The filming of Mockingjay Part 1 progressed steadily - from Pratt-Pullman Yard to Sweetwater Creek State Park, where curious onlookers occasionally interrupted shoots, to their final location at EUE/Screen Gems Studios.
The controlled environnt of the studio ant fewer interruptions from fans, allowing for swifter filming despite the occasional challenging scene for the actors.
When filming wrapped, the cast shared emotional goodbyes and posed for final photos with the eager crew before going their separate ways.
But for Lucas and Jennifer, work wasn’t quite finished. They headed to Paramount Pictures’ recording facility on lrose Avenue to lay down tracks for the film.
Jennifer would record "The Hanging Tree" and "Deep In The adow," while Lucas had his original compositions and additional tracks to contribute to the soundtrack.
Walking together toward the recording studio, Jennifer nudged Lucas nervously. "You better coach through my vocal techniques. I’m not a natural singer like you."
Lucas chuckled, "Didn’t you work with a vocal coach already?"
"Yeah, but all that training goes out the window when you actually have to perform," Jennifer groaned. "The coach made it sound so easy - ’just breathe from your diaphragm!’ Like I even know where that is."
Her self-deprecating humor made Lucas laugh. Even after all these years, Jennifer’s ability to make light of herself never failed to amuse him.
Lucas smiled warmly. "Alright, I’ll coach you there."
"That’s your duty as my boyfriend," Jennifer stated matter-of-factly.
"Heh, then what’s your duty as my girlfriend?" Lucas countered.
Jennifer fell quiet for a mont, then quickly changed the subject. "Let’s go inside, the staff is probably waiting for us."
Lucas shook his head in amusent as he followed her into the studio.
The recording staff welcod them warmly, and soon Jennifer was in the booth, attempting "Deep in the adow." Her first few takes were rough, her voice wavering uncertainly.
"Try to relax your shoulders," Lucas suggested through the intercom. "You’re too tense."
Jennifer tried again, but her voice cracked on the high notes. The staff exchanged knowing glances, trying to hide their amusent. Jennifer’s cheeks flushed with embarrassnt.
"It’s okay," Lucas encouraged, his voice gentle. "Let’s try it line by line. Focus on the words like you’re telling a story."
Despite her obvious frustration, Jennifer nodded, grateful for Lucas’s patience. He continued coaching her, offering suggestions without judgnt, breaking down the song into manageable pieces.
The staff’s subtle smirks turned to looks of respect as they watched Lucas guide Jennifer through the process with unwavering support and genuine care.
Mariah, the sound mixer, watched the couple with barely concealed envy, shooting glances at her boyfriend Mark, the audio engineer. Mark caught her looks and shrugged helplessly. What could he do? They were in the middle of a session. Won could be such mysterious creatures sotis.
Jennifer continued her takes, and to everyone’s surprise, her voice grew steadily stronger and more confident. The sound team exchanged impressed looks - for an actress with no formal training, she was surpassing their expectations. Lucas’s coaching was clearly making a difference.
"That was actually really good," the head sound engineer admitted, adjusting so levels on the board.
Beaming with pride, Jennifer burst out of the booth and threw her arms around Lucas. "I did it!"
"Hey, don’t celebrate just yet," Lucas laughed, hugging her back. "You’ve still got ’The Hanging Tree’ to tackle."
Jennifer’s excitent couldn’t be dampened. She returned to the booth with renewed confidence. With Lucas offering occasional guidance, she worked through several takes of "The Hanging Tree" until she finally nailed it.
With Jennifer’s songs completed, it was Lucas’s turn at the microphone. The staff and Jennifer settled in, eager to watch him perform.
In the booth, Lucas moved with practiced ease, looking to the production manager for his cue. At the signal, his voice filled the studio:
"Oh Father, tell , do we get what we deserved?"
His mature, magnetic tone imdiately commanded attention.
"Oh, we get what we deserved,"
Then, with perfect control:
"And way down we go, oh, oh, oh"
Even without the backing track, his raw vocals were impressive. The sound engineers focused on their work, professionally adjusting levels as needed.
Jennifer watched through the glass, a soft smile playing on her lips. Lucas never failed to amaze her. She thought back to their first night together at the Beverly Hilton, how nervous she’d been, how gentle he’d been. She’d known then that she’d made the right choice in being with him.
The way he carried himself, whether performing for millions or singing alone in a booth, always reminded her why she’d fallen for him in the first place.
Lucas finished the song, and they listened to the rough mix with the backing tracks. Though not yet fully polished, the song already had a compelling sound.
Jennifer found herself bobbing her head to the chorus, "And way down we go, oh,." She turned to Lucas, curious. "Hey, what’s the title of this song?"
