PLEASE! PLEAE UPDATE THIS! We all need a new chapter. I can't wait to find out what happens to Amber :)

Okay I feel extremely guilty for just gobbling up the whole fic in one sitting and not bothering to review as I kept on reading. I thought to myself 'okay I will just stop to write one after the next chapter' and I did not stop. So from Chapter 11-37, here's my take:

1. I loved the comparisons between life at Clonmel and life at Preston from both Kai and Tala's perspectives. It gives a great insight to as how the school's atmosphere changed and shapes their concept of a team, friendship and rivalry et al. Favourite bit though has to be subtle dialogues about the difference in the teachers' attitude as at Preston the teachers actually respect the students back and from personal experiences I think we can all agree that that really shapes the mindset and behaviours of the student.

2. During the first half I was not sure how the triangle between Kai x Mariam x Amber will play out, I was getting really anxious as I kept thinking 'oh god oh god I hope Kai doesn't cheat' but then he actually handled it so maturely and, Mariam and Amber's reactions to it were so entertaining to read.

3. The Christmas break part, I just read through it non-stop. All the families coming together, the reveal about Nicolai, Shahero and Hitoshi's bits, the birthday party etc. It was just the kind of drama I love to inhale and I kid you not, I literally inhaled these chapters.

4. Arista and Brooklyn, I hadn't warmed up to the idea of them in the first half at all but by the second half I just became super invested in them. The way you characterize each of the couples is so unique and intriguing that even though it did take me some time, I'm now 100% rooting for them.

5. Miyami and Johnny, god their chemistry is SO good. Miyami overall is so well-written, I just love her.

6. Ah the slow burn with Sonia and Ozuma, though it wasn't technically that slow for me since I kept on reading, but yes I thoroughly enjoy each scene that they manage to share together.

7. Mariam's crush on Ozuma was a nice touch, and then her thing with Bryan just made my jaw drop. I could totally relate to Amber's shock over that. I quite enjoy your characterization of Mariam, many when pairing her up with Max make her out to be a bit stoic and mean, but I like the layers of personality you have given her. From being a great friend and girlfriend to Amber and Kai in the beginning, to her envious phase, I have never enjoyed reading Mariam as much as I have in this fic.

8. I seriously was not expecting the Mystel, Amber friendship. At all. That was a nice develpoment, even though it led to some bad situations too but I'm a sucker for drama.

9. Other tidbits I enjoyed are: Hitoshi and Kai don't hate each other, like many writers make them out to. It's actually quite nice to see them be friendly for a change. The developments between Kirby and Miguel, they are so cute gosh. Kirby blowing up on Amber for the Varsity team not taking the Open Day match seriously, one of my favourite Kirby moments. Kai discussing his Amber and Mariam issue with Rei, that was super sweet. Mariah and Salima being friendly but yet a bit wary of each other. Some people either make them too bff-ish or too rival-ish, but you were able to portray their relationship in a more realistic sense, where it's just the right amount of both categories. Tyson and Max being adamant about not leaving JV was a really nice touch too.

(And the thing is I am sure I would have had a lot more to say about everyone and the whole story had I read it a bit more slowly, but I think I just took in everything too quickly and now I'm starting to jumble up scenarios so I'll just get to the part that is fresh in my mind)

10. TYHIL.

Ohshit okay I need to compose my heart and do this properly. Their progression is phenomenal. Like I'm not kidding, I was squealing during some bits and this was at 4AM and I almost woke up my sister haha. The beginning with the bet, I was actually happy that Hilary did not just go numb and let him kiss her, her reaction was so apt I was grinning ear to ear in this scene. Then of course, the scene in the cafeteria, the one where JV team and her discussing the paper, I just swooned over any interaction these two had.I loved how it didn’t take any convincing on her behalf for Tyson to trust her and help her with the shitty fake article. It was funny how worried she was for getting involved with any of the senior girls, and how confident Tyson was about being chill with the Octopussy gang.

Then the night when they pull of the prank. Ohman I could not contain my giddiness throughout this part, I’m pretty sure I have read that whole part more than 3-4 times now, that’s how much I enjoyed it. I would love to know what Tyson what was going through Tyson’s head the time they were stuck in the closet though xD Although Hilary refusing to hold his hand after was so Hilary, I would not mind listening to Tyson’s inner monologue for these scenes at all.
I’m assuming the next chapter will focus more on rescuing Amber from Maye’s torturous grasp and how Hilary’s plan will actually play out, but I can’t wait to read the JV vs Varsity re-match and see if Hils actually manages to turn up to support Tyson or not.
I feel bad for saying this, but ever since these two started to take the spotlight, my interest in the other couples started to sway slightly. I mean I’m still hoping everyone ends up together and happy, but I’m now totally aboard the TyHil hype train and just waiting to read their scenes and interactions.

