Jarod is implicated in a spate of homicides.
I always lol at this
Even when I know there are more chapters I am sad when a chapter ends... only pretender fans would understand.
Reviewer: Jillian Signed OMG! I love it. Parker got there first and destroyed everything. I don't blame her. Forcing someone to parents... it's hard enough to be a parent without being forced into it. Very intense and emotional and those characters are very intense and emotional and it's so good to see someone who can write and do justice to them and this series.
Gahhh the heat in this part tho... so hot.
They were both in various stages of undress when, breathlessly, they drew back in astonishment from each other. Parker twisted herself out of his grasp, unwound her limbs from his body. The wall, fortunately, intercepted Jarod's collapse.
The pair straightened, slowed their respirations, and seemed to mutely agree that they were finished with each other- or that at least, for their own safety, should be.
"Dinner," he reminded, unbuttoning and turning up his shirtsleeves. "Seven thirty?"
"All right," she agreed with a curt nod. And then shook her head. "No," she said.
Jarod stiffened, frowned. "No?"
"No," repeated Parker firmly. With some urgency, she added, "Let's leave now."
Reviewer: Jillian Signed
So I melted at Jarod's little death comment. I'm fluent in french and english and i love how you keep it real and global tossing in other languages. You're reallly pro!
omg the doubt and inability to trust has to keep resurfacing because that can't change overnight.. i mean she was trained to hate and distrust him and chase him and all that and she said it herself in carthis so yes she would absolutely battle desire and intimacy and try to keep it separate. You say that subtly but yes I think it would keep coming back just like you've written and maybe one day with time she can trust him more and want to make love and be really intimate and not just f***.
Reviewer: Jillian Signed The romantic banter is the best! Oh shit that escalated!! Big time!!!
Reviewer: Jillian Signed OMG. Every time I read this I feel the same terror.
Reviewer: Jillian Signed Is Jarod really evil then? Errmm but Alex just told her what we all knew... omg that's right Parker doesn't know about her mother's diary or that Jarod has it. OMG!!!
Jarod has been a little evil all along..
You have a way of saying it where it's like gentle bad news and still shocking but... how can we redeem Jarod? Please say we can!! It's just impossible because he had her mother's diary... oh no. I'm going to cry now. Please update soon! You write so well and I just want more.
Reviewer: Jillian Signed
I love where they are right now, that in-between place that isn't quite just friends but isn't yet lovers or something more serious. I'm glad they haven't had sex yet. You do a brilliant job of capturing those complexities while keeping the characters in character. This is Jarod the guy who was a gigolo that didn't sleep with his clients so no, he would want to be careful. He is in love with Parker and probably doesn't want to have sex with his parents down the hall.
I was reminded of the acupuncture episode of The Pretender and the episode where the guy on the beach asked Jarod to give Sydney and Parker hugs and the free-love guy who wanted to sleep with Parker. This chapter easily fills in the blanks from those episodes. "the body is a temple. I want to worship yours. If you'll let me" and we all know he will worship but they can take their time. Thanks for also writing the senstive subject matter with care and realistically. You tackled that professionally and intelligently. Too many authors act like it was no big deal. Just like men now are saying rape is no big deal. I don't know what the next chapter will bring, but I plan to read it. Thanks for writing and sharing your talent with us.
Reviewer: Jillian Signed Appropriate chapter title and series title especially now. I love how Jarod wants to agree to agree and is so flirty about it, and Cate oh bless I love her. The characters are the characters I know and love and no longer have to miss because here you are.
Feel better Mirage. Thank you for the words that were still comforting. I've always found your honesty refreshing and comforting in your work and you personally.
Reviewer: Jillian Signed A past transgression jeopardizes Sydney's life.
You're building the tension on Sydney's side of the story and on Miss Parker and Jarod's and dang I'm eager to see it all resolved and can't wait for the next chapter. I hope Sydney will be ok. You always keep me guessing right up until the end how the story will go and no matter what I guess you always do something completely different that blows my mind. More please and as soon as you can.
Reviewer: Jillian Signed Nothing I can say here that hasn't already been said.
I'm autistic and so I sometimes struggle with nuances... like I can have some idea of what is going on but not enough to be clear and explain it to others. So what you do that I love is explain it all so I know exactly what is going on and if Jarod or Parker or another character crosses a line and commits a crime.
