Chapter Text
For most people, comfort is always the first option. It’s what people are used to and there’s no risk involved. However, Lucy Gray isn’t one who prefers to stay in the comforts of what she knows, especially if comfort means breaking up late night fights over which football team won whatever game or who gets the last piece of fried chicken.
Ever since she was a young girl, Lucy Gray was a natural to the stage as she was singing with The Covey before she could even stand. Her presence and voice cultivated a huge District 12 following and caused sold out shows in The Hob, unfortunately also causing a lot of bar fights. She even had a nickname: the Songbird of District 12. With the whole town at her feet, what more could she possibly want?
However, her songs were barely enough to pay rent, especially since she lived in one of the poorest districts in the Nation. Alongside her nighttime performances, she had to pick up a waitress job at The Hob, especially since her parents were out of her life and she has been barely scraping by.
Despite the lack of money, all she needed was a pen, notebook, and her favorite guitar. Music was her comfort, her escape from reality and the hardships of life. Throughout her difficult childhood, the Covey and song-writing were her saving grace. It gave her a home while allowing her to be free. Her stories and experiences were told in songs and she had a desire to spread it to the world, not just District 12. Hence, she felt confident enough to share her biggest and riskiest idea with her best friend.
“What? To the Capitol?” Jessup Diggs exclaimed with shock, passing her a plate of burgers and french fries to serve to the table with two men smoking cigars.
“Yes, the Capitol! I want to be a singer, to tell my stories to everyone in the nation,” she smiled, grabbing the plate and placing it in front of the two men.
“No, I had to have beaten the world record of who can eat the most burgers. It was 10 in one hour,” one of the guys said gruffly.
“It wasn’t even 10, it was 9, you still had half the burger to go,” the other scoffed.
“That still counts as one!”
“Please, if you had eaten one more bite you would’ve been sent to the grave. I had to call the ambulance to come get your stomach pumped,” Lucy Gray snarked, taking one of the men’s empty plates. “Enjoy the burger, it might be the last one I’ll ever serve.”
As Lucy Gray untied her apron and let down her loose brown curls that were tied into a messy ponytail, Jessup mentioned at the bulletin board across the counter. The bulletin board was composed of signatures of other girls like Lucy Gray who used to work at The Hob. They shared the same dreams, yet, neither of them were made into Capitol superstars. Despite this, it was tradition that the girls who leave at least leave their legacy so that just in case they do make a breakthrough, the Hob had their first autograph.
“Please Jessup,” Lucy Gray giggled but Jessup shook his head knowingly. Lucy Gray hastily scrawled her name on a receipt paper before sticking it into the center of the bulletin board.
“I got it! I got the first autograph!” Jessup cheered, raising the piece of paper as the Hob’s patrons cheered. “That’s 10 years of girls leaving, do you think you can make it to the Capitol?”
“I know I can,” Lucy Gray said confidently, staring at her signature in the center spot. She has never been one to give up, especially since she’s endured so much throughout her life. The Capitol will just be another challenge and stage.
“Are you sure you want to leave? Heard in the Capitol, there were three people killed last night,” Tam Amber said with worry. Lucy Gray scoffed to herself as she carried the last remaining suitcase before boarding the train.
“I get the point. But this is my dream.”
“I know, I know. I just didn’t expect it to be at the Capitol! What if you get robbed? What if you get-”
“I’ll be safe, I promise. Yes, I brought the rat poison you insisted on getting me just in case there’s some weirdo who wants to spike my drink,” Lucy Gray sighed with fake exasperation, placing her hands on his cheeks. “Everything will be okay. I will make it onto the big stage.”
Tam Amber was initially hesitant but brought her into a tight embrace, whispering promises for her to write letters now and then. Although Maude Ivory was less anxious than Tam Amber, she still did not want to see her older cousin go.
“Maude Ivory, I’ll see you on the big stage okay. I promise,” Lucy Gray said softly, lightly running her hand through her blonde locks and giving her a big bear hug. “I’ve got everything now, so I’m going to get going!”
Once she steps foot on the train, she’ll say goodbye to her old life. Goodbye to the Hob, goodbye to the Covey, goodbye to District 12. A small part of her falters on her decision, especially since the chances of making it big in such a big city is slim. What if she never breaks through, just like those girls from long ago?