Oh so this crossed over a thousand words, but I still feel I like I may have forgotten to say something or the other, so whenever I come back to re-read this I may just have something new to say.

Take care and thank you for the effort you’ve put into these characters!

Oh wow I was so engrossed with the reading that I didn’t realise I had already reached chapter 10 without leaving a review! I guess it’s good in some ways because at least I’ll be able to add stuff whenever I come back to re-read this. So I’ll just list the things I have enjoyed so far:

1) The friendship between the girls is my absolute favourite thing about this fic.I liked how no one has yet pressured Miyami into revealing her feelings about the break-up and such, they’re giving her space and that’s not something you often get to see among friends. And then generally any interaction that involves Amber, Ruin, Shahero and Miyami. I have to say this is the first time I’ve endeared myself to OCs but only because you write them so well!

2. Ozuma and Sonia! Oh I just love the chemistry between these two, I’m rooting for them so hard! Ozuma’s one of my favourite non-BBA characters and I just love how you’ve portrayed him.

3. Kai and Mariam. Well this is a pairing that I never thought about but still the way you wrote the initial interactions and how they progressed, I can definitely see the spark. I used to love KaixOC fics back at the beginning, but after multiple rewatches I’ve become more of a KaixMax stan. And yet I love the interactions between Kai and Amber, and the attraction between Kai and Mariam.

4. I LOVE the family dynamics. Seriously I’m in awe of your talent of making such an intense family tree and including characters in it that are usually not paired up by the fandom.

As much as I would love to see Kai interacting more with Tyson, Max and Rei, I am undeniably hooked on the current character dynamics.

At the risk of being beheaded by the fandom, I must say that I am not huge on Tala but the way you wrote his description in this chapter from Ruin’s perspective, HOT DAMN. I’m reconsidering my thoughts on his appearance.

I do like the minor Hilary mention, but I’m also starting to get attached some of the other females, moving on to Chapter 3 now!

As someone who has no experience in watching Ice Hockey, I think you nailed the description of the match. I could picture it perfectly in my head.
This will be my first time reading a story with so many OCs, but the dynamic seems so interesting that I’m glad I have 30 more chapters to go through!

Aww I love everyone coming together for Amber. We expect it from the team, duh, but I liked how you included Hilary and the rest of the girls/class coming together. It's interesting to see how far Amber has come, but also be aware of how much she still needs to learn. Looking forward to more!

your oc is the only one i've ever loved. :)

I’ve been a reader of yours since this story was first published, and was so pleasantly surprised to see an update! This story is the reason I still come back to check for updates, thank you so much for continuing this story! Hope you’re doing safe and well during lockdown!

This was an absolutely fantastic update! Can’t wait for the next! I’ve been reading it in the early hours of the morning so I’m a tad too exhausted to leave a proper, detailed comment. Sorry!

I loved this chapter. Thank you for keeping this story alive! I get so excited to open my email and seeing this story updated. Just one of my favorites!

Okie dokie, let’s see if I can write a coherent review as I read. Apologies if not, because my brain is a space cadet right now. But we’re going to try.

I love Ian’s whole ‘I’m totally pissed at Amber, and I’m going to let everyone know she’s an idiot because secretly I’m super worried about her.’ It’s adorable. He’s so protective, and angry about it. But also, that kind of irrational anger/blame when you’re just stuck and can’t really do anything is so realistic.

Oh Tala – one day, one day you’ll use that brain of yours to overrule the temper. Maybe. Probably not, but that’s why Ruin’s a good balance. *snort* And Kai’s continued oblivious to pop culture never gets old.

I know we’ve talked about it a million times, but I just love how the team immediately comes together to circle the wagons when one of their own is in trouble. I need more amazing, platonic friendships in my media. Everyone kicking into gear once Ian explains the situation makes my heart all warm and fuzzy.

‘Pools of cool white light gathered below the spotlights that encircled the building and yellow light spilled out from the windows.’ This is such a good line. It’s the little, offhanded descriptions that everyone has seen and immediately conjures the pictures.

I love Tala. We all know I love Tala, but… good for Ian for calling him on his shit, finally. No one has really done that in quite so blunt a way. Amber was mad at him. Ruin called him on it some respects, but good for someone not necessarily in his ‘inner circle’ for calling him out. And good on Tala for finally accepting it without much fanfare. And an apology! Oh, Tala… my baby is growing up.

‘Nicolai rubbed his hand over his face and turned as if looking for a way to escape the room and the sheer stupidity of his team.’ I laughed out loud on this, and also… yeah. Poor Nic, but he has their backs anyway because they’re his stupid team.

You do such a great job with the building tension, and Amber realizing how much trouble she’s actually put herself in. Also, Maye is just such a despicable character, partially because we all knew that kind of teacher or authority figure at some point.

