#i've played hundreds of other games and none of them have had a city that manages to make me feel like silvermoon does

[dandelionandkrindle]

WORLD OF WARCRAFT • LOCATIONS (98/?) Silvermoon City (part. ll)

[iznsfw]

Can we get more Hyewon fics?? 🥺🥺

Negotiation

IZ*ONE's Kang Hyewon x Male Reader Smut

4,491 words

Categories | daddy kink, power dynamics, titjob

It's your usual route, to be completely clear: circling up all the newbies, clearing out the incompetents and training those who had more than a pocketful of potential. It's your job, it's what you're paid to do. So if anyone dared question your bond with any of the trainees, they can complain about it to your face, and not in the form of scattered whisperings throughout office cubicles.

Your intentions are wholly pure. You swear on your mother's life. You'd pull the typical blame-it-on-the-femme-fatale thing with this girl, but you know it's somehow your fault, too: whatever might happen. She can't bear all the weight of the sin. 

You don't think sin is supposed to look this good, though.

"Sir," she says, perfect curled lashes fluttering with no ill intent at all. She's innocence, pureness, angelicness—all compiled and composed into one beautiful young girl. "Good afternoon. My name is Kang Hyewon; I'm more than eager to do my best for you."

In what way? you're tempted to ask. But then those exact words tumble from your mouth, and you're pretty sure you've fucked it all up. You, in your holier-than-thou suit and tie, asking something so suggestive to an innocent girl like her? Outrageous, that's what it is; scandalous, too. You could get fired for it.

However, it's as if she expected it—she leans forward, offering you a show of plentiful cleavage that breaks several dress code regulations and ethical rules, with a soft, rare smile. 

"However you want me, sir," she says sweetly. Resting her chin on her hand, the smile on her full lips grows wider. "I'll do anything."

"I've heard something like that before, Miss Kang," you say. "Strangely, I've heard it from the same person, too."

"Oh?" Hyewon assumes an innocent naïvety, wide doe eyes almost convincing you of a clean record. "How so?"

See, she's kind of used to that subtly flirty banter. Somewhere in the city of Seoul, in a humble little apartment, she's learning to make money in other ways. By doing it, she needs not travel lengths of distance to a corporate building or spend day after day spell-checking papers. You, having checked backgrounds of probably a billion people and verifying their digital footprint as decent or in-, know all about it. Might have watched a few of it online. Might have done some stuff too.

"You might've fooled Nana and the others, kiddo, but you haven't fooled me," you inform her, offended that you actually have to tell her. You're lowering yourself down to keep up with her one-step-ahead talk. She may be playing dumb, but she knows what she's doing. "I know all about your secret streaming account. Thing is, it probably isn't a secret. You've got thousands of followers on it."

"Can't a girl have a little fun, sir?" asks Hyewon with a giggle. "I was just playing games to pass time."

"'HyemsterKang' ring a bell?"

Hyewon looks up at the ceiling, as if she could find an appropriate answer for your inquiry embedded there. There's none: only a switched-on lamp and a vent. 

"Hmm," she hums, curled hands supporting her pretty face, "probably. What kind of account is it?"

"There's Twitch, YouTube, you name it. Twitch has the most followers, with over two hundred thousand. It's a surprise no one recognized you when you walked through the front door."

"Why would anyone recognize me? I'm just looking to enhance my skills here."

You're tired already. "Cut the bullshit, Hyewon," you say. Drop all the formalities and workplace language just like that. "You know what kind of videos you make. And, look, you've got to understand that I've got nothing against them, but anoth—"

Hyewon pouts. "Why are you so hot and bothered then, sir?" 

"Because you can't pretend to be some pure, holy girl here. I would've gotten you on the training course if you didn't lie through your teeth. What we need is honesty, transparency. You can't lie on the job here."

Hyewon seems to consider this. Her eyes lose their glimmer as they look down to your desk. And she looks so… sad: her eyes are, as mentioned, downcast, and there's so much more to them than sadness because they hold so many raw emotions of disappointment that make even your heart hurt. Her saddened shoulders lose their sturdy posture. 

For the first time since she's entered your office, Kang Hyewon looks… defeated.

"Does that mean you're not taking me in, sir?" she says after looking up at you again.

"No, and please," stress this with gritted teeth, "don't call me sir."

You've no idea why you feel that way. Many other girls have called you sir, both in a formal and informal setting. There was Kim Minju, whose experience gathered little to no potential, and Yabuki Nako, whose aspiring dream to become your corporate's airline stewardess was a pipe dream due to her petite height. 

But it feels strange with Hyewon. It's like there's some hidden motive behind it. Whatever it may be, it's surely working.

Hyewon juts out one, plump lip as she rises from her seat. Instantly, your boundary alarms go off. They're blaring like ambulances now, running in purposeless trips around your mind. Interviewees are not supposed to do that. She's crossing the line, so many lines.

What sets more alarms off is her taking a seat in your lap, as if she's always done that before. As if she belongs there. 

Her slim, tiny body presses up snugly against your frozen one. "What would you rather be called, hm?" she asks. Like a good girl, her hands are folded neatly on her lap, (un)fortunately covered by a gray skirt. "Please, do tell."

"Hyewon…"

You try to give her a steady look, try to tell her that it's wrong. But your hands are on her waist, and they subconsciously pull her closer. Damn her and that sexy skirt and blazer. 

