Full Summary: "Perhaps we were someone else, once upon a time. Perhaps we even hold their memories in our heads. Maybe it means something that we’ve found one another now for some strange unknown reason, but it doesn’t mean we are them.“ {Reincarnation AU}
Author’s Note: Fuck it. I’m posting it here, too. Since I’m rewriting it anyways.
//Chapter 5//
//Like I’m Gonna Lose You//
"I found myself dreaming,
In silver and gold,
Like a scene from a movie,
That every broken heart knows.
We were walking on moonlight,
And you pulled me close,
Split second and you disappeared,
And then I was all alone."
~ "Like I'm Gonna Lose You" by Meghan Trainor
She placed each foot on the stones beside the water with care, not daring to misplace a single step. One misstep and she'd end up in the water, where she most certainly did not want to be. She wasn't entirely sure what she was doing there. There, of course, being the old Magnolia, which she'd seen in images within Levy's museum and the internet and wherever else it was able to be viewed. But it was beautiful, and, to be honest, she loved it more than the modern day Magnolia, with its gorgeous stone buildings, fresh air, and clear view of the stars above.
A shout of her name - or, at least, she thought it was her name - filled the air and she whirled around, stepping off of the stones and onto the familiar cobbled street with a laugh. There was a near shriek of delight and then she was caught up in someone's arms. They'd flown at her, beyond excited to see her, and she found herself wrapping her arms around them in return as they hugged her tightly, lifting her a little off the ground. Hot breath touched her neck as warmth surrounded her. Fingers dug into her where they gripped, but not painfully. It was as if they were seeking reassurance that she was there, and she gladly hugged them back, just as tightly. She buried her face in their throat, breathing in the scent of smoke, something she'd always loved, and for the first time in a very long time, she felt-
Lucy snapped awake, shooting upright in her bed. Her hands shook as she lifted her hands to her face, which had become streaked with tears. Her heart throbbed with agony and a sob choked its way out of her throat as moonlight danced through the open windows. The curtains whisked around in a breeze, but she didn't pay them the slightest attention as she focused on the dream she had not wanted to end.
She swallowed thickly, drawing her knees to her chest and bending her head so that it rested on them. Her blonde hair fell freely around her naked body, tickling her flesh. She shivered. It was nowhere near as comforting as the touch of the person who had hugged her had been. She took a shaken breath, the sound ragged, feeling and seeing and smelling everything so clearly.
Before she knew it, a loud sob had escaped her. She buried her face in her fingers, not entirely understanding her response to this dream. She'd never reacted like this to anything her brain had come up with. Then again, she doubted she'd ever had such a dream.
Lucy had no idea who the man had been, for she knew he'd been male. While she'd been craving a relationship for quite some time now, she was sure the single life she'd been living wouldn't lead to the kind of response she found herself having.
No, it was the depth of the love she'd felt for the other person that dragged her down into despair. The sheer love that had fit so well with the complete trust that this person cared for her just as much as she cared for him, that he loved her fiercely and would be there no matter what happened between them. She'd felt it; that man had held the other half of her soul.
Lucy wanted nothing more than to dream that dream again. She wanted to find that man she'd dreamed of again and feel the safety he offered, feel the love that had flowed through her veins. She wanted to go back to that warmth that had swirled through her. She wanted to bury her face in their shoulder and smell the smoke that came with him. She wanted to know that she had the person who understood her more than even her childhood friend did.
The idea of being stuck in this reality...this loneliness, in which the man didn't exist…
Lucy didn't sleep until nearly dawn, instead spending the remainder of the night weeping for the loss she felt but didn't understand.
Full Summary: "Perhaps we were someone else, once upon a time. Perhaps we even hold their memories in our heads. Maybe it means something that we’ve found one another now for some strange unknown reason, but it doesn’t mean we are them.“ {Reincarnation AU}
Author’s Note: Fuck it. I’m posting it here, too. Since I’m rewriting it anyways.
//Chapter 3//
//I Had a Dream//
“I had a dream that we were born,
A generation to behold,
Writing fires with our words,
Instead of useless smoke that blurs."
