rate_review Reviews

seems to get cut off at the end of chap.

LOL ... Ok ... Will take the blame but it most definitely is fun and interesting. We are getting the chance to see a much more developed personality for Szayel than we normally get to see. Often writers will look at the quick 'he's a bad guy and gonna maim, rape, kill his victim and leave' but this is showing that he isn't all evil and definitely isn't one dimentional.

On to the review ... So Unohanna and Ukitake are a secret couple, that could bring about an interesting turn of events if she shows up pregnant when most believe she's celibate. I wonder if Szayel's keener animal-type senses would detect her condition before even she knew.

Szayel is obviously protective of Nemu but ... Is he protective of the other females in 'his' territory? He obviously considers the areas he is permitted in to be 'his territory' based on his reaction to a potential rival male entering the area. He probably views Akon as a non-rival because of his genetic similarities to Nemu (views him as her 'brother' so not a rival for his alpha female and has made no moves toward any other females in his domain). Ukitaki on the otherhand is a strong potential rival with no blood ties and of a similar strength value should he fight for dominance. I'm sure he'll feel better over time as he sees that Ukitaki has no desire to move in on his mate(s).

I know Szayel as well as Ukitaki would defend Nemu if she was attacked but... What if one of the other pregnant women was the victim ... Or Isane or Unohanna? Would Szayel defend them and be concerned if they were injured?

I half wonder if the members of Hueco Mundo aren't more or less in a limbo/purgitory state ... Not good enough to enter SS but not bad enough to go to hades. He is heartless because of his base animal nature but with the 'right' stimuli he can slowly develop a heart and be reformed enough to earn a chance at SS ... The stimuli just rarely happens (though he'd still retain his virility and aphrodisiac qualities. He's been as he is for a long time so it would probably tale quite a while for the change to occur.

It will be interesting to see how Szayel interacts with the women more, but also how he will react to the new male (or two) in his domain.

Hmmm ... Just a really quick note to get a hysterical laugh out of you in the middle of your hectic class schedule ...

Love this 'little one-shot' and the 'quick look' at a 'minor plot twist'

*insert maniacal laughter while looking at the 20+ chapters of the story so far*

To quote Dr. Frankenstein ... "It's alive I tell you. It's alive. We've created life where ther was none before..."

Lol ... That minor twist definitely took on a life of it's own (amazing how a 'what if' or two can be the difference between a one page ficlet and a full blown novel isn't it?)

Can't wait to see who 'Monty Hall' calls next and what Szayel's reaction will be to the resumed testing. From a monogamous pov he'd probably be irritated however from a purely male pov he'd probably be willing to continue participating since Nemu is currently in a potentially fragile state and definitely doesn't have the energy at the moment for much in the way of bedroom calisthenics. I'm still hoping all the babies are his (except Nanao's) and his original theory is proven soooo wrong. Wonder what is up with Akon ... Did Mayuri possibly leave instructions on how to handle 'positive results' that Akon doesn't want to follow through with? Does Akon know about the stolen and destroyed 'copies' of Soi Fon's records and now hold Isane and possibly Unohanna under suspicion? I'm curious who the 'objectors' and just what they have done so far since we have only seen things from the inside to this point. How did a list get leaked? Did Isane possibly drop one of the papers or did one not burn completely ... or perhaps someone in the 12th is helping the anti-breeding-experiment faction? Which captain (presumably male) is wanting to get involved and why? Just who's name is on that participant list has caused such an uproar? Is Unohanna currently active? Will Yumichika have to deal with a distraught Isane in the face of impending fatherhood? If the expectant females are all put off limits due to being in a very delicate state for a period of time (tests show interactions could cause miscarriage or some such for a short time or a saboteur releases a virus among the women in an attempt to derail the experiment) would Szayel's male animal instincts kick in and cause him to 1- find the threat to his mate(s) and offspring? and 2 - seduce more females to ensure the continuation of his genetic line (would he possibly subtly put the moves on Unohanna)?

