I know it's impossible to keep all personal opinions out of a piece of writing. I just try to be conscious of what my writing says when I'm not really meaning it to say anything. It's also an interesting means of analyzing myself a bit, because sometimes I'll write something and wind up thinking "Huh, I didn't even know I thought that".

I remember the scene from Dexter. I'd say the situation is similar, but not quite as intense.

In Javier it's more of a subconscious/subliminal response, like the predatory part of him sees the red and equates it with blood, and his brain goes into this mode where it thinks its supposed to be killing something. That's what the idea of "sensitive stimuli" really is in that 'verse: sensory cues that put post-vitals in a predatory mindset. Which ignorant people make a very big deal about because they think it means post-vitals are going to start rampaging or something. The effect with visual cues is pretty mild, though, as in the store on Valentine's Day. Of course, if he ever actually was in a room with that much blood, it would be a pretty big deal, because scent is a stronger cue.