~ "I Had a Dream" by Kelly Clarkson
The room was beautiful. The warm sunlight streamed in through the gorgeous, stained windows, striking everything within the massive room and turning it a variety of colors. Lucy loved the way the light danced on sets of ancient armor and display cases, watching with awe in her eyes as her lips curved into a faint smile. She loved the museum, and one of her favorite rooms was one on the top floor, where the most valuable pieces were kept. The museum itself was home to many valuable artifacts - some the most valued historical artifacts in the world - and she couldn't even begin to count how many times she'd gone through its archives, seeking information from ancient texts. She could imagine running her fingers over old paper, breathing in the scent of books from centuries ago…
But, Lucy remembered as a familiar clacking filled her ears, she supposed she wasn't here to read.
"Lucy?" a familiar voice called warily, its owner seeking her. Lucy looked over to the doorway that towered a dozen feet above the small woman's head, and Lucy smiled at the sight of her. "Are you here?"
"Of course," Lucy reassured. "Would I miss one of our weekly dinners?" She rustled the paper bag in her lap on purpose. Levy McGarden scowled at her efforts before slowly making her way over. Lucy watched her friend of five years with quiet dark eyes, taking in the sight of the blind woman approaching. She was petite, smaller than most people at the age of twenty-three, but she looked fierce with her fingers loosely gripping her cane and her signature band of cloth wrapped around her eyes to protect her from odd looks. Her blue hair was wild around her head, giving her the impression of a mad scientist.
Levy navigated extremely well despite her blindness. She dropped onto the bench beside her friend when she reached it, setting aside her cane. Lucy smiled warmly at her, proud to call her friend. She knew the museum like the back of her hand and could give tours like any other staff member. Lucy furrowed her brow as she began to divvy up the food. She remembered the days in which Levy had smiled with sparkling hazel eyes, wearing that cloth she used to hide them in her hair to keep it out of her face. Now, it was used to keep the visitors from staring.
"Gimme," Levy said suddenly, holding her hand out. Lucy laughed and slapped a sandwich into her hand, which Levy sank her teeth into without hesitation. "This is delicious, Lucy," she moaned, mouth full. "Just what I need before I finish up my plans for tomorrow."
Curiosity filled the young blonde, who cocked her head as she took a bite of her own sandwich. "What plans? What's going on tomorrow?"
"I'm giving a school group a tour," she explained. She often did so, her extent of knowledge ridiculous in its size. She usually gave lectures at local universities, too, and she loved teaching everyone about history despite needing help navigating newer spaces. "They're doing a research project on the Ishgar Era. Each student has to pick one aspect to focus their attention on, and their research has to include an object from the museum. I hope someone chooses the old quills. And the keys upstairs."
Lucy grinned, thinking of those keys. She was quite fond of looking at them. They were gorgeous, made of solid school with the symbols of the twelve zodiac on them. A thirteenth made of black metal completed the set, and there were so many theories on what they'd been used to unlock, what the symbols atop meant, everything. Lucy personally thought they'd belonged to a group of friends, although she couldn't say where the belief had come from.
"I hope you have fun with those kids," she said, taking another bite of her sandwich.
Levy hummed in response and said, "I'm probably going to cry again. I always cry when I talk about the Ishgar Era."
It was true, too, Lucy knew. She did always cry. Rather than questioning the mournful tilt to Levy's lips, the way her voice filled with longing, she merely hummed and reached for the bottle of water she’d brought with her.
Full Summary: "Perhaps we were someone else, once upon a time. Perhaps we even hold their memories in our heads. Maybe it means something that we've found one another now for some strange unknown reason, but it doesn't mean we are them." {Reincarnation AU}
Author’s Note: Fuck it. I’m posting it here, too. Since I’m rewriting it anyways.
//Chapter 1//
//Nine in the Afternoon//
"Into a place where thoughts can bloom,
Into a room where it's nine in the afternoon,
And we know that it could be,
And we know that it should,
And you know that you feel it, too,
'Cause it's nine the afternoon."