If another espada gets involved will it be here? Or will it be briefly mentioned here then sprout into another fic with Uraharra being the one conducting the experiments? How would Soi Fon react if the new 'holding facility' is only a short distance from her mountain retreat where her first child is hidden away? Will Szayel be able to tell if Soi Fon's first child is half hollow upon meeting it (if they meet)? If the child is half hollow how will Soi Fon take the news? ... Who would the other espada(s) be who end up under experimentation?

I can't wait to see the answers to these and other questions upon your return.

(Monty Hall reference is from a game show called 'The Price Is Right' ... He'd call for the next contestant ... 'our next contestant is (fill in name)! Come on down! You're the next contestant on (name of show/contest/experiment here)!) ... (I.e. Well Akon, our next contestant is ... Rukia Keucheki! Come on in! ... You're the next candidate to get knocked up by the Espada known as Szayel in our 12th division 'sleeping with the enemy' torture... Er ... experiment).

To be totally honest I'm still hoping that Szayel is sooooo wrong and that all the babies (except Nanao's obviously) are his. His reaction to having a whole adoring flock of cute little cherubs would be priceless as would his realization that he managed to attract a loving and devoted harem of shinigami females to his side ... who just might defend him if they thought they were in danger of losing him (lol). I can't wait to see Rangeku's results as well as the next round of volunteers coming for a rendezvous with him. I'm still hoping that Rangeku was a virgin when he was with her and that she hasn't been with anyone else when she shows up positive. It would be hilarious to see Yoroichi, Rukia, and a human (Orahime) show up as volunteers ~ especially if the reason is because Urahara, Ichigo, Uryu, Chad etc. are all being chauvinistic jerks.

Hmmm ... Wonder who the mystery captain who wants to join is ... Shunsui (just to beclose to Nanao)? ... Toshiro (if Rangeku shows up positive) ... Byakuya (just to ensure impartial and fair testing and no undue abusive actions occur towards anyone concerned ... he's probably the most honorable captain there and the least likely to be swayed ~ unless Rukia trots in to get her friskies on with Szayel ... then he might have an objection or two) ... Though Jushiro Ukitaki might fit that description too.

Keeping my fingers crossed that there is at least one more espada/high level arrancar that shows up sometime soon. I'm pretty sure Nel might still be alive and willing to shag a guy or two as an adult ... Not so sure she'd like to be a 'test subject' though. Still think it would be interesting to see a pissed off Byakuya volunteer to 'do it' with a female arrancar just to show Rukia how humiliated he felt ... especially if he ends up becoming a daddy. Am also mildly curious about Mayuri's current state and what is up with Akon.

At any rate ... Great chap and look forward to new chaps when they are available

Love how caring, concerned, and protective Szayel is toward each girl. Still hoping all the positives besides Nanao are actually his ~ and he's still in denial at this point. Sounds like Nanao got a bit more fertile and receptive after their little meeting though so the 'aphrodisiac effect' might be responsible. Love how he qualified their current one to one mated status as 'for now' leaving room for others in the future. Still crossing my fingers and hoping that he was Rangeku's one and only and, due to that distinction, first actual partner ... and that she comes back with not one but two buns in her oven. Wouldn't be any denying who daddy is and the extreme rarity of twins in either species could get a rather interesting reaction from several individuals.

Now the question(s) is(are) ... Is word of the experiment leaking out? Will more candidates be sent in to let the lab techs check previously untested internal/hormonal changes. Is there another espada or more still lurking about that decided without the lunatic leader Aisen around that what they had was good enough and to just lay low? If more are found will the mating experiments take place again? Mayuri's fate? Any sign of Urahara, Yoroichi, Rukia, or Orahime? Will a loving and caring Szayel become the most desired male in SS (much grumbling by the male population of SS)? Will Szayel be in bliss with an adoring harem and a flock of bouncing babies to keep his attention focused?