"Mm, your hands feel so good on me," she sighs happily. "It turns me on so much. It makes me feel warm here," she pats the space between her thighs, "and it's all your fault, sir. All your fault."

"You need to be taught a lesson, Kang Hyewon."

"Go on then, daddy." Hyewon's voice drops to a haunting whisper. "I deserve it."

There, you let go of all your morals. The fact that Hyewon's supposed to be your interviewee and you're supposed to play professional with her becomes nonexistent. You've seen what she does on those videos, and now you're eager to see the body she hides so chastely under those uniform clothes. 

"Bend over."

The obedient Hyewon gets off your lap and lowers herself on the table. Her skirt rises and shows you a lack of even undershorts to save the exposed thong. Her ass cheeks sandwich the thin little thong perfectly.

"Ooh, what's daddy going to do?" she asks eagerly. She wiggles her round butt into your sprawled hand. "Is he going to spank me and make his babygirl count it all?"

"That would be too easy, don't you think?" Groping her, you look hard into her sparkling eyes full of excitement. "Daddy's going to spank you, but you can't make a single sound."

Hyewon whines. "But that's so hard, daddy. Can't you make it easier for Hyem?" 

"So am I, and no. If I hear you moan, you're not allowed to cum." 

Merciless is the perfect word to describe you right now. But your mind just rambles with lustful things to do to this sexy little vixen—(a hamster, if you will, as an ode to her username HyemsterKang, but that sounds less sexy; it doesn't give justice to the seductress that is Kang Hyewon)—and you're eager to perform them ruthlessly. 

Trail your fingers on her wet pussy lips. You find her clit, and from there, you give it tiny, teasing brushes. Hyewon bites her lip hard, and clings to the table for support. And for a moment that's all there is to it: you rubbing her clit and her grinding her round ass to your fingers. Until:

"Ahh, daddy!" 

That's one orgasm subtracted from the list. After you slap Hyewon's cheeks with all the might you have, she instantly cries out. You feel her juices dripping on your hand. 

Hyewon looks back at you. And you realize why her streaming career has done so well—that face is made to be ruined. Her scared eyes portray an opposing desire for more, and you can't help but give and give exactly that.

"I'm sorry, daddy!" she whimpers. "I'm sorry!"

Nevertheless, you continue to spank her. Reddened skin blares almost as bright as the office lamp. Her thighs drip with her nectar. 

You're harsh; your hand's starting to hurt from yout endless slaps on Hyewon's butt. But the pain seems like a small, sideway thought when you're witness to her cheeks bouncing with each blow. When she's holding onto the table like she wants you to go on. 

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," sobs Hyewon. "Please just spank me like that, treat me like a whore, use me—"

Your spanks become less and less measured—one follows the other a little too briskly. If the door weren't locked and the glass made it so any outsider couldn't hear, people would assume you're already fucking her with your brains out. But no, that's just you spanking Hyewon to teach her a lesson, to teach her to be a good girl.

"Fuck, slap my pussy like that!" she yells. Her pants sound hot and eager. "I'm going to cum, oh yes, oh fuck!"

That's your cue to stop. Hyewon doesn't deserve to orgasm yet, not until she's learned her lesson.

"This is so unfair, no," whispers Hyewon disappointedly, turning around with a pout. 

"Newsflash, Hyewon: the world isn't fair. Nothing is." 

Slip a finger inside her and her knee-high-clad legs curl around your hand protectively. She's riding on any good thing; she wants nothing more than your cock, and besides that, probably a job, but anything works for now.

Hyewon works herself down on your fingers. "When will I get to cum, daddy?" she asks. "Daddy? Say 'now,' please."

Execute blunt thrusts into her slick pussy, which is an impossibly tight cavern not even the bravest can make it out alive without exploding. Her back curves and she twists at the pleasure. Her delectable little cunt is sweet and closed around you, a newfound temptation to latch on for life, a vice to remember.

But there's also her fantastic chest to look at, doing what you're doing: peeking through the neckline of her blouse, which you just so happen to do as well. 

"If you give me a feel of those tits," you propose, the way negotiations should go, "maybe I'll let you."

"Of– of course, daddy." 

Hyewon undoes the buttons of her blouse. Like curtains, they part to a wonderful show. This show, though, would have been banned for nudity and corruption (and not in the usual way.) 

Hyewon's tits are glorious—they size up to more than a handful, and have these tiny pink nipples that you'd love to squeeze any time of the day. You're hypnotized by them, in every way possible. You glance at how they rise and fall in coordination with Hyewon's breaths, and the way her nipples perk into the air hard and aroused once the black lacy bra is off. The air-conditioner wind might have had something to do with their state, but you're thankful for both, either-which-way.

"C-careful," begs the young girl, wincing. "They're sensitive…"

"Is that so? Would it feel good then if I did this?"

"Oh, ohhhh!" Hyewon gasps with a hand over her mouth. Her skin feels boiling hot, but in a strangely good way, when you begin to suck directly on her nipples. "Yes, just like that!"

Her breasts are softer and better than the stress balls your office gave away during mental health seminars. The balls are only good for squeezing and throwing. In Hyewon's case, you can completely release all your stress just by fingerfucking her tiny pussy, and sucking her tits all at the same time. With her, you forget more than your morals—you forget about work, your deadlines, your responsibilities. And, needless to say, it's all her fault.