~ "Nine in the Afternoon" by Panic! at the Disco
As she stretched her arms over her head, enjoying the luxurious feeling that came afterwards, Lucy Heartfilia wondered why she was so miserable. It was delightful, she knew, feeling as if her muscles had been stretched to the limit and then simply melted. She sank into the comfortable leather armchair that sat in the corner of her living room, enjoying the sunlight that streamed in through the massive windows that decorated the side of her condo, bathing her in a warm golden light of late afternoon.
Most days, she would have been bothered by the size of it all, about the windows, about the furniture. She most certainly would have been bothered by the unopened envelope on her kitchen bar, meant for her while holding the chicken scratch of someone she didn't want to see ever again.
But the late fall day was too nice and warm - the last of the nice days, she guessed, before winter hit, and Lucy didn't really want to get up and deal with everything after a long day at the Heartfilia Bakery she'd opened only six months prior. She certainly enjoyed owning and working at the bakery, but it was tiresome when two of her teenage workers were out "sick" and it was a busy Wednesday.
"I should shower," Lucy muttered to herself drowsily, yawning as she pushed aside her misery. She thought of the warm water and grimaced, wrinkling her nose. She reeked of sweat and baked goods, but hot showers were horrible when the humidity outside was signaling rain. Everything just stuck to her skin. But she felt gross, and knew it needed to be done.
With a groan, Lucy hauled herself to her feet. The leather of her armchair stuck to her skin like velcro, and she grimaced as it peeled away. She removed her shirt with one swift movement, shivering when something washed through her.
Lips pressed to the back of her neck, warm arms wrapped around her waist, happiness practically radiating as much as heat did from the figure behind her-
Lucy spun around on her heel, her dark eyes snapping this way and that as she looked for the figure she could have sworn had been there. The shock was quickly replaced with confusion when she realized she was alone. Lucy furrowed her brow and ran her fingers through her thick mop of blonde hair, which turned to gold beneath the afternoon light. Shaking her head, Lucy huffed, her misery returning tenfold without an explanation to back it up.
It was as if, she knew, she was missing something. Something big. She felt as if she should have been somewhere else, shouting a name she couldn't't quite think of at the moment. She could almost smell the clean air, feel the sun on her skin, warmer than it was now. She could taste smoke on the tip of her tongue as warmth surrounded her from every angle, wrapping around her like some kind of entrapping web.
And then it was gone and she was miserable and cold and alone.
Lucy huffed and shook off that misery, but the coldness remained despite her attempt.
Then again, she mused as she went to go and turn on the hot water for her shower, I'm always cold now a days.
Full Summary: "Perhaps we were someone else, once upon a time. Perhaps we even hold their memories in our heads. Maybe it means something that we’ve found one another now for some strange unknown reason, but it doesn’t mean we are them.“ {Reincarnation AU}
Author’s Note: Fuck it. I’m posting it here, too. Since I’m rewriting it anyways.
//Chapter 4//
//Lost Memories//
"I've got lost memories,
Can't even remember what we used to be,
We had a good time,
We had a good ride,
But it's lost forever."
~ "Lost Memories" by Mishon
Natsu had never been a big fan of museums. To him, they were boring, full of endless hours of waiting on people to stop staring at the same item that they'd been staring at all day. Yet, here he was, standing at the doors to one of the most famous museums in the country. Wendy stood beside him, chattering cheerfully with a friend from one of her classes. Gajeel had dropped them both off rather than making them ride the school bus with everyone else. Wendy's teacher, a calmly smiling woman, made sure they were all there - including Natsu, who she beamed at for some reason or another. He was willing to bet it was because no other adult had come along to keep the high schoolers in check.
Finally, she announced for the to follow her, and Natsu kept close to Wendy as he followed the small group into the museum, his hands shoved deep into his pockets. His onyx eyes roved columns, made of green marble that towered dozens of feet above their heads, as they entered. When they were inside, he saw a few display cases, and his eyes caught briefly on the golden hilt of a sword that was on display. He'd always loved the color gold, although he wasn't sure why.
