Chapter 26: The parade of tributes
Jacob's suit was impressive, much better than what he had seen in Peeta's illustrations at the ceremony.
Portia turned Jacob around and looked at those orange flames fluttering on this tribute's body. "Cinna wanted to focus more on Katniss, but I'm sure both you and she will steal the audience's gaze."
"That's normal. It's not like my appearance could be appreciated due to my hair being neglected." Jacob replied casually, disregarding her words.
Cinna seemed embarrassed by Portia's words and quickly pointed out something: "It's not real fire, of course, just a synthetic fire that Portia and I invented. You'll be completely safe."
Jacob was convinced of this; after all, in the story, Katniss is known as the "girl on fire," while the other tribute is only Peeta.
"Believe me, the audience will recognize you in the stadium." Portia confidently stated, "They will acclaim you as the prince of the night."
"Isn't that too embarrassing?" Jacob responded honestly.
"It will help you attract sponsors." Cinna replied. "Now that I'm sure everything is fine, I have to go immediately to Katniss."
Portia nodded indifferently and said, "That's fine. I told you these changes wouldn't be a problem."
Being alone, Jacob walked towards the table where the food was and began nibbling on fruit. "I'll only eat fruit that won't cause stains. Don't kill me with that look."
Portia shook her head and said, "It doesn't matter. I'm here to make sure everything is in order before the parade."
"What is Katniss's outfit like?" Jacob asked, trying to break the silence.
"Similar to yours, of course. Due to time constraints and variations, she won't get the changes that you did," Portia replied while eating next to Jacob.
"I don't think she would suggest any changes either. Katniss is quite reserved."
Portia raised her eyebrows and pointed out, "It seems like you know her well. Are you close?"
"Although it may not sound common, we have a close relationship, so we communicate a lot during the journey to this place." Jacob's tone and words were profound, giving Portia numerous different scenarios to consider.
Jacob's behavior was unpredictable, causing people to form different clear ideas about his next moves. This kind of behavior protected Jacob from those who would judge him; anyone who formed a clear idea of who he was would be left clueless once his behavior changed.
After being under the scrutiny of those who considered themselves judges of life in the first trial in his original world, Jacob grew tired of that feeling. So, when he arrived in this world, he began to change his mindset. The challenging days of training and work made him different, focused on his goals and everything he needed to do to achieve them.
…
As Jacob thought about Katniss's performance after their conversation this morning, he was reassured when he saw Katniss walking by his side.
By his side were his stylist, Portia, and the rest of her team, all of them nervous about the impact they would make during the presentation.
Everyone except Jacob and Katniss's stylist, Cinna, who accepted congratulations as if he were somewhat tired.
After everyone was ready, they went to the lower level of the Renovation Center, which was essentially a giant stable. The opening ceremony was about to begin, and right now they were boarding the tribute pairs on chariots pulled by groups of four horses.
The horses that will drive Jacob are a coal black color, such well-trained animals that they don't even need a rider to guide them. Cinna and Portia led Jacob and Katniss to their respective chariot and began adjusting their outfits, body posture, and the fall of the capes before stepping aside to discuss something among themselves.
"How do you feel?" Jacob was the first to start this conversation to help Katniss with her nervousness. He couldn't lie; he was also nervous, even if he was good at not showing it.
"Will the fire burn you?" Katniss whispered, slightly rigid.
"We have to help each other if we feel the fire burning us. Maybe we won't get too hurt from it." Jacob reassured her with a sincere smile.
"We have to greet the audience. Those bloodsuckers out there should be impressed by our appearance. Use your charm." Jacob said with a genuine smile.
"Will that work?" Katniss asked under her breath.
"Perhaps. Since our mentor isn't present, we can innovate in our behavior. Remember, we have to give them the most entertaining show of the year."
"By the way, where is he? Isn't he supposed to protect us from this kind of thing? His suggestions could turn our next actions into disasters." Katniss was really upset with Haymitch.
"With all that alcohol in his body, I don't think it's a good idea to have him around when we're ready to go out; otherwise, our outfits would have a personalized touch from Haymitch." Jacob finally seemed to have said something that earned a laugh from Katniss. Maybe that or she was really nervous.
"Just give me your hand and trust me. Even if the flames burn our bodies, we must leave a good impression." At this moment, Jacob's gaze was truly firm and determined.