Hyewon can't keep up with the doubled pleasure. She's constantly squirming to have your fingers deeper in her cunt, and she keeps pushing her breasts into your face. Your rhythm of thrusts in her hole doesn't wither, and neither does your sucking on her right nipple. She doesn't know what to do except squeal out replayed pleads.

"Daddy," she says. "Please keep doing that, it feels so good. I'll be a good girl, I promise I won't lie anymore."

You ride your teeth around Hyewon's areola, sucking the area around it also. If you could, you'd never let go of her breasts. You would keep sucking on them, alternating between one and the other, for days on end. You bet you'd survive even without food or water. Hyewon's tits are enough for you to live eternally. Hell is nonexistent when you're with her.

"Do you think you deserve to cum, Hyewon?" you ask. You play with her clit, making it harder for her to get her words out.

"I think so, d-daddy. Yes."

"I don't," you laugh. "I told you not to make a sound, and you disobeyed. How would you become a competent worker if you're like that?"

Hyewon's near tears. "I'll do whatever you want," she says. Breaths get lost here and there due to your fingers still swiftly exiting and entering her. "Please. I need you. I'll, I'll be your good little fuckdoll, I promise, I swear."

"Will you let me fuck your tits, then, Hyem? If you're that good and eager?"

"Yes, daddy!" 

Hyewon nods over and over. A bit too excited, she pushes you down to the office chair rather roughly. But you pay no mind; in fact, your erection grows harder and lengthier at her enthusiasm. It throbs violently with how Hyewon slips off her blazer and pulls down your pants.

Her eyes brighten at the sight of your member, as if it's something that can actually make her day better. 

"You're very hard, daddy." She bites her lip, looking up at you with incredulous adoration. "Let me do something about it."

Hyewon's huge tits hug your hard-on, sandwiching it between them. You groan as she holds her chest so that your cock slips in and out seamlessly, lubed up only by her spit and your precum. Her soft flesh brushes your sensitive, pink penis perfectly, giving it a feel of what heaven might actually be. 

"Holy shit, Hyewon," you sigh. 

It's like she's entertained by what she's doing, too. She's looking down at your cock entering her flesh as if it were an exciting movie. But she takes extra care to seal longer glances with you, knowing that her face alone can make you cum.

"Oh, daddy likes my tits, huh?" Hyewon says coyly. Playing with her nipples while titfucking you, her gaze grows more and more sultry. "Daddy's gonna let me cum after this, right? Make me learn my lesson?"

"Just… just keep moving your tits like that. And we'll see what happens."

Not a solid promise, but Hyewon is satisfied with that. She knows her power and how to use it well enough. She's practiced in the strokes and squeezes she does on your cock, the temptation calling for you  in her brown eyes, everything. She has it all measured and listed down somewhere, probably, just waiting for the right time to use it.

Hyewon lifts her breasts, then slams them down on your lap again. The cycle repeats, and her boobs become like that of a real fleshlight. But hers is better—a toy pales in comparison when paired up with Hyewon's tight, hot body. And all it took to have her was a spanking session. There was no need to shed thousands of won.

"Like this?" she asks. Hyewon's letting you use her for your own pleasure, caring for your bliss rather than hers. The grip of her bosom around you tightens, and you find it difficult to catch your breath. "Do you want me to keep doing this?"

"Fuck yes. You're such a good girl for me right now, Hyewon."

Her cheeks are rosy. "Thank you. I'll make you cum, I promise."

She's made probably a hundred of oaths from the moment she walked into this building, but this one seems to be the one she's most determined to carry out. Hyewon's fiery rhythm risks you of exploding all over her pretty chest. Her smooth, pillow-soft skin knots your stomach and sets everything ablaze. Her facial expressions, which are a far cry from the saintliness she pretended to possess earlier, drive you off the edge.

"Shit… shit, I'm going to cum," you announce in a broken voice.

You can't stave your orgasm off anymore. Your dick expels liquid white strings everywhere. Hyewon's collarbone and big breasts bear most of the desirable damage, but she's sure to open her mouth, too. And she looks every bit the part of a cock-hungry slut, with her eyes rolled back and tongue lewdly hanging from her thick pink lips. White semen becomes her new lip gloss, and she'd put it on any time of the day.

"You still have more in you, daddy," says Hyewon. She strokes herself around your cock without pause. Curses leave your mouth as her evil gaze challenges you to say the opposite. "I can feel it. I want you to explode all over me."

"Fuck, yes, Hyem. I fucking will."

There isn't a single bad movie out there that matches the rapid pacing of Hyewon's titjob, and it's probably for the better. You just keep on cumming, and Hyewon keeps on titfucking you. It's a win-win situation because she enjoys being sprayed with your cum. It makes her feel like the used little doll she is.

She forces you to spurt more up until you can't anymore. All there's left are little droplets of pure white, and ragged moans from both ends. 

Hyewon's blouse and chest are stained all over. But when she gazes at the mess you made on them, she doesn't look upset. She looks rather… turned on. Her squirming thighs and bitten lower lip indicate that. She may look like a porcelain doll with her angelic face and pale skin, but she's been used just like a ragdoll would.

"Did you enjoy that?" she asks. "You liked it, didn't you?"

"I did," you confess. "How wet are you after all that, Hyewon?"