I love what you write and I love the way you write and how plausible your stories/novels are always and I love how everything is clear like I know that Parker sort of lied in this because she didn't want to confess to Jarod she'd killed someone. It was subtle but even I caught that and I love that.
You do this really well and transition perfectly and the characters... yeah they are the characters like always just like they are on my DVDs. You know how to write and where to put everyone and what they should all say. This is a natural easy gift and talent and you are skillful. I love this story.
While I'm here I want to ask you a question about another story on here that I love that you didn't write though. If that's okay? I asked the author, have emailed the author and reviewed but still have no response. I was hoping you could shed some kind of light for me so I can understand. So if you read Winter's Thaw by Bucky LaFontaine can you tell me what is going on when Jarod says they were playing with sensory overload and then Parker snapped? Just read it if you don't mind and begin with "I was so nearly blind with want, need and desire" and end at "literally caught with your pants down and in pain" if you don't mind and help me understand it. It really bugs me when I don't know what is going on.
Please update this soon and please please update Devil's Advocate and the others. I miss you when you're gone. Stay forever please.
Thank you for all the kind words.
On to your conundrum: Nice; I just read it; it's a damn find read. I think authors sometimes want to leave certain elements of the story to the reader's interpretation (and I am terrified of fansplaining their fics). But I'm sympathetic and you are pleading, and--- fuck. Here goes:
This reader's interpretation is that they could have been approaching, and then withdrawing from, consummation, rinse and repeat- all senses on full alert while delaying eventual gratification/sexual teasing-- but I have a limited imagination. Also, I want to note that I'm making a guess within the confines of the "sensory overload" in question, because what ever that entails it must fit with everything else Bucky has written.
More specifically, the sensory play has to be something that allows Jarod to realize that Parker is unmoving and still believe that Parker not moving is part of their game, something that allows him to decide he's still got the green light. We know Parker is impatient, and she could possibly become frustrated and still when Jarod delays consummation too many times, as if mutely declaring: "I'll just sleep now if you're intending to play that game all night, lowly peasantBoy" or a mute, "What? Not man enough to finish this? (she did something similar with Thomas "man enough to take the shirt"-- only aloud).
AND while she's suddenly still and thinking about Thomas, Jarod could possibly be feeling duty-bound to please the Goddess before she loses all patience and kills him-- unaware that something else entirely has begun to transpire inside her mind and that the game, whatever the game was, ended.
I think it's safe to assume that the "worst possible moment to freeze" is when his penis is entering her body.
She, justifiably, reacted to that intrusion/misunderstanding by punching him.
He reacted angrily to her reaction (held down her arms and said some hurtful things).
She pushed him off and fled (Bucky explained that the punch Parker had landed had given her the advantage that allowed her to easily push him off) (he is also naked while all of that transpires, evidently: "caught with pants down").
That's my initial interpretation (this sort of thing is not one of my strengths).
Again, that's a damn fine read, and a job well done by Bucky. I hope my stupid interpretation doesn't ruin it for you.
Phew that was close but I know Syd will be ok cos I know YOU LOVE him. I recall the "older man" thing we discussed and I feel ya there. But you know that MTW is basically an older man too now so... just sayin'. It's 'bout to kick in, the difference is I'm older too but you aren't. You're still young enough that MTW will legit be an odler man. Let the fangirling begin for you lol.
I love the writing, the storytelling. You've mastered the craft and write them in character. I can't ask for more but I'm legit gonna ask you to write more. Please.
Reviewer: Jillian Signed Thank you so much for posting and I gotta say this chapter is so worth the wait. It's been a real pleasure Mirage. More of this please.
Thank you for reading and reviewing, Jillian.
Reviewer: Jillian Signed Wow I'm blown away by your writing. I love all of Parker's internal dialog. My GOD you capture her and all of these characters brilliantly and your descriptive work is stunning. I can see everything and everyone. You keep me coming back. I'm stoked that Lyle is getting some help even if it's not what he thinks of as help. I will read this chapter again and again. It's all beautiful and amazingly well written. Please don't ever stop writing. More!!!
Reviewer: Jillian Signed Yes. I'm so glad you're back. More, please?
Reviewer: Jillian Signed I love all of this and really love the tender scenes between Jarod and Sydney. It's really intimate and tender the way he shaved Sydney. Oh, God. I need more. Please write faster.