"Yes," Katniss replied, influenced by Jacob's confident words.
Right at this moment, the opening music began. Both Jacob and Katniss struggled to hear it as it blared through the streets of the Capitol.
Simultaneously, massive sliding doors opened to the bustling streets. The parade lasted about twenty minutes and ended at the City Circle, where they would be received, the anthem would be played, and they would be escorted to the Training Center, which would be their new home/prison until the Games began.
The tributes from District 1 rode in a carriage pulled by snow-white horses. Both were very attractive, covered in silver paint and dressed in elegant robes adorned with precious gemstones. District 1 manufactures luxury goods for the Capitol. We heard the roar of the crowd; they were always the favorites.
As for District 2, they lined up behind them. Within a few minutes, Jacob's carriage was approaching the gate, and due to the cloudy sky and the onset of dusk, the light had turned gray.
The tributes from District 11 had just exited when Cinna appeared with a lit torch.
"Here we go." Cinna said as he suddenly set fire to Jacob's cloak and Katniss' dress.
Afterward, Cinna positioned himself in front of the carriage, set fire to the headdresses, and let out a sigh of relief. "It works, guys!"
"Remember, don't let go of each other's hands!" Cinna shouted. "Keep a smile, enjoy this, and they will adore you."
At that moment, Cinna jumped off the carriage and had a last-minute idea. He tried to shout something, but Jacob couldn't hear him, and Katniss beside him yelled, "What did he say?"
"He said not to let go of our hands," Jacob lied, and for the first time, they both looked at each other, appreciating each other's appearance illuminated by those fake flames.
"You look great, Katniss. We'll make a grand entrance." Jacob shouted without reservation.
Katniss smiled and tightened her grip on Jacob's hand. They both looked at Cinna, indicating they were ready, and he nodded in approval.
"This is it..." Jacob murmured as they walked through the gates into the city.
The initial alarm of the leeches upon seeing them appear quickly transformed into cheers and cries of "District 12!" Everyone, without exception, turned to look at them, diverting their attention from the other three carriages ahead.
Initially, Jacob was a bit slow to react, but once he focused, he began to greet the crowd with a cool expression and a determined gaze. He caught a glimpse of himself and Katniss on the screen, where, under the dim light, they were both awed by the fire, as if those crimson trails in the air left behind fiery rainbows.
Both Cinna and Portia wisely left their faces natural, allowing their attractiveness to shine through and letting everyone recognize them.
Jacob remembered everything he had to do, and as he touched Katniss' hand with gentleness, she understood what she had to do as well.
"Remember, Katniss, we must shine and show a fake but natural smile. We have to show them that we are more than just friends, that we have found and will continue to shine in these Hunger Games."
With Jacob's words in mind, Katniss, like her partner, began to display her best smile and wave with her free hand. She was now grateful to trust Katniss from before; it seemed that everything wasn't as bad as she had thought, and she could feel that Jacob was a good support to help her do things better.
As Katniss gained confidence, she even blew kisses to the spectators. Both she and Jacob had delivered a great performance, and in no time, the Capitol people went crazy. They showered them with flowers, shouting their names from the floor, as they had learned from the program.
The loud music, the cheers, and the admiration made Jacob feel incredible. All his sorrows were momentarily forgotten in these brief moments, and the unfamiliarity and suffering of living in this world gradually eased.
What he considered a simple plan fit incredibly well with what he had to do without exerting any effort. The modifications made to his costume were unmatched by anyone.
Jacob was confident that he could win the Games, no, he would win the Games as he desired, without exceptions.
"Jacob! Jacob! Jacob!"
"Katniss! Katniss! Katniss!"
Both his and Katniss' fame were crucial for their survival. They had to make the greatest impact possible during their short stay in this place.
When they arrived at the city circle, Katniss thought they had crossed the line, but she quickly recalled Jacob's words, reminding her that they both had to show the audience that they were more than just tributes from the same district.
"We have most of the attention," Jacob said with a satisfied smile, still hearing their names being called.
The truth was that it was unfair to present a couple from each district as a team and then throw them into the arena to kill each other. However, under Jacob's plan, he sought the same outcome as in the future of this story.
While Katniss thought it wasn't a bad idea at all to follow Jacob's plan, at least one of them would survive until the end.
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