Hyewon reaches under her skirt and brushes her fingers over her pussy. She gasps. "Oh, v-very wet, daddy. Won't you do something about it?"

"Yes, I will. Get ready."

Both you and Hyewon rise to your feet. You step out of the rest of your pants while she shrugs off her blouse. Now, she's only wearing her black schoolgirl skirt and her long socks with shoes. 

Hyewon hops on the edge of your desk. "Will you really fuck me this time?" she asks hopefully.

"A deal's a deal, Kang Hyewon. Now spread your legs."

She opens them. You lift the skirt up to get a view of her pretty hole. Her pussy lips are plump, just like the painted lips on her face. 

(You want to fuck both.)

So, you thrust. 

All at once Hyewon is filled up to the brim, your balls pressing against her ass. 

"Oh, oh, so deep!" gasps Hyewon. "You're so big inside me!"

Your cock throbs. The clench of her walls is amazing, but they're also tempting you to cum again, and you can't have that. So, you set slow but forceful strokes, driving yourself inside Hyewon and feeling her walls part. Her surprised moans guide blood to your erection. The expression she wears never goes far from orgasmic, and she might as well be already cumming with how tight her hole's clamping on you. 

Wrap your hands around her tiny waist. You're ready now. You start to drill her tiny body down your desk. She cries out and leans her head backwards, allowing you to see how much of her neck you've covered in cum. Her glazed breasts bounce before you, getting your cock in an increased solid state to pulse and thrust in her hard and good.

"Yes, daddy, fuck me!" she prods you on, just like how your cock is prodding at her insides. "It's so good, daddy, it's so good, it's so good—"

She's promised to make you cum and delivered it out. Now, she wants you to make one, too, and return the favor. And, even if the only thing you're offered in exchange are Hyewon's loud screams that sound in your ears and her half-naked figure that's straight out of a porn video, you're glad to do so.

"Guess you aren't so innocent after all," you laugh. You're trying to keep custody of the upper hand here, but, god, does Hyewon's cunt choking your cock make it nearly impossible. "All that pretense, Hyewon, don't you get tired?"

"Oh, daddy," Hyewon sobs softly, arms hung around your neck and shoulders. Her eyelids are heavy, too wrung by pleasure. "If it gets you to fuck me, I don't mind at all."

You find her erogenous zone and rub it in the same, fire-quick way you thrust. "A little too fast there, don't you think?" you chuckle, but you're flattered.

"All I want is you going fast inside me." Hyewon's legs tense up after you grab them for easier leverage. Her moans are cut short with stutters. "I want it now."

"And what exactly do you want, Hyewon?"

"I—" She blushes furiously. Her words rarely come out in any form other than squeals. "I want to be your little office cockwarmer. I want to do nothing but be the toy who sucks daddy's dick and keeps his cock hard. I don't want to be anything else, daddy, and you know it—you know I want it—"

"Oh, you will." Pumping into her harder, you set the stone there and then of your ownership of her. "You're mine now. Everyone's gonna know about how you get on your knees for me so easily, Kang Hyewon. You'll be known as my little office slut, the one who keeps my stress relieved."

"Yes, yes, you can fill me up all the time, you can make me wear the slutty secretary outfits from my streams, daddy! Use me, oh god, I'm yours!"

It's a tempting offer. You've seen her streams while looking through her background, and you saw that one of her in the tight little secretary uniform. You think of how pretty she'd look in it, and how heads would turn at her entering your office everytime in it. You picture the outrage that does nothing since you're at such a high position in the office hierarchy, such an important person. They can't do anything if you decide at once that Hyewon's going to be your cumslut. They can only create rumors painting you out to be the exploitative bad guy, and Hyewon starring in the role of the poor head-over-heels newbie desperate for a good life.

You can live with that. 

The inches of your length never get to breathe as you're constantly shoving them inside her, knocking against her cervix and making her sob for more. There's no limit to the pumps you can give to Hyewon, but you still test it out. Hyewon remains at your mercy.

"Are you going to be my slut now? Do you really want that?" you ask her. "Or are you going to back out because you're too much of a pussy to dive in?c

Grab her chin and force her gaze at you. That's how you see that Hyewon's completely serious. That's exactly what she wants. She didn't come here for a job, she came here for you, and she's not leaving without being yours.

Hyewon nods. She presses her forehead against yours. "I want you," she whispers. "So make me yours. You know you want to teach your whore of a babygirl a lesson. You know you want to fill her cunt everyday."

That's right, you do. You knew, since the minute she spent teasing and toying with you, that you want to fuck her brains out. And here you are, doing exactly that. 

This could be forever if you wanted. 

"Gonna cum now, Hyewon. Gonna fill your cunt up with daddy's semen. Gonna fucking breed you."

"I'm close, too, daddy. Give me your cum."

You make sure to press completely against her cervix when you cum inside her. Hyewon's girl cum and your white fluids mix together, a blend of sex and sin, and drip down your table. You can't really think of anything else except for Hyewon's screams climbing up in volume and her squirt spurting all over your best uniform. No, you're brain-dead with lust, and there's no turning back.

You make her your cum deposit. You make her your babygirl, and as corny as it sounds, straight out of a bad teen romance where everything goes too quickly for any talent to be actually seen, you're okay with that.

-

"And that's how I think that we should promote the book earlier this year. Thank you for listening."

