Disclaimer: I have never played FFVII, I've only ever watched one of my friends play it. A long time ago.

Dropping a nickel in the Way Way back machine, I decided to take a peek at your first story here on to better understand your progress. I think I told you that some of your earlier stories seemed to be more "dialogue" heavy, but that was only after a cursory review of the earlier Transformers fics. Now that I am looking more in detail at everything, I see that I was fairly mistaken.

This story, for instance, gets by with pretty much no dialogue at all.

The overall impression I get from reading this is of some primal rhythm, drums beating in the background, becoming louder and louder, announcing that the predator is coming.

The crux of this story can be found in the unbridled and indulgently exuberant series of beautiful imagery, which is in many places fantastic: claws as “instruments of teaching,” for example. I also liked “inverse abortions,” “skinned in bloody gold,” “the liminal man on the shifting line between the plough and the sword.” The problem is that the imagery is so strong that it fairly overwhelms characterization: reading this left me in a daze, creating a visceral “Vincent is awesome” feeling without giving me a strong sense of him as an individual. In fact, he comes off downright archetypal.

Your later writing is much better. And yet this story is not at all bad. Wordsworth says “the child is father of the man,” and in this bit of relative juvenilia, you can definitely see the hatching of a strong style which you’ve honed through discipline. Later on I think you become adept at reigning in your excesses and not letting them overwhelm the story you are trying to tell: this fic is almost ALL excess, and yet it is the excess of a Christmas feast, all puddings and mulled wine and rich, rich foods. This is a story for evoking the spirit of the Hunt (capital H!), and you bring it to life vividly even though in truth, not much happens.

I like it. If I were into FFVII it is possible I might be rolling around in agonies of adoration, but as it is I still enjoy this story. If for no other reason in that it accurately forecasts some of the greatness yet to come.

I love all your work, the vivid imagery and the strong use of deep language makes everything you write have it's own personality and keeps it original. Another great piece!

It isn't natural to wright that well. He deserves to be hanged! (Fantstic by the way.)

*goes back and reads other stuff, while she's at it* Erl-King! *shrieks like a fangirl* I haven't heard that term in -years!- Oh, you just made my day. _

Twisted...a bloody and rather poetic look on the primal tendencies of Vincent. I liked it, but the ending was abrupt.

Again.. Wow. Just.. amazing, really. I envy your ability *-*.

Freaky but very cool. Lotsa great imagry! (did I spell that right?)

*bows* One word: WOW, that was REALLY good. I'm in awe.

Oh man, that's deep! ::adds to faves:: I can't even describe it, it is so freakin' awesomely deep!