.
She praised not only the outfits they had worn but also their behavior and the vibe they emanated during the ceremony. She knows all the important people in the Capitol and has been speaking highly of the District Twelve tributes. Surprisingly, she was also looking for sponsors for them.
...
On the floor corresponding to District Twelve, everyone except Haymitch was gathered.
"But I've been very mysterious," said Effie Trinket with narrowed eyes. "Because, of course, Haymitch hasn't bothered to tell me his strategy. However, I did my best with what I had. I told them that you, Katniss, had sacrificed yourself for your sister, and because of that, Jacob also volunteered, both victims and an example of overcoming the brutality of their district."
"You're charming, Effie..." Jacob applauded, paying attention to this beloved guide.
"Of course, I couldn't do much because you're from the mining district. But I managed a lot, and I told them, 'Well, if enough pressure is exerted on coal, it becomes a pearl!'"
Effie smiled so brightly that Katniss even joined Jacob in the small applause, although being witty is something to be discussed.
Jacob, on his part, had asked his charming guide for a small notebook and a pen, which was obtained too easily. After that, Jacob began writing a romantic story about a young miner who received help from Katniss Everdeen's father, and after his death, they gradually met each other.
Due to the difficulty of surviving in District Twelve, their meetings were distant but filled with a romantic sentiment. That romance had not been explained in words but expressed through actions and feelings in each of their encounters.
"This is truly charming; you'll have to read this, Effie..." Jacob had a smile on his face.
"Well, Katniss, if we really want to drive the audience crazy, you must memorize this story and come up with your own version. You have to be quite clever in what you say and be concise with the details."
By the time Jacob said this, he handed the notebook to Katniss and pointed at it. "You should read it after dinner, preferably when no one is around so you can digest the information."
"Were you two so close?" Effie then pointed at Katniss and Jacob.
"Us? Of course, we'll kill all the tributes together; that'll be quite easy," Jacob said with a relaxed smile.
"That's if we meet in the arena..." Katniss murmured as she took the notebook.
Jacob turned his head towards her and said, "Meeting each other will be easy; surviving the bloodbath is the really challenging part. First, you have to consider whether to go straight to the center or run towards the forest and trust that a sponsor will provide you with a weapon."
"Do you think it's good to talk about that right after the parade?" Katniss didn't really want to divert her thoughts to dark events that hadn't happened yet, as she inevitably thinks that somehow she and Jacob will end up killing each other.
"Right, I want to go see my room." Jacob got up and walked to his room while Katniss did the same.
"Don't take too long; dinner will be ready anytime."