The clan of higher-ups sitting at the oval-shaped table clap politely. You try to keep your clapping at the appropriate level of enthusiasm, but your heart bursts with pride for Hyewon. She's come so far without your help. She's learning to stand on her own.

"I think that's a great idea, miss Kang," says Miyawaki Sakura, your director. She's a petite woman with a soft voice, but everyone knows that she's the boss of any room she stands in. "I'll jumpstart the idea tomorrow with the board of directors."

Hyewon flushes with happiness. "Thank you, miss Miyawaki."

"I do have one concern with miss Kang about the presentation, though," you pipe up. "Miss Miyawaki, do I have your permission to speak about with Hyewon in private?"

Now everybody's looking at each other. They try to keep themselves decent, but they all know what you mean. By now, your sexual relationship with Hyewon is an open secret. It might not be eligible for the title of secrecy anymore since all of the office knows it. 

But what can they do? You're the best in your team. You run too many things that keep the company going and they can't risk your loss. 

Hyewon waits for the director's response with bated breath. Her hands fiddle with each other as she waits for a response.

"Of course, sir," replies Sakura finally. "You may go."

You and Hyewon exchange glances. The two of you know exactly what your "talk" would be about.

[dundunny]

Final Fantasy XVI

Final Fantasy XVI completed, and wow, I think it's my favorite Final Fantasy since IX, and I'm surprised more people aren't talking about it (focusing on VIIR2?). It's not a perfect game and has some glaring flaws, but I haven't had this much fun playing a Final Fantasy in a long time.

I'll start with the issues, and I think number one is the items, which affects the game twofold. First is there's a completely fucked up weapon upgrade system. Literally after I get a shiny new sword, barely an hour later I've gotten another one. It's like Square didn't track when a player should get trying out something new. The second is the rewards for exploration or epic battles don't matter. There are maybe a dozen different upgrade materials in the whole game, most of which you get pretty early on. So I'm literally running around the final area and finding fucking sharp fangs, which I started collecting way back in the beginning when Clive was like fifteen. Yeah, (some) bounties have good drops, but I literally defeated Bahamut and got forty bloody hides, of which I already owned hundreds. None of the accessories felt like game changers either, so opening up treasure chests felt like meh. You need a sort of nice reward for effort. If I'm gonna walk across the map for some distant treasure, it better not be five of what I already have hundreds of. It's annoying because they put so much effort into everything else, so literally hiring one dude whose sole job is this I feel shouldn't've been hard.

Then there are regular battles. Let me say this first: boss battles were amazing and I was completely satisfied with them. But XVI suffered from the same issue as Hogwarts Legacy: too little variation in enemies and you're way overleveled early on. There's no incentive to fight regular enemies on the map because you're not getting much EXP since you're already way over, their drops are pointless like every other item, so they're more or less just an annoyance you avoid. I didn't put any effort in trying basic encounters, and I beat the game one level below max. So what's the point. Given how much effort Square put into the battle system, it's a shame they didn't let me flex my muscles with it more often.

This is a personal preference but I think others would agree: I'm a big environments fiend, and you don't get to explore any of the major cities. Hell, you never see the Iron Kingdom's capital even in a cutscene. The cities are just dungeons, so you're basically there as a continuous fight so you don’t have time to appreciate the surroundings, and when you do everything is in the process of being destroyed or already is. You don’t even get to visit what should be a moderately sized town, Port Isolde, and even Northreach felt like a minor checkpoint before the capital moved. All that's left are small towns or even just hovels. I wonder if they were trying to save resources on environments; Oriflamme looks amazing from the outside, I can't imagine having the render all of that.

That being said, dungeons are following the trend of a linear path with perhaps a quick diversion for treasure. There's no puzzles, no thought (although a good portion of the time the dungeons are mid-battle of a large attack so there isn't time). XVI isn't alone in this; I've noticed most RPGs in recent years don't do the puzzle route as much anymore.

Another minor complaint is at times they would shove the point down the player's throat until it became fantastical. Yes, slavery is bad and people abuse slaves. However, I cannot imagine even in the cotton-picking South some person would purposefully have other people's slaves be killed by a giant wolf. That is someone else's property. Slaves to that extent are safe from others besides the master. Some dude is not going to go out and start murdering slaves randomly because even the law protects the master's possessions. It just doesn't make any sense.

Now onto the good things: pretty much everything else. The plot is solid and feels like Final Fantasy returning to form. Big crystals that need to be destroyed, kingdoms falling, a higher power controlling things behind the scenes... One thing I appreciate, and I think many recent games have lost this, is XVI had many sidequests that had us check in on friends we've met along the way and continue with their subplots. You never really forget these people and it shows how a network of connections and bonds is maintained. Even Eastpool, which was massacred fairly early on, rises up again much later on.

Another factor that I think is important is I just like Clive a lot. He's also my favorite Final Fantasy protagonist since IX. Don't get me wrong; I did like Lightning but if I ever had to work toward a common goal with her in real life, I probably would punch her in the face. I have no idea how she was ever in the military because she has zero sense of teamwork, and she acts like an asshole to even people who are actively trying to help her. Clive in contrast is very mature, has strong leadership abilities, not overly angry or obnoxious or lonerlike, and is just trying to do good in the world. He does make mistakes, but they're reasonable ones that happen because he didn't have all the information or there were circumstances he couldn't've foreseen, unlike other protagonists who do things you know are wrong and stupid but they do it anyway for the sake of plot. He makes the effort to play with the kids even though he isn't great at it, and they admire him for that. Even when he's angry in the beginning of the game, he's still respectful toward Cid and says, "Thanks for saving me, I have nothing against you or your group, I just have my own path I need to take." He recognizes his own weaknesses, and in such situations seeks assistence or delegates to others. He feels like an actual, filled-out human being, and kudos to whoever wrote him.

