Coda: Bonus Tracks

[raeschae]

This fic was inspired by three novels that I read last fall - The Alternative Hero (Tim Thornton), Love Will Tear Us Apart (Sarah Rainone), and Juliet, Naked (Nick Hornby) – and while you won't find this exact plot in any of them, I highly recommend all three.

Also, you might want to check out John Cusack as the Chicago-based audiophile Rob Gordon in the film adaptation of Nick Hornby's novel, High Fidelity. I guess repeated viewings of the movie have saturated my subconscious over the last ten years because I really didn't give it a passing thought while writing the fic. When I was done and maichan808 sent me the first draft of the art, I had a total holy shit moment. The similarities between Jensen and Rob are completely unintentional but, at times, too obvious to deny.

Also, some of the artists and bands that I use in this fic exist in the real world, but many of them are completely fictional. Those you have never heard of, and can't find through Google, are the brain child of taintedlove. All of the albums reviewed on the Coda website were also on her original list of band names.

My first Big Bang has been an incredible – albeit, at times, ridiculously nerve-wracking – experience. Aside from the normal anxious excitement of actually taking part in this challenge, my computer crashed last night around 10:30. Were it not for my very best friend in the world - she's not in fandom and will never see this, but I'm grateful nonetheless - I'm not sure I would have been able to get this posted at all.

There are a lot of people that I have to thank:

maichan808, you have gone so far above and beyond the call of duty for this fic, I don't even know how to say thank you. At the risk of stroking your already insanely over-inflated ego, working with you on the Coda website was the best part of this entire process for me. Thank you for the mind-blowing art, and also for keeping me calm during last night's freak out and being an all-around awesome person. I owe you something major, like an internal organ or something, I'm sure.

billysgirl5 and candygramme, thank you, for correcting my occasional abuse of the English language, and for lightning-quick turn around. You guys are life-savers! krisd81, thanks for being brutally honest with my first draft, and for making sure that I told both sides of the story.

ldyghstwhisprer and taintedlove, you guys responded to my pleas for musical inspiration with three very different, but equally awesome, soundtracks. I hope you both know how much the tone and shape of this story were molded by the songs you sent me. I wish I could have included all of them on the final soundtrack.

wendy and thehighwaywoman, thanks for all you do in organizing and maintaining this challenge.

There are a lot of other people who listened to me ramble about this idea in its infancy, and who encouraged me from the early drafts, through all of the edits. To my flist, your excitement over this fic has really helped to ease my frazzled nerves during the last six months. Thanks, guys - I hope you enjoy it!

Comments

[maichan808.livejournal.com]

I'm good on internal organs, but I'll take more ego stroking any day!

It's been completely incredible working with you as well. I just love it when people do my bidding :P

And man, I really do <3 this fic. LIKE FOR SRS <333

[yamisadomazo.livejournal.com]

This fic. Was. AMAZING.

Obviously you have a passion for music, and the way you translated that into Jensen's character was incredible.

The change and growth in the boys' relationship was so realistic that it just kind of made me go 'awwwww'. Especially the lighter scene at the end.

Also, I LOVE Band of Horses. Good choice, I must say. ^_^

[zuben-eschamali.livejournal.com]

Definitely worth the wait...this was awesome. I love how they both grew and changed over time, and I especially loved how the (hot!) sex reflected that, from overwhelming and exciting to awkward to honest and mature. It was a great moment when they realized they missed each other as friends, too, and the way you built that back up was great. And for bonus points, you made both of them as music critics come off not as pretentious douchenozzles but as people who really, genuinely care about and love music. So, yay! :D

[live-laugh-love.livejournal.com]

Wow. This is just....amazing. I loved the layers of the story and how it went back and forth in time. You really portrayed the friendship as well as the love and my GOD is that ever one of my kinks. I am so astounded by the way you are able to shift things up and write different J2 each and every time, yet keep the personality nuances there enough to recognize them. (that sentence was really poorly constructed but hopefully you get the drift)

LOVED IT.

[pennyplainknits.livejournal.com]

This was just wonderful! I loved how we got a sense of how both of them had changed and grown, and the sense of connection was beautifully drawn

[klutzy-girl.livejournal.com]

I loved this so much! It was so good!

[akadougal.livejournal.com]

Fantastic. I hope you can be persuaded to write timestamps because, as usual for me, the sign of a really good story is wanting more. I loved the shifts back and forward through the relationship and how much the boys changed and didn't in all the ways that matter. Your secondary characters were a delight too! Just loved it.

[kubis.livejournal.com]

I loved this story! You know, the stories about "the one that got away", missed opportunities and breaking up of the couple that was supposed to be together forever, these stories always get to me. In this one, there wasn't as much pain, but rather slowly getting back together. And I loved the slow building up, how Jared didn't know if he can trust Jensen and how it wasn't just falling back on the same things, but building new things on top of the solid old ones.

I really enjoyed it! :D

[aythia.livejournal.com]

Baby! Oh this was just amazing! And I really loved how you made the music such an important part of their lives, because it really is.. music makes the world go round!

I also loved that you let us get to know both boys, see how they grew back together and not only showing one side of the story.

Thank you!

[nickgregfan.livejournal.com]

LOVES this!!!!!!!

[goldie3.livejournal.com]

This was an amazing read. I loved that both guys made mistakes, both guys were assholes at times(who isn't, at times). Thats what made them human. They made mistakes but were ready to take a chance.

And music. Jared and Jensen's relationship is so defined by music, it was wonderful. Loved the love story of Jared, Jensen and music.

[raeschae.livejournal.com]

I hear the basis of any good working relationship is when one is bossy and anal-retentive and the other doesn't quite know when to tell them to just fuck off. No wonder we made a good team.

If there is one person I know won't just tell me shit because they think I want to hear it, it's you. It's kind of what I love about you!

[raeschae.livejournal.com]

Band of Horses \o/

And thank you - I'm so glad that you liked the story! I do love music, and it's cool to know you think it translated. :)

[raeschae.livejournal.com]

Wow - thanks! I know that stories like this have real potential to come off pretentious and kind of self-indulgent, so I'm really glad it didn't read that way to you. :)

[raeschae.livejournal.com]

I gotcha! And thank you - I kind of have a massive 'bromance'(?) kink, too!

[treez-r-green.livejournal.com]

wow I loved this so much!

[raeschae.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much. I'm really glad you liked it!

[raeschae.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

[raeschae.livejournal.com]

Wow, thanks!

I love that you want to read more, but I really don't have any plans to write any more of these guys at this time. I kind of like right where they are at the end of the fic. Who knows how inspiration will strike in the future?

[raeschae.livejournal.com]

I'm a huge fan of the slow build, too. Did you read 'In Production' from last year's BB? It's one of my favorites.

Anyway, I'm really glad you liked this one - thank you so much!

[raeschae.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I'm so glad you liked the music, and the story. :)

[raeschae.livejournal.com]

THANKS!

[raeschae.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much. (I actually kind of love it when one or both of the guys are assholes in fic on occasion - I guess my kink is showing, huh?)


I'm glad that you loved the music, too - it's such a subjective thing, and I know not everyone is as affected by it as I am, but I love that you connected to it!

[raeschae.livejournal.com]

I'm so glad you liked it - that's awesome! Thank you.

[iluvsockz.livejournal.com]

The last paragraph was fantastic.

What I love about fics where J2 are enthusiasts of something such as music is that the enthusiasm of the author always shines through and gives the characters an extra dimension - you have done this here. The story was great and the character development was as well. They made mistakes and there were misunderstandings but it all worked itself out in the end \o/ This was a great story, thanks for sharing :)