The anxious part of her was quickly engulfed by her confident and fearless self, stepping foot into the train and sitting her butt on one of the seats to be taken to the Capitol. She’ll never know what happens if she never tried. As the scenery shifts from the waving members of the Covey in the dark and dreary train station of District 12 to the grassy and bright meadows, she can’t help but beam in excitement.
Finally, her life begins.
The crispy air of the Capitol greeted her as soon as she stepped out of the train. The abundance of buildings, the bumbling streets, and the extravagant outfits of the Capitol people caught her attention. The contrast compared to District 12 felt like whiplash, she couldn’t believe that she’s actually here.
Lucy Gray immediately felt a pang of panic inside her stomach as she internally compared her outfit and bags to the Capitol people. Nonetheless, she shrugged off her panic and, with a map and some talking to a bit of the folk, she found herself standing on the curve in front of a rundown building to which she’d been calling her home.
Not like she expected a full luxurious apartment anyways, since it was the best her waitress and singing tips could afford her.
The interior of the building wasn’t any better as it was dimly lit, grimy, and smelled like a mixture of alcohol and weed. She wrinkled her nose at the smell since it hit as soon as she stepped one foot into the building. Luckily, she was able to make small talk with the landlord, Reaper Ash, and received her keys. Her room was tucked in a small corner above some rickety stairs and as soon as she jiggled the key into the lock, she found herself collapsing with exhaustion. Carrying a guitar case, a large suitcase, and so many little bags were not for the weak.
The apartment was small, the furniture was limited and mismatched, and everything looked run down, tired of all of the antics that its previous owners had done. Despite the shabby looking interior, Lucy Gray found herself satisfied with the outcome. This was her home now. Her life where she can be wherever she wants to be.
Lucy Gray spent the rest of her day cleaning and unpacking her belongings. She didn’t bring much due to the lack of personal accessories she already had at home but the satisfaction of her living in her own apartment that she bought with her own money deterred her from any of the shabby living conditions. Who knew happiness would be found in a leaky faucet and creaky old floors?
As she explored her living area, she found the rooftop that gave her the view of the night sky and the city’s skyline. The scenery at night felt magical, despite the loud and busy nightlife. Lucy Gray pulled open her notebook, flipping through pages of song demos before landing on a blank page.
The notebook was given to her on her 18th birthday by the Covey, the night that cemented her as District 12’s songbird. It bore a purple leather cover with thick pages, waiting to be filled with songs. She noticed that throughout the 3 years that she’s been writing in the notebook, she was near the end of its pages. As it was one of the few gifts that she brought along from the Covey, she felt a pang of sadness as she realized that eventually, she’d have to buy a new notebook.
Lucy Gray brought a pen to her lips, tapping on it rhythmically. She quickly wrote ‘Nothing You Can Take From Me’ on the top before sprawling down some lyric ideas
You can't take my past.
You can't take my history.
You could take my pa,
But his name's a mystery.
Nothing you can take from me was ever worth keeping.
You can't take my charm.
You can't take my humor.
You can't take my wealth,
'Cause it's just a rumor.
Nothing you can take from me was ever worth keeping.
She sat on the cement ground of her apartment’s rooftop for a good 15 minutes, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion on how to continue the song. Eventually, exhaustion won the battle as she descended from the rooftop and into her dingy apartment.
“Hello, my name is Lucy Gray Baird, I recently moved to the Capitol, and I was wondering if I could audition for one of your talent agents?” Lucy Gray spoke quickly, her words spilling out in front of the receptionist lady. She found her way to one of the biggest talent agencies in the Capitol, Katniss Records, and luckily she was able to sneak her way past the barricade of security guards in the front.
“Aww, Lucy, how cute. My name is Dr. Volumnia Gaul and when I moved to the Capitol, I wanted to become a dancer. Too bad that dream died when I got knocked up and my baby daddy left me to raise a bratty 16 year old who just recently told me she hated me more than anyone else in the world and moved away. Now, tell me, how can I help you?” the woman said, her sweet voice laced with venom. Lucy Gray found herself stunned by the rant but hesitantly gave a copy of her CD to the lady.
“I’ll definitely send it to our CEO. Now, hippity hoppity!” Dr. Gaul said in a sing-song tone, batting her eyelashes. Lucy Gray let out a sigh as that CD is not going to see the light of day.
Neither would the rest of the CDs that she attempted to give to other recording agencies, with one even going as far as to dump them in the trash in front of her.