The other members of the cast are great too. Jill is very badass but a bit quiet and subdued, but given her time in the Iron Kingdom that's understandable. I thought Joshua would just be a plot point, but he really grew into his own. Cid was fun to be with, and I was sad when he was gone. Gav as always was cool. The enemies were great too. Benedikta died early on, but they threw in a great backstory with the little time they had. Kupka was an idiot and not deep, but you could feel his love and pain. Dion's path was surprising and I never knew what his next step was.

The battle system is definitely the best in the series. It was cool to experiment with each of the summons, and really it can be tailored easily to your style. No one I've asked equipped the same three summons. It feels like they were trying to reach a God of War level of combat, but simultaneously they fumbled on the actual fights. Again, bosses were amazing, but regular fights were just meh. I guess that's why they threw in so many boss fights so frequently.

In terms of music XV was definitely better, but I wouldn't stick my nose up to this. As with many aspects of the game, there were a lot of throwbacks. Prelude and the Final Fantasy Theme came up repeatedly, but also On the Shoulders of Giants had the traditional Final Fantasy regular battle opening. And also randomly for one of the times you fight Ultima, it's the FFI world map theme. I've definitely heard better, but I could listen to this OST on its own. The lyrics however are stupid. From what I'm understanding, they tasked the English translator to provide them, and considering this is the dude that wrote out "such foul attaint may not be sublimed through gainstanding," you can tell where this is going. I'll give a few examples:

A sickle forged of adamant To server the man from his hooded past No more a slave to sorrow's gloom In onychine eyes burn chthonic doom An evil hidng from the sun Blinding, he screameth eschaton immanent Now in its wake yawned lightless abyss Yon gaping maw his circumfix

I feel like this written by a high schooler who believes using as much SAT vocabulary they just learned makes them sound more intelligent. I don't know why anyone would compose this.

Visually it's all right. XV had a prettier environment, but this wasn't bad, especially when you're walking around Rosaria. I touched on how you never explore epic architecture, but the nature is beautiful. Unfortunately in the second half of the game when everything goes to shit, the world gets this haze over it and nothing is appealing to look at (which isn't unusual; other Final Fantasies, especially VI had catastrophic situations in the second half of the game). I guess that's kinda the point; the Blight is wiping out everything and actually Clive's efforts could ultimately be for naught and it's too late.

Which is how I'm going to end: It's a very depressing game. There's a lot of death, a lot of tragedy, a lot of loss. Clive lives a totally fucked up life, and he's not alone. The fact I still enjoyed this never-ending sadness demonstrates how well it was done. Totally recommend, play it as soon as you can.

Also... can we address that whole Barnabas and his mom thing? They had literally one scene with that and never mentioned it again. What the fuck was with that?

[jed-k]

A Guide to the Best Arcades in the New York Metropolitan Area

I've lived in NYC my whole life and have been a gamer for about as long, unfortunately. I love going to arcades because you can have a great time alone, with friends, or with the intention of making a friend once you get there.

Some arcades are a transparent method of legalized gambling where the house always wins and you can only cash out in fun dip and finger traps. Some, however, are a tier above. This list is in no particular order, but all are excellent places to spend an hour or two.

Chinatown Fair

Famously the birthplace of the fighting game scene in New York, Chinatown Fair can be seen as a far cry from its days as featured in the 2015 documentary The Lost Arcade. Still, this is one of the best spots in the area for Dance Dance Revolution, as well as a rotating cast of machines that includes Pump It Up, Sound Voltex, JuBeat, and regular crowd pleasers like Guitar Hero, Crossy Road, and Mario Kart Arcade GP DX. I once saw a machine in there that had an actual water gun that you'd spray at a TV with zombies coming toward you and it smelled terrible, but I wish they still had it. A little cramped, very loud, and seemingly never as cool as it was when you were first there, it's always a fun time.

Yestercades

A chain of three free play arcades across New Jersey, Yestercades feels like the comfy game room of an eccentric millionaire child. It includes multiple stations with a wide selection of games and consoles to choose from, arcade machines kept in pristine condition (some retrofitted with modern displays, some retaining their original CRTs), and a wide selection of pinball machines. Plenty of the games are hard to come by (I'd never seen Sopranos pinball before!) and you could easily spend half the day trying them all out without getting tired of the place.

Round 1

The selections at Round 1 arcades are very samey from one location to another, and there's more chaff to be had than wheat, but where Round 1 excels is in its selection of imported rhythm games. For smaller arcades, it's simply impractical to have a Beatmania or Dancerush Stardom machine, but the real estate taken up by Round 1 is on a boggling scale compared to all the other locations listed, so they can afford to make the space. Other highlights at the Long Island location include Groove Coaster, Wacca, Project Diva, Chunithm, and most astonishingly, a Rhythm Tengoku arcade machine. Never thought I'd see one in person before visiting!