"Way Down We Go," Lucas replied.
"Oh, I’ve been singing it already," Jennifer smiled, pleased with herself.
Lucas went on to record a few more songs before they finally wrapped up their session. Both felt relieved to be done with work, ready to head ho.
As they pulled up to Lucas’s house in their car, they spotted several paparazzi lingering around the property. The security detail following them imdiately sprang into action, intercepting the photographers and moving them away from the premises.
"Ho sweet ho," Jennifer sighed as they waited for security to clear the area.
Lucas nodded, grateful for the efficient team that helped maintain their privacy.
Jennifer flopped onto the couch, making herself comfortable as she turned on Netflix. "Hey, co watch this new series with !" she called out to Lucas.
"You go ahead and start," Lucas replied. "I need a shower first."
Jennifer groaned dramatically. "Fine, leave here all alone."
While in the shower, Lucas checked his phone and opened Spotify. His eyes widened slightly at the numbers - "Heaven" had already reached millions of listens.
What caught his attention even more was seeing that Marshllo had released "Joy," which was also climbing rapidly in listeners. The song had already hit millions of plays.
Lucas chuckled to himself, ’Looks like I successfully influenced Christopher to do Joy sooner in this life.’
He felt a quiet satisfaction knowing that his subtle guidance had helped Christopher find success as Marshllo earlier than before. The timing of everything was working out perfectly - Christopher was already building his career montum months ahead of schedule.
After checking his phone, Lucas wrapped a bathrobe around himself and joined Jennifer in the living room. He settled beside her on the couch as they watched "House of Cards" together.
Suddenly, Jennifer bolted upright, pointing at the screen. "Wait, is that you?!"
She’d spotted Lucas making a cao appearance, playing a humorous character before the episode shifted back to its darker thes.
"You act surprised," Lucas chuckled at her reaction. "Isn’t it common for actors like us to appear in shows?"
Jennifer paused, realizing they were both major stars. "Well, can’t bla . I’m just surprised to see you in a Netflix series." She turned to face him. "Why are you even in a Netflix series anyway? Not to ntion, as a cao?"
"Well, because it was the promise I made to Netflix," Lucas replied casually.
"Promise you made to Netflix?" Jennifer sat up straighter, suddenly intrigued. "Is there a secret you’re hiding from ?"
Lucas laughed softly. "Nothing," he said. "I’m just a Netflix major shareholder. That’s all."
Jennifer’s jaw dropped. "You’re a major shareholder of Netflix?"
Lucas nodded. "You only know now?"
Jennifer stared at him in disbelief, clearly processing this new information about her boyfriend’s business ventures.
Jennifer rolled her eyes, playfully nudging him. "I’m too busy juggling projects to know all the ins and outs of what you’re doing behind the scenes!"
Lucas leaned back, a teasing glint in his eyes. "Hey, I’m just rich. Deal with it."
Jennifer nudged Lucas, grinning. "Okay, Mr. Rich, I’ve been nominated for the Hollywood Walk of Fa. All that’s left is for you to cover the fee."
Lucas smirked. "You know you’re more than capable of paying that $55,000 fee yourself, right?"
"But think of it as a romantic gesture," she said, batting her eyelashes. "I an, don’t you want your girlfriend’s na shining on Hollywood Boulevard?"
He chuckled, shaking his head. "As much as I’d love that, you know I was nominated too. And I haven’t exactly jumped at the chance to pay for mine."
She pouted. "Co on, Lucas. Think of it as an investnt in our future together—a star for both of us!"
He sighed dramatically. "Fine. But if I pay for this star, it better have my na on it too."
Jennifer burst out laughing, wrapping her arms around him. "Deal. We’ll be the first power couple with a shared star on the Walk of Fa."
Lucas let out a sigh, shaking his head with a small smile. Truthfully, a part of him looked forward to seeing both their stars together on the Hollywood Walk of Fa.
Jennifer tilted her head, studying him. "You seem a little... conflicted. Are you not excited about the Walk of Fa?"
He chuckled. "It’s not that. Actually, there was a ti I dread of seeing my na there. But now that I’ve got the fa, it just doesn’t feel as important as I thought it would." He paused, a wry smile playing on his lips. "Plus, back when I was unknown, I figured the fa alone would get the star—I didn’t realize you had to pay for it too."
Jennifer laughed, nudging him. "Ah, so you’re telling all I have to do is make you want to pay that fee."
Lucas chuckled, eting her gaze. "Maybe. But I think you’re better at it than I am."
They exchanged smiles, the quiet understanding between them needing no further words.
***
Way Down We Go - Kaelo
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