New update, and it's pure win :awesome

Spoiler

I really enjoy how the author kicked some people out of Izumo House. Adds more tension to the fic and is pretty exciting.

 

This chapter is epic win!

 

That was...revealing.

For Izumo House, anyway. What's worse, that's still not the full extent of the shit storm that could come down on them. Haruka going Full Hysteria Mode was kinda funny for a bit, then he just got annoying, if understandably.

I think the most interesting thing, though, was that, as implied, Sekirei just aren't human and were very sheltered. While Shirou gave a healthy bit of perspective, I get the feeling that only Akitsu, and maybe Miya, have an idea how serious this all could get. Tsukiumi really doesn't get it, Homura is a little one-tracked, Musubi is 'distorted,' etc.

 

The reveal was more cathartic than I'd expected - especially given there was no mention of magecraft.

 

Disappointed with the big reveal because yet again, Gabriel is dancing around the unvealing of magecraft. If Shirou letting everyone in Izumo House know about his situation is going to leave them fucked anyways, then mentioning that mages are real shouldn't be that much of a big deal. It wouldn't even be that unbelievable when he can point at the Sekirei, Winging, and their Noritos.

 

Yea, I was really hoping he would reveal mage craft at this point. Even if Shirou doesn't bring it up, I was hoping one of the more intelligent characters such as Matsu or Homura may question it more. Miya obviously knows about it already so probably won't mention it if Shirou doesn't want to reveal it. I am just wondering WHEN will he reveal it. I honestly can not think of a way it could be done in a good way that would satisfy me, but I have been surprised before.

 

I'm sure Matsu would have figured it out if she had anything to go by. But Shirou never gave a hint that he was anything except being a strong Ashikabi with an affinity towards swords. And Miya doesn't know about magecraft. She only knows that there's something strange going on with Shirou and hasn't pried to find out more.

Speaking of which, anyone mind explaining how Shirou wasn't able to catch on that Matsu was basically bullshitting what she knew?

 

Well, Shirou said it himself:

He underestimated her.

If Matsu was honestly inebriated, he might have been able to forgive her even a little bit. But as it played out, Shirou didn't expect to be so thoroughly manipulated by someone he had placed his trust in. He got broadsided by a bus he never saw coming.

 

The reason that Shirou is 'dancing around' the subject of magecraft is because, well, the Mage Association has a history of killing off non-mages who learn of it. He said it himself, most of the casualties in the Holy Grail War weren't from Caster or Rider using darker methods to gain power, but accidental witnesses of the War, i.e., magecraft. Shirou's a low-priority target from the Association at the moment. If they find him, or find out that he's been spreading the truth, he moves up to a high priority (again, chapter reveal).

Musubi's already shown herself incapable of keeping secrets of any kind. As has Kuu. If those two find out, everyone will find out. Tsukiumi has this whole honor thing going for her, as well as her tsundere nature, so she could very well spout out the magecraft bit at the wrong time. Matsu is way too inquisitive, and would end up digging to find more info on magecraft, bringing down attention (maybe, I could also see her attempts seen by those few Clock Tower techs as more of some otaku/DnD-nerd getting a little too enthusiastic, asuming there are any). Kazehana is drunk half the time, so who knows what she will let slip out? Let's not even bring up the Yukari-Takami hotline.

Homura could probably be told, as he's level-headed enough to keep secrets. Akitsu knows because she practically never talks and has proven herself loyal (also, no choice due to whats-his-face-mage-guy). Miya has proven herself quite adept at keeping secrets.

The only way that I can see Shirou letting anything slip is if he has no choice. Another mage, or an Enforcer squad is going to show up, they're going to see the Sekirei as Types to be eliminated, or as non-human creatures already aware of magi, and he's going to have to bring out the big guns. Cue big reveal.

 

Er, their situation can't really be made worse by Shirou doing a full reveal. Just their being associated with Shirou means they'll be considered potential leaks, and in the process of finding out what information they might or might not know do you really think that their nature as Sekerei won't be revealed? Keeping the information from them at this point is more harmful than anything else, opening them up to being completely and utterly blindsided by magichax. I imagine it's only a combination of stupidity/stubborness more than anything else that Shirou is unwilling to concede that point.

 

I'm just waiting for the part when someone gets Excaliblasted and the Sekirei all shit their pants.

 

I don't know, in this story, I feel like Shirou probably won't be able to use excaliber. (Unless some sort of rune/storing power thing comes up). I guess that's another thing I want to figure out, the extent of Shirou's abilities.

 

Gabriel said at one point (can't remember where though) that Shirou probably wouldn't be using any Noble Phantasm. So even if he had the power to trace and use Excalibur (doubtful) it's unlikely to appear.

 

I think I remember this too, but I think he said something more on the lines of he wouldn't be as proficient in their use, or the UBW (or whatever that sword field technique thing is called) as he was in Hill of Swords.

As for not doing a full reveal, I actually really, really like that it wasn't. I hate it in fiction when a character asks a question, or prompts an uncomfortable topic of discussion (Which this clearly is) only to be followed by a massive diatribe that not only satisfies the initial curiosity of the questioners, but throws in a whole bunch of other useless and unnecessary information - to the point where I wonder if they really wanted to keep said information secret.

Shirou has been keeping this secret for a long time, and with good reason. His continued dancing around the topic, and essentially side-stepping the big questions/ issues is perfectly incharacter and sensible in my opinion. I don't want to see a reveal until he's forced to use magecraft.

Besides, the story is wordy enough as is without unneeded explanations clogging up the majority of the chapters.

 

wat

A little late to claim that Noble Phantasms won't be used.

Also, if you don't think Gabe's a fan of lengthy reveals and won't inflict one upon us shortly you must not have been reading the same story I've been. I personally think he needs to man up and just get it all out already.

 

Sorry, what I meant to say (and obviously didn't) is that this Shirou will be focusing primarily on Kanshou and Bakuya and his rune magic rather than spaming Noble Phantasm's like Shirou in HoS.

*Edit*

I've been reading a lot of reviews saying Shirou should have revealed everything and I couldn't disagree more. I think everything he's done has been the right move. He was right to hide the Grail war, he was (and still is) right to hide magic.

 

Yea. I think for me though it's not so much of he should've revealed it, but more of a I wanted him to reveal it. But these kind of situations normally just make the actual reveal all the better. Not to mention if he actually did do a massive reveal about magecraft without being prompt about it, it would've ruined all the efforts he spent so hard on throughout this story even when it wasn't necessary.

 

I am amazed and confused at the fans Gaberiel has created.

*EDIT*

Don't encourage themmmm!

 

Well, he must be a bit happy with the fans he created. I know I would be if somebody likes my works enough to write a smut using those characters. Although, I read "Please Master, mark me as yours." and left the site promptly after.

 

You too? I thought I was the only one.

The line was okay in Gabriel's fic, but for some reason reading it as the first line of a lemon was utterly repellent.