I just sat through two days on and off again reading this whole story through. It was that good. The voice of the narration had me tickled pink. Spot on. It was probably one of the best things I could have done in the last days of my vacation. Thanks for writing this. I applaud your mad writing skills.

That was an amazing read! I loved it so very much and I think the way you kept them in character was awesome! Not very many people can do that, including me, so I send my congrats! Though I truly wish there was more! I was sad when I realized that this was the end. I wanted to see little rollerskate-tanks. That would've been cute!

Your style is pretty cool too. Very pro for fanfiction! All around: a very amazing story!

Forever the BakaNekoSan :3

I pretty much spent all day reading Shape from start to finish and all I have to say is, this was one of the best pieces of fanfiction I have EVER read.

It's on par with FFVII's Sunshine In Winter--which I pretty much bawled my way through but was also amazing--and I never thought I'd say that about any fic.

So basically: it was fabulous, you're fabulous and I'm sort of rambling and sort of over-the-top in love with this story.

^.^

Incredible. I can't believe the ride is over. Never has an Aurikku meant so much to me as this one. You made Rikku come alive, and brought everything I love about her character to life. You are amazing.

Woah. Woah. *Woah.*

Let me say that I'm struggling not to spazz all over your story. Really, really, really, struggling because it's epicness is of all proportions.

The pudding moment killed me, simply because it sounded so terribly disgusting; disgusting, and yet Auron still tricked her into gobbling it up.

And then the kingdom of Indara--that was wholly enchanting. From the spiderweb bridge to the black, ashen shore; from the roiling orange ocean to the crystal castle; and from the descriptive richness of the place to the great characters of Leviathan and Ashura, the whole of the story was captivating.

I *loved* Leviathan's snappy, witty personality, for all his smugness and arrogance, and I adored Ashura's caring, affectionate ambiance. The two of them, together, seemed the perfect pair, and an even more well-balanced duo of fayth.

Speaking of which: the battles were insanely well written. The way you wrote the imagery of battle while incorporating the actual battle dynamics of the game is commendable--laudable, pioneer-like, and, hell, deserving of reverence. I've always admired authors capable of that.

The battle against Leviathan was exciting, what with the lightning and the drowning and the Float (which was, incidentally, a genius invention) and all, but the showdown with the All Holy was out of this world, or, really, out of *Spira.* All of her forms--the dancing red demon, the blue scale-wielder, and the pious goddess--were mesmirizing. The duration of the battle--and all the techniques that went into it--were very well done.

And the bonding between Rikku and Auron? Loved that, too. It started with hating Him and misunderstanding death and the Unsent, and then it vaulted into something more, something better. And, while it wasn't exactly natural feeling and slow-paced, it was still well done, and because of that I felt that, by the end of their journey, things really did turn out for the better.

(And besides. A perverted Auron is funny.)

You did well with drawing in the reoccurring themes of never giving up and hope and taking the world in your own hands and such, and the poker terminology (though above my understanding quotient) was like icing on the cake.

There was an annoying Guado lawyer, a patient moonshine lady, a sticky Al Bhed girl, and a dead guy who was actually a little more alive than he let on.

Not to mention the excellent closure at the end, too.

All in all, a very humorous, warming, and satisfying read.

~Koky

Idk who to feel more sorry for, Rikku or Auron xD

So I guess Rikku isn't going to have to eat Auron's spleen after all xD

This story is so much love...
Everything's described so well, etc, etc...


It's just /that/ great I'm not sure what to comment on!
I like all of it!
-laughs-

Your take on Rikku is amazing...
She's so in-character, it's crazy!
-laughs-
Your Auron's pretty good, too.

I bet everyone tells you this already though xD

Simply fantastic story telling, Gabi-hime.

First and foremost, Rikku's characterization is unnaturally perfect--like you've crawled into her head to pick out the lines, thoughts, and actions that have defined her so well.

The sentences are structured long and ramble-like, but I think that serves to better portray her energetic train of thought. And her narrative is so humorous. Every detail she notices deserves a lengthy anecdotal note full of quirky similies and odd titles--particularly things that relate to Auron.

Speaking of which, her interaction with Auron is uncannily well done as well. He remains the stiff, stern complement to her bubbly, silly shenanigans, and keeps her in check. And she, being Rikku, pounds him with an onslaught of witty banter and puerile remarks--which is so Rikku that it's insane.

And, incidentally, I also love the chapter structures; how each begins with an soliloquy by Rikku before the actual events take place. I'm a sucker for pre-title intros.

So, excellent fic you have here, Gabi-hime. Can't wait to read the rest.

~Koky

Oh, how I do wish to know what she stole from Ashura! Fantastic story!

Wow.. that was just, uhm, WOW!! :D
100% super-duber awesomness!

You really caught Rikku's personalities and I could definetly see her act the way you described her and say stuff like she said in the story..

I was never really a big fan of the Aurikku pairing, but this story is just so great that you totally changed my view :) hehe.. I think I might even have been inspired to write my own story now..

Very, very nice story and I certainly look forward to reading more of your stories! :)

Gaab ed ib!

So, longish review ahead. Just a warning.

TSoHH was one of the first fics I read when I got into FFX. At that point is was up to 6 or 7 chapters. I read those in a day, and, lucky me, the next chapter was uploaded the very next day. So I was pretty depressed when the next update took six or nine months. XD But, man, I checked for that update constantly. (Why'd I take so long to review? Well, I'm dumb like that.)

From the very first line this fic pulls you in. Your Rikku voice, I'm sure you've been told, is just fantastic.I was cracking up every three seconds. The Aurikku itself is extremely well done; watching them slowly build up their relationship was just fun. That first kiss? I think I cheered. Probably. I don't quite remember. (It still makes me cheer, internally, anyway XD)

The story itself, of course, was great too. It felt like a real adventure, true to the style of the game. Maybe my favorite part of the story will always be those scenes on the stairs, eating fiends and whatnot. And I got attached to Ashura and Leviathan, I admit.

So I'm dying for a sequel, though I've learned to be patient about it. XD (Although, this possible Yuffentine intrigues me just as much...) Either way, I'll be reading whatever's next, for sure!

Och. Just... amazing. Really amazing. Just when I start to lose hope in fanfiction, I find one like THIS. (And usually it's a FFX fic, too; odd, that.) I absolutly adore this story and your style altogether. Thanks for an uplifting read!

Omg! I finished this and clicked off the window and suddenly realized I never reviewed! Thankfully I rememebered this and here I am.

Things I love about this story: Your impression of how Rikku Steals, her wintastic inner monolouge, the nicknames she gives Auron, Levithan, the card lingo, how items and customs are made, things her pop says.

The list goes on, but this is mainly where it's at. I see why people rave about this story, well done :D