I'm guessing Nanao is with Shunsui on a regular basis in this fic? If that is the case and she didn't do it with Szayel it seems Shunsui is gonna be a daddy ... and Isane could be stressing about how to break some distressing news to Yumichika soon. I'd still loveto see Rangeku's results etc.

Figured since the eventual holding area is in the mountains it could be relatively close to Soi Fon's retreat and kid.

Seeing if Szayel is the only viable fertility inducing espada would be interesting ... Or finding out if shinigami have the same effect on hollow females would definitely be interesting.

I'm guessing Szayel will remind Nanao quite quickly that they never actually went through with it so the kid can't be his ... Hinamori on the otherhand...

I'm still betting that just being exposed to him in certain ways or for prolonged periods could result in increased fertility. The question is ... are any female members of the 12th extra fertile and showing signs or have they been kept away or shielded from him entirely (besides Nemu)?

Hmmm Yumichika and Isane ... Sounds like Yumi might get to see a lavender haired baby if Isane's fertility is high due to being relatively close to Szayel recently. ... That is if a female shinigami being in his general proximity has a natural internal heightening of her fertility ... Otherwise it sounds like a cute couple (Isane and Ikaku sound good too). wonder how they'd each take her getting pregnant ... and even Szayel and Unohanna and maybe a few at the 12th would be interested at the coincidence since babies are usually so rare and now any active female in his proximity appears to have their physical fertility raised (no mating with him required for that side affect - just being near him long enough and mating with a male). I'm sure a few female members of the 12th might also be pregnant if they've been close enough to him for a while, but Mayuri being as he is may have insisted only males deal with him with the exception of Nemu. Of course if proximity is enough to do it then Unohanna could easily find herself in that same situation if she got frisky with someone. Gotta wonder, with his innate curiosity, if such a hypothesis were to be proposed in his presence (or overheard even) would Szayel attempt to seduce Unohanna to see if she too got preggers (she and Isane are the only females noted with prolonged exposure besides Nemu at this point).

Hmmm again ... Nemu pregnant, Soi Fon and Kiyone pregnant, Nanao didn't go through with it so unless she got frisky afterwards with someone she shouldn't be pregnant ... That leaves Hinamori from the first set of four and Rangeku was the only one from the second set to participate. So that sounds like a perfect batting average and all it took him was once with each ... Rather notable considering the low birth rate for each group when mating inside their own group. Wonder if Unohanna, Szayel, and Akon will each notice that fact and start to hypothesize on it ... I could see Szayel coming to that possible hypothesis if he finds out and then trying to unofficially test it with either Unohanna, Isane, or both by trying to put the moves on them ... don't think he'd use force in this given situation. Or maybe Unohanna calls in the rest of the volunteers from set two ... Wonder what Byakuya and Ichigo would think if Rukia was a participant (could you see the reaction from those two if she got pregnant?) Talk about a scandal (but with Szayel as a gene donor the baby would have strong odds of being cute).

Wonder what kind of rumors are and will be spread due to the sudden noted rise in fertility of those who did it with him or who have had extended contact with him (rumors could put being near him into the category of fertility treatment or aphrodisiac). Of course rumors of his prowess between the sheets is probably spread far and wide by now along with the usual embellishment and exaggeration of details. Kinda wonder if Yoroichi would show any interest and if she's currently paired with Urahara or not.

Wonder if more tests or observations will result due to the unexpected number of pregnancies. It will be interesting to see how Szayel handles the idea that he really might be a daddy by more then just Nemu. I'm pretty sure he's starting to wonder after his chat with Soi Fon. The discussion between Unohanna and Szayel concerning hollow pregnancies and birthing could be interesting. I'm so hoping it comes out that Rangeku's sexual experience is greatly exaggerated and Szayel was actually her first time going all the way.