Barcade

All the machines in any Barcade feel especially precarious, but the wear put on them must be exceptional when they're placed in the middle of a series of busy bars. Despite this, the games feel less broken and more broken in. The selections at locations, by and large, remain identical and filled with the classics (you'll find Ms. Pac Man, Dig Dug, Crazy Taxi, and Q-Bert at virtually every location) but these are all games you'll be hard pressed to find at a Dave and Buster's or Chuck E Cheese, let alone all in the same establishment. There are locations in Jersey City, New Haven, and Philadelphia, but while I've spent many nights at the New Haven spot, I have a special liking for the Barcades across New York City. Highlights include The Simpsons at the St. Marks location, Bishi Bashi at the Chelsea location, and Rampage at the original Williamsburg location.

Brooklyn Games & Arcade

Of all the arcades listed, none feel more like a labor of love than Brooklyn Games & Arcade. A hybrid game store and free play arcade, you'll find rows of modded hardware and flash carts loaded with hundreds of games across multiple consoles, as well as OG arcade cabinets. Every time I visit, their selection widens vastly, and while the location draws in many looking specifically for fighting games, there is definitely something for everybody here.

Wonderville

If Barcade is rock and roll, Wonderville is harsh noise. Located in Bushwick, Wonderville has an entirely unique selection of one-off indie arcade cabinets you will not find anywhere else, with their crown jewel being the massive eight-player Killer Queen machine (practice a bit by playing Killer Queen Black at home). All the games feel exceptionally unique, both from each other and from any other game you may find in an arcade, thanks to the wide array of inputs you'll find on machines, be they dials, wheels, paddles, springs, or motion controls. The arcade is just one fraction of the fun at Wonderville, as the location is also a bar, music venue, and workshop house.

Dave and Buster's

Dave and Buster's has Dance Dance Revolution and a bar, and there is nothing else redeeming about it. The newly opened Brooklyn location tends to have shorter lines on the DDR machine, but half the fun is in hanging out with like-minded players just trying to grind out to get a little better. The machines may have two players, but to play DDR with another person is to play parallel to them, not against them. You are both playing against the same opponent, which is the brick wall of physical limitation. Go with the mentality that you bring to the gym, but be nice to the normies when they play in heels and miniskirts.

8 On The Break

A small and unassuming arcade and pool hall in Dunellen, NJ, 8 On The Break has a healthy dose of fighting and pinball games, as well as a treasure trove of imported rhythm games. The charm factor is multiplied by the fact that the machines take quarters, not cards, and there's a dining counter where they serve all sorts of fried goodies (try the mushrooms)! Standout machines include Step Maniax, Pop'n Music, and ReRave.

[aetherschreiber]

Adventures of a GM Noob: Lost Tales of Ixalis - Session Zero

So, I have GMed games before. But honestly, I wasn't any good at it and none of what I did before is worth mentioning. For all intents and purposes, I am a GMing noob. But getting further into table-top RP gaming of late has really sparked my interest in it. It can be a very interesting method of story telling and a great way to exercise creativity in many ways from writing to improv to crafting.

I recently decided to jump in and try my hand at GMing, now that I have a better handle on how it's done. I've been watching how others do it and I've learned a lot about the showmanship of it and ways to bring your players into the moment. And I wanted to see how good I am at using what I've learned.

To that end, I started a game with a group of friends in a home-brew world called Ixalis.

It's not the first time I've engaged in world-building. I had previously made a fictional world - Lathuria - for a short story series I had dreamed up in high school, called Spellweavers. But I never really got around to doing much with it. During college, I recycled those notes into an impromptu game session for one of my failed GMing attempts, using the 2nd edition BESM system, a group called the Fellowship of the Ever-Falling Troll. The problem was that in changing it over to a gaming setting, I was far too ambitious. I defined the world a little too much, with too many pre-determined events and NPCs who were in charge of the world. It was too much for even me to keep track of, let alone my players. It became a frustrating endeavor and eventually the game just petered out due to a lack of interest. I got super gun-shy about GMing after that.

So, when I set out to create Ixalis, I decided to keep it a little more bare-bones. I was also using 5th edition Dungeons & Dragons, which sort of has its own mythos surrounding it, so I needed to make sure the world fit the system. To that end, I fiddled around with an online map generator, [here](https://azgaar.github.io/Fantasy-Map-Generator/), until I found an interesting landmass and then tweaked it for my purposes. I gave a vague description of the realms therein and a few named landmarks based on what the map generator had spit out. A tweaked listing of player character races and a listing of the world's gods and their relations to one another rounded out the important bits. I had to establish a few events in the timeline, just to have some sort of story to start with. But those events were hundreds of years apart, leaving plenty of space for the players to define their own societies and pasts.

Which brings me to the biggest, overlying philosophy I am taking in my approach to GMing this time around; it's not just my world. I want this world to belong as much to my players as it does to me. So far that seems to have paid off, as my players have already added some unique touches I never would have thought of to the world.

The campaign started this past Saturday with an episode zero, of sorts. They all came with the basics of a character, some with a backstory already detailed and others who fleshed them out in discussions with the group. We ended up with an interesting group of characters. Some of them don't know it yet, but their backstories run into each other based on some of the things we discussed.

First, we have Corwin, a human, shield-based fighter. From the young country of Auricia, he is a retired war hero from its war of independence from the Thesalian Empire. He has been brought back into service, of his own volition, to seek out missing members of the legion he once commanded.