The night ended with no luck and Lucy Gray found herself standing in line for a bar, head to toe in frustration with the lack of successes. She quickly handed the bouncer her ID before making her way inside the dark bar and slumping on top of the countertop.
“What can I get you?” a man with curly brown locks asked her kindly.
“I’m a singer. Is there someone here I can talk to about my songs?” Lucy Gray grumbled.
“Oh yeah, I’m a medical student right now after training in the military. What can I get for you today?” the man chuckled drily.
“Coke please, thank you,” she sighed with exasperation. As the man made her order, she noticed a tall man with ice blonde hair talking among some of the people in the bar. That doesn’t seem like any ordinary guy….
“Excuse me sir, who’s that blonde guy over there?” she asked. As soon as the bartender recognized who she was referring to, a smirk formed on the corner of his lips.
“That’s my good buddy there, Mr. Snow,” the man smiled.
“Mr. Snow? Is he like the manager here or something?”
“For sure, he’s in charge of finding new bands and…finding new talent.”
Suddenly, the feeling of helplessness was quickly washed out by hope as she found herself up on her feet, body radiating with happiness. Finally, someone who could help me!
“Excuse me sir, what’s your name?” Lucy Gray asked.
“Sejanus Plinth.”
“Thank you Mr. Sejanus. I really do appreciate your help!”
She saw that Mr. Snow was leaving the bar by himself. This could be her chance to at least make a break into the capitol! As she quickly hurried behind Mr. Snow, at the corner of her eye, she could see Sejanus bursting into laughter.
Mr. Snow made his way into the back alley of the bar, checking something on his phone. Perhaps he is scouting for people right now…
“Hello, are you Mr. Snow?” Lucy Gray tentatively asked, approaching him slowly. He looked up from his phone, a surprised yet distrustful expression etched on his face. His eyes are like the ocean..
“Yes.”
“My name is Lucy Gray Baird, I’m an aspiring singer and songwriter. I know this is the most unprofessional way to submit a CD but it’s my first time being in the Capitol, it’s all new to me.” She internally worried about whether this approach was even worth it, especially since it can be seen as unprofessional. Sejanus entered from the back door, watching the interaction between the two of them. He quickly looked at Mr. Snow, seemingly talking with him with their eyes. Mr. Snow shared a knowing glance before clearing his throat, staring at Lucy Gray.
“Well…your method is really unconventional...I don’t usually do this since I’m picky with the CDs that I receive but I will take it and I’ll see what I can do,” Mr. Snow replied, taking the CD from her hand.
She felt a wave of relief wash over her, happy that the interaction went smoothly. Maybe she had a chance of making it big here. “That was easier than expected.”
“For sure.” Mr. Snow looked at Sejanus for a split second before they started to erupt with laughter, Sejanus nearly falling down from the force of his laugh.
Lucy Gray felt her blood run cold and her face heat up. She must’ve been really red right now because Mr. Snow stopped laughing at her reaction. “That was my bad, I should’ve been honest. I’m Coriolanus Snow and I’m studying law at the University.”
“Well, I just made a complete fool out of myself,” she huffed with anger, immediately walking away. She could hear Coriolanus follow her and she quickened her pace so that he was out of her sight.
“That was your fault, thinking that every man you meet is some kind of recording agent waiting for you to make you a star. That’s not how it works over here!”
“Yeah, I know first hand.”
“But still though, I think I know some people that could help you.”
“I’ve already had enough of your help.”
“I think you might need it. You’re walking in a circle right now. Are you lost?”
Lucy Gray sighed to herself, facing him with anger. “I’m not lost! Someone just moved my street..it’s around here somewhere.”
“Huh, you’re new around here. Let me guess where you’re from,” Coriolanus smirked, leaning against a nearby lamppost.
“I have rat poison…I’m not afraid to use it!” she threatened, reaching out inside her purse.
“Hmm…District 12. You do give off the District commoner vibes,” Coriolanus guessed.
“Okay, well, I’ve never had anyone stare at my ass for fifteen minutes so I’m guessing right now is good night.”
“Alright then, I got the hint.” He raised his hands up and she just laughed in response. “Believe me when I say I can help you.”
“Huh, you never give up, don't ya.”
“You look like a cute and innocent songbird, I just gotta have you. Snow lands on top-”
“Good night, Coriolanus.”