It was the clacking that first caught his attention. Wendy gasped quietly - so quietly that he barely heard it. His eyes lifted from a particularly interesting gold object to his right and widened in shock when he saw the woman who had come to greet them. She was lovely, though not really his type, with a small slim body and confident stance. Her lips were curved into a pleasant smile, her eyes hidden by a piece of cloth that had been tied over them. A cane was held loosely in her hands, and she leaned lightly on it - the source of the clacking.
"Hello," she called, voice lifted so that everyone could hear her. She didn't pause at the curious whispers in the air, and Natsu felt a stab of sympathy for her. She must have been used to the comments about her eyes hidden. "My name is Levy McGarden, and I'll be giving you a tour of the museum - or, at least, the sections that pertain to the Ishgar era...if you'd like to see the other parts, however, I'm always willing to give a tour of those as well, you'll just have to come at a different time. If you'll follow me, we'll start with objects that were found in the oldest parts of Crocus, some even from Mercurius Castle…"
Natsu let himself zone out. He didn't care much for history, but the things were kind of cool to look at. He studied them as he walked, making sure none of the children were left behind like he'd promised to do when agreeing to help the teacher - a woman named Mirajane Strauss - with the group. He sort of listened to Levy as she talked, only focusing in on what she was saying when she talked about something he thought fascinating. There was a series of iron pieces that she seemed to particularly be fond of and Natsu thought the way she talked about them - with love and care - was so sincere that she must have been in love with whoever had owned them. He snickered to himself at the idea. You couldn't love someone who'd been alive thousands of years ago, it just wasn't possible.
It was while passing near a display case, his hand mindlessly rubbing his sternum, that he stopped to stare, his heart missing a beat. His eyes widened as feelings ripped through him, feelings and images he thought strange.
Red scales, shimmering in the light of the day, warm green eyes blinking slowly at him as heat swirled through the air, a rumbling roar deafening him, even as he smiled so brightly-
"Scales."
He jumped. Levy had appeared beside him, her lips tugged into a gentle smile, as if she knew exactly what he was looking at. He glanced at her and then turned to look at the piece of fabric cradled within the display case. Levy was seemingly looking towards the case, her face turned away from him. "It's supposedly made of scales and belonged to a man in a guild. The most well-known guild. Stories say he was loved by many and loved his partner fiercely enough that he nearly died for her several times. He never took it off."
Natsu thought she spoke of this man as if he was family, like she'd spoken of the iron but a little different.
He didn't say anything for a few moments. Finally, the only comment he could make was a simple, "What idiot wears a scarf in the summer?"
Levy grinned and turned away, walking back to lead the group and continue the tour as her cane clacked against the ground. The sound filled his ears like the images filled his mind, and Natsu watched after her curiously.
Natalie Merchant is the guest on the latest episode of Songcraft, the podcast “about the creators of lyrics and music that stand the test of time.” She joins hosts Scott B. Bomar and Paul Duncan for an extensive conversation about her new album, Keep Your Courage, and music from throughout her career. You can hear their conversation here.
On August 1, 2023, Corduroy Institute conducted a telephone call wherein we established the titles for our upcoming album's song. After a lengthy conversation, we devised two strategies for naming the songs.
1) Veering partially towards the Judas Priest school of naming conventions, the vocal tracks' titles would be derived from the lyrics—though not necessarily from the chorus.
2) The instrumentals' titles would be obtained from new cut-ups, just as we had done for "Gone Are the Days" from our 2019 album The Gamut of Their Philosophy.
S.A. Morin photographed the notebook pages which contained the stanzas with our lyrics. We then reviewed these images and located the elements which most resonated with us. Some titles came easily, while others came from less obvious selections. Eventually, all of the vocal songs had a title.
Next came the instrumentals. W. Ruiz pulled out the section of the B. Davis Archive which contained our larger cut-ups. From these, he pulled out words and read them aloud. Eventually, the titles emerged.
By 3:25 AM, the nomenclative component of Take the Train to Manchester was fully formed. We look forward to revealing the titles of our forthcoming album's nine songs.