The next question is are they sure all the rest of the espada are dead ... Or did one manage to slink off somewhere and hide until healed ... He\she would be in for a rather interesting surprise if found and caught ... LOL ... (test subject? force me to participate in some torturous experiment? What makes you think I'll do this willingly? ... You want me to WHAT? Did I hear you right, you want me to do my best to knock up any female you send me? Hmmm I think I might be able to ... force myself to cooperate for the duration of this insanity for however long it takes. You might want to make it an extended test though since the first time could be pure luck.) ~ sounds like a horny guy that's been offered the choice between paradise and perdition. Could you see Haribel capturing Mayuri and making him the sole stud male for her and her fractiones ... his powers nullified of course ... he'd be in the same position as Szayel only reversed).

Love seeing Szayel's interactions with all females involved whether he's mated them or not. Wonder how he'd treat Isane or Unohanna if either appeared to suddenly fall I'll or come under attack. Are his male protective instincts currently running on high and their treatment of him and the women involved in the experiment enough to cause him to protect them too to some degree? What if one of the girls he's mated with is mistreated in front of him, will he step in to protect her and his potential child?

Will we ever see Soi Fon's first kid and will she be half hollow ...

So many questions.

Actually ... Urahara, Mayuri's ex-captain, would be just as likely to snatch an almost dead arrancar or fractione from the war zone and heal it enough to run experiments on it (or them if he got lucky) so if Yuroichi came back with the rumors and speculations flying around SS ... would he be inclined to do a bit of experimenting of his own? Including how well visards and hollows do when mated. Or maybe he can get Yuroichi to check with a few select candidates to see if they would be willing to participate in an experiment that involved short term incapacitation of an arrancar with few if any harmful sideaffects (other than kids but that would be mentioned later ...). Of course he could always ask Nel to participate but it would be more interesting if it were Halibel or Lilinette or even one or more of Halibel's fractiones. (oh the hilarious horror ~ Rukia knocked up by Szayel and an angry Byakuya showing her how shameful it felt when he found out she'd participated ... So he does what he can to help Urahara and ends up with one or more on the way ... Much to his own horror and surprise ... or maybe Renji and/or Ikaku ... imagine if little Hantaro was sent to help out ... he'd be terrified and in total bliss at the same time.)

Need to add the caveat that I doubt Urahara would be as cruel or malicious to a female (arrancar or otherwise) as Mayuri has been to Szayel ... Though he probably would make it clear that she would participate in the desired experiments whether she wanted to or not ... It would be her choice of doing things the easy and possibly more pleasant way or the hard and decidedly less pleasant way ... But she would participate regardless ... Can't see him being as nice to a male arrancar but don't think he'd be as cruel as Mayuri to him either ... But definitely not as courtious and gentlemanly as he would be to a female ... Se is female afterall and even though she's an arrancar HE is still a gentleman and (his pov) a good guy and good guys treat females 'right'.

It's amazing what a few intriguing "what it's" can do to give a fic a life of it's own. I'm totally loving the story and I'm sure you have several more silent readers as well. I know there is one other reader who reviews relatively frequently.

I see several things to consider ... Most are mentioned in prior posts. I know that there were supposed to be a few more participants after Rangeku (she was the first of the next set and no more were sent in after she came out ) ... So will the rest of the 'volunteers' be called back to participate? Will Unohanna decide to add in a few of her own tests if they do continue (to check a few things she may be contemplating based on recent observations)? Will there be more positives? Will anyone want seconds with Szayel (and how far would they go to get seconds in that case)?

Lots of little things ... How would/will Szayel react when he finally discovers he has an adoring harem who all want him even if he is 'the enemy'. Will he still think of the women he mated with as 'enemies' who are just involved in an experiment or will he care for and even love each and every one for a multitude of reasons (not the least of which being they each made it possible ~ or tried their best to make it possible ~ for him to be called daddy ... Something he'd given up hope of due to how rare it was for a pregnancy to occur or a birth to occur in Hueco Mundo.