Yay, Mariam! Putting Kennedie in her place and recognizing her self-worth. Besides, Mariam and Bryan are always going to be better than Mariam and Kai – thanks for that, by the way. Also, just the casualness and ease that Mariam has dismissing people who everyone else sees as a threat is amazing. I must admit I do feel a little bad for Kai, who’s taking the fall for Amber’s situation, but also, his fair share of mistakes led to it.

Is it weird that I love rage-made Kai? There’s just something about how focused and dangerous he gets when he wants to explode but knows better than to do it. I also just enjoy how irritated he is about having feelings. Kai’s emotional range of a doorstop makes me love him more.

Lol. I like that even Judy is on board with the ‘somebody stop this girl from being an idiot’ team. Amber and Kai are so much the unstoppable force meets the immovable object. It’s a miracle they manage anything besides glaring at each other. I do love their dynamic though, because when one is kind of losing it the other calms down. They bring each other back, even when pissing each other off.

Ah! Not needed! My heart. Kai, Tala – everyone else – ya’ll better fix this nonsense right now. Look, you made my Southern come out, and I’m not even originally from the South. ‘Like a penalty kill’ ! I’m not crying, you’re crying.

Oh Ruin, bless her for being one of the only responsible ones on the team. Also, I feel bad for her for being one of the only responsible ones on the team. I forever stand by my opinion of Ruin and Tala being the real Mom and Dad of the team. Especially now that Tala’s getting his shit together.

Burrito Arista! That whole scene was perfect chaos, and I loved all of it.

I’ll admit I’ve never been the biggest fan of Hitoshi’s character, but he’s good in this scene. Given the number of characters, you do a good job of getting everyone’s viewpoints without things feeling cluttered or unnecessary, just from little bits of dialogue or observation. Speaking earlier of Mariam and Bryan…

What a first-team meeting for Rick to get to attend. At least he’s about to find out exactly what he’s in for. Lol. ‘Go with the grace of god.’ Yay, and the team to the rescue… or group suicide, but either way, yay for friendship and loyalty.

‘Being rebuked by a retail Santa Claus,’ that’s fantastic.

Maye is such a bitch. I mean, I know that’s the point, but seriously she’s such a vile woman. Colors of the exact same dislike as Umbridge in her, for sure. I adore Nicolai. I mean, I’ve always adored Nicolai, but in this moment, ripping into Maye and Dickinson both, I love him. And there’s his team, his stupid, idiotic, lovable team… that he wants to kill, and I don’t blame him. But I also laughed through this entire scene.

Aw, this whole chapter made my heart happy. It was exactly what I needed and wanted to read right now. Those bunch of idiots. I love them. As always, your writing is such a wonderful balance of description and dialogue. You know how to stage a scene without overselling it, and your character dynamics always make me swoon. Thank you for the absurd amount of time and effort you put into this, while we get to leech off of it for free. You’re amazing, and I can’t wait to see the next chapter, and hopefully, James removes some heads too.

With another non-sensical review
~Krixel

Yay a new chapter I loved it just as much as every single one of the other chapters :D I'm looking forward to the next chapter :D
You always manage to make me sit on the edge of my seat when I read the newest chapters. I almost cried as Maye kept going after Amber in there.

Nicolai is a god indeed. He kicked ass with his words in this lovely chapter. Ahh, I really love your writing, as always. I couldn’t stop smiling and laughing at the scene where the guys and the girls were confessing one after the other and then started to gather to protect Amber. What a strong bond!

I hope they get out of this situation l, especially Amber, as unscathed as possible. As far as she and Kai are concerned, they need to get their shît together and figure things out.

I look forward to reading more from you _

I simply cannot tell you how happy I was when I saw the notification about the update, and when I saw the amount of words...I grinned non stop because it meant that it was a long chapter with plenty to read, and I enjoyed each and every word about it.
The most that stood out for me was Ian and Hilary's actions; Ian seemed so much more mature for standing up for Amber like that, it really pulled on the heart strings. I just got a soft spot for the guy seeing how emotional he got because of what Amber had done and how he interacted with each one of them showed a completely different side to him, and I do hope that Amber appreciates what he has done for her.
Hilary...what can I say about her? She is finally becoming more like a human being with more than an obedient emotion and I absolutely loved her plan, it was brilliant! And it worked which I am so happy about! There were a few nervous moments regarding Maya, and I thought that she was going to win, but alas, everyone came to Amber's defence and I was just so happy! Nicolai is a hero times thousand for standing up like that to Maya and Dickenson, and I just felt so proud of him for protecting her so much. That Maya bitch can go to hell, I really do not like her.
I wanted Kai and Amber to kiss so badly because they are literally pining and aching for each other but I know that now was not the time for that, and when they do kiss again one day, it will be beyond magical!
I cannot wait for the next update, no matter how long it takes, I still enjoy this story so, so much!
Just one question completely different from this chapter, will you ever update Dubh Croi? I know it has been ages but I am just curious? I want to know whether Kai has made it or whether he got killed?
Anyway, take care and see you with the next update ;-)

I have read this chapter twice and I'm ready to review now!