Thanks for the r&r, Jillian.
Reviewer: Jillian Signed This is the best chapter so far, keeps getting better and better and I keep getting more and more addicted.
Aw, thank you.
Reviewer: Jillian Signed _
I love this. I mean I really love this. I love how well thought and well written it is. I love the writing, characterizations, dialog, how in character all of the characters are, the way the story itself pulls me in just like the old episodes of the pretender, how eloquent you write, how your stories never have that dreaded lag and are never weighed down with dialog.. I don't know how you do it... hope you didn't pitch a deal to the creature downstairs if you catch my drift... You work is consistent too and has that certain something I can find only in your writing... and the pretender dvds. Please keep going. You're a treasure m'dear. Can I say that I'm Sydney's biggest fan ever ever ever (ever lol) and that Parker would say "Sydney snitched" in this postSydney pretendverse is a stroke of genius. Even though your Muse seems to be sailing the Jarod Parker ship I can tell you have an appreciation for Sydney and Broots. They are central to any story in any pretendverse and I'm glad you know that.
Reviewer: Jillian Signed I haven't yet reviewed this but I'm reading and I'm loving every word. You keep me coming back like the addict I am.
Thanks, Jillian.
Reviewer: Jillian Signed It's always exciting to see Mirage back in recently added section again. I love this, their interaction is so real and it's like being there with them. This chapter was too short and that's my only complaint. Can't wait for more!
Reviewer: Jillian Signed I'm so looking forward to the next chapter.
Reviewer: Jillian Signed 
Hand over the Mirarchives and no one gets hurt. Got it? Honestly. This is one of your darkest, shortest, most psychologically intense and complex stories and you've had this written all these years and never posted it? If I could write something that was half as good, interesting, original, well written as my least favorite fic of yours I'd happily post it. But even the fics of yours that scare me (forces of nature) (and it's excellent.. it's just terrifying) are better than anything I can imagine. This one is out of this world amazing. I want to see the Mirarchives. I'm serious. Thanks for all your work and talent. More please?
Haha. I can't hand over the Mirarchives. Where would the fun be in that (for me)? I suppose this is sorta dark- oddly, I never considered it to be dark.
I did find the psychological aspect intriguing, however, rather than approaching it from Sydney's perspective, with the complexities such an approach entails (it was tempting), I chose the more simplistic route, leaving much to the reader's imagination.
I'll share more from the Mirarchives eventually- soon, perhaps. Winter is coming, after all. Thank you for reading and reviewing.
Reviewer: Jillian Signed
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I love your stories. It's obvious that you put a lot of thought into them. They are satisfying and well written and of the highest quality. Gotta say I thought Jarod would escape at the last possible moment. I'm thrilled he didn't. Thank you for continuing to write and share with us. Now more than ever I need you to write when it is so obvious there will be no continue of the original pretender by Steve and Craig. I still vividly dream of the 3rd and 4th movies and it haunts me daily until I read you. You give me the pretender fix that I used to only get from a new episode of the pretender. I'd lose it without you and this place.
Reviewer: Jillian Signed Oooh. Oh! Jarod said what??!! Holy wows Mirage. He showed his hand immediately. So it was a rebound thing with Miuna but god... wow... she was so sweet. I know you're going to tell us how young she was and all the juicy deets? Arent you? Please. Cherries on top!
Can I say how in character they all are? Broots. Sam. Parker. Jarod. And my god LYLE!! Lyle! Wow. "not my flavor" holy amazeballs! "Too soon?"
"GI no" lol! some cops and militias be like that, playing wannabe soldier but not in shape or disciplined enough to be in the actual military ...including those who committed treason on Jan 6 at the capitol. They just cosplaying soldier bunch of sad bitches. I love this. Was that
a motorhead tune? God was never on your side? right? I googled it. You're too young to know that tune. How the hell do you know all of the good old tunes? Everything from Perry Como and Rosemary Clooney to the 80s and 90s? I understand how you know all the kids these days and LP . You actually turned me on to LP . I love all of their songs.. I don't want to misgender LP so I'm being careful. How do you know all of these songs?! Tell me!! Write more stories and please update all of the existing ones. I love it. It's like coming home from school and watching on NBC again. I love this series and your contribuations. You totally picked up the gauntlet here. MORE!!
Reviewer: Jillian Signed