As usual, I'm so excited for the new chapter but also a little bit sad because it's over! That being said, I can see why this chapter was such a monster to write, you had so much to cover and it was all at once. However, it was really exciting to see some hard and fast progression, especially with Kai and Amber. We've been at a crappy stand-still with those two because they are both so stubborn. It must have been nice for you as well to get a little somewhere with them.

To start, I say this every chapter, I think, but Ian is the absolute best. I honestly love him. He's so cute and angry. I feel like I would be Ian if I was a character in this story. I would probably ship him and Amber if Kai wasn't a thing and if those two could survive being a romantic couple. It's just that kind of frenemy thing that is so good. He clearly cares for Amber and feels passionately about his friends. I love that he gave it to Tala. He was a nice little progress-pusher in this chapter. Sometimes friendship needs a blunt force trauma to snap people into action and if that doesn't sum up Ian, I dunno what does. Ian needs a romantic interest but at the same time, no one deserves hiiim!

The shiny star of this chapter was definitely Kai and Amber's moment. For obvious reasons but it was like taking a breath of air when Amber started confessing some of her fears about being disposable and I LIVE for Kai's reaction. It's about time he started to smarten up and comfort Amber. I loved the visceral feeling he got when she thought she wasn't vital. It also speaks to how much he cares for her (WAKE UP). I think it was a really nice way of explicitly showing readers what their issues were too. Like Kai being in denial about not having Amber there until it's close to being a reality. Despite having broken up, he's relied on still having her around but ALSO relying on Amber being the softie she is and still supporting and being friendly with him. He's been spoiled so a shock to his system that he will lose her was great. It also pointed out that despite Amber being a boss-ass bitch, she has some serious self-confidence issues. I still think about last chapter and how she just wanted to be put first in someone's life and OOF that hurts my heart. So this was lovely to see her express some of her issues and Kai realizing her thoughts. Hopefully he will see those more often and start changing how he 'uses' Amber as a crutch. I want them back together, DAMMIT. But I understand why you have them written the way you do. Those two never do anything easy but they wouldn't have the chemistry they do if it was easy.

I loved him cupping her face. I love ittt! It was such an intimate moment and hopefully symbolizes how they still have feelings for each other and hopefully they'll realize that too. I also love that despite them having this tender moment, they still made a hockey reference. I JUST LOVE THEM. I was hoping there'd be a 'pain in the ass' moment but they need to realize what the means too. I could talk about their scene forever but I better stop.

I think Mariam's scene was really good too. I thought her feelings about Amber and Kai and the whole situation were very realistic and well-written. It was realistic but it also spoke to her character. A

Nicolai blowing in like a father-figure was so cool too. GOOD OL' HIWATARI DAD. Being the father-figure Amber needed in that moment. This chapter was just a nice showing of how well-loved Amber is. She thinks she's alone and disposable so it was cool to see all these people rally behind her.

I dunno if I ever told you this story but back in my high school years, probably grade 11 or 12, we had a substitute teacher one day and we convinced him that we were missing a "Britney Toll" that day. She was sick (and also completely made up). So he sent her absent note off to the office. Long story short, we got in a lot of trouble for pranking the substitute teacher. Someone said he cried, I dunno if it was true or not. ANYWAYS, the teachers sent the meanest teacher to ask who was responsible and all of the class stuck up their hand when he asked who was responsible, despite it only being a couple of us. He asked if we thought if we wouldn't be punished if we all confessed. And this chapter reminded me so much of that moment! We all banded together because it was a freakin' funny prank that got blow out of proportion. Am I living in this universe? But it was cool to see every band together. I did kind of see it coming but I think that's because I went through the same situation (in a way). I love that Maye is so well-hated that people, beyond Amber's friend, helped. I also liked hearing about the other groups, like the football players. It fleshed out the school further. I like that Hilary is also fusing herself into our group of friends a little more with each chapter. She's still not a friend but she's slowly getting there.

This chapter was good so when it came to an end, I was surprised. However many words this chapter ended up being, ended up going by too quickly and I'm looking forward to seeing how the rest develops. Hopefully Kai and Amber can keep going and don't take any steps backwards. UGH. I know they can be reluctant with your best intentions. Anyways, I'm missed talking about so much but I'm sure you and I will talk and I may write another review because you deserve it.

Amazing job as usual. I wish I could just living in your mind.