Kiran is a human monk of the order of the goddess Tilthani. However, he has been recently receiving visions and direction from the goddess Freydis, of the Fellheim pantheon. He has spent most of his life traveling alone in the wilderness and is therefore rather socially awkward and naive.

Aekthul is a human warlock with a mysterious patron that he's not entirely comfortable with. He recently stumbled into a chamber in the ancient monument of Stone Reach and acquired a pendant that he cannot seem to get rid of, despite throwing away every day. Recently, his powers have manifested themselves in the form of a sword; one he had originally seen in Stone Reach, but left behind.

Following Aekthul covertly is a firbolg cleric of the graves domain known only The Caretaker. She was until recently one of two members of an ancient order of the goddess Talessi tasked with watching over the ancient Stone Reach. Since Aekthul encountered his patron there, she has been following and monitoring him, worried for the implications his powers mean for the monument in her charge.

Elsie Dracona is a young human rogue with sticky fingers and a penchant for finding trouble. She grew up as a milk-maid on the outskirts of the city of Drolyn. When she fell upon particularly hard times, she turned chicken-thief in order to survive. This angered the lord of the manor and she fled north, without really having a plan.

Finally, there is Tordek, a dwarf cleric of Halvdan Hammerfist. Oddly, he seems to be familiar with all the other members of the group, even though none of them know of him at all. Mysteriously, he has mentioned that the members of the group are meant to come together to do great things and has pushed a few members of the group toward doing so. Tordek is intended to be a recurring guest character who will pop up every now and then to be played by a player who can't be there all that often. We have cooked up a great reason for this, in canon, and I really look forward to collaborating with his player to add a story element that is not often seen in fantasy. More on that as the story develops.

The entire group is not yet together, though they are all heading toward the small town of Bent Bridge for their own reasons.

On the road, a very hungry Elsie encounters Corwin who promptly takes her under his wing. Together, they head to a roadside tavern for a mid-day bite to eat. There, they find Tordek who is in the process of getting into a bar-room brawl with some locals. While Elsie dodges the fight and orders up food and drink from the terrified bar-keep, Corwin jumps in to Tordek's aid. All the while, Tordek acts as though he knows Corwin, making references to past adventures they have had but about which Corwin has no memory. When all is finished and the locals are all unconscious the three of them talk over meals. Tordek insists that Elsie and Corwin are meant to travel together and are meant to meet up with three others, whose descriptions he gives and tells them they will find in Bent Bridge. He then takes his leave and mysteriously vanishes into the woods. Corwin dismisses the whole thing as the delusions of a mad dwarf and he and Elsie continue on to Bent Bridge.

Meanwhile, Aekthul encounters Kiran. Neither one is really sure what to make of the other, but that doesn't matter when a pair of grey ooze attack them on the road. The Caretaker breaks her covert observation of Aekthul and comes to their aid. Afterward, the three of them continue on their communally awkward way to Bent Bridge. There, they come to the Field and Feather Inn, a inn and tavern owned by the halfling couple Marbald and Yandell Gammidge. There, they have a meal and then Kiran and Aekthul get a room together to cut costs and the Caretaker finds a place to camp on the outskirts of the nearby woods.

Tomorrow is the celebration of New Year's day of the year anno draconis metallum 1000, commemorating the 1000th anniversary of the defeat of Tiamat by Bahamut.

All in all, this was a fairly successful session, despite pulling out a couple of adventures on the fly based on what had come to the table. It was perhaps a little slow to get started, while we all worked out how things came together, but that's what a Session Zero is for. I also raised them to level 2, mostly because I hate the instability of characters at level 1, so the encounters were also just a little something to justify that.

There are some things I know I need to work on. Some of my descriptions of the fights, particularly the one with the oozes, got very repetitive. We also did only "theater of the mind" for the encounters rather than miniatures, but I intend to use minis in the future. I'm looking forward to using the collection of minis I have and Corwin's player, @FortiutousBob on Twitter, also has an extensive collection (he GM's the Saturday night game I play in opposite this one).

All in all, I'm pretty pumped about this going forward.

[takecharge]

The health care costs you weren't expecting

Tl:Dr - fees can be hundreds of dollars that you have to pay for every office visit or test at a medical center. Do your homework before choosing a doctor to find out if you will be paying these fees out of pocket.

Two years ago at my job a new chat room was started. It was called Insurance Issues. In the span of two weeks three people at my job were charged an extra $300 dollars for routine medical tests at our local hospital. One was a simple blood test. I moderated the chat room because I was one of them, and I'd done the work to figure out where these fees were coming from.

What are facility/hospital fees

The charges were facility or hospital fees. The word hospital may be misleading here, if you go to a medical center, these may also apply. They are a surcharge you can be charged for simply being at a hospital or larger care facility when you see a doctor or get a test done. They can be charged even if the hospital lab is in-network for your insurance. And in some cases even after you've paid your deductible, these are out of pocket costs.

Where you can go to get cheaper tests

The insurance company would rather you go to get your tests done at a testing facility like Quest Diagnostics. These places offer far cheaper rates and for some people going to them it's not that much of an inconvenience. But none of the people at my company, nor HR, knew that. We'd watched the webinar at the beginning of the insurance term and hadn't walked away realizing we had homework to do every time we needed a blood test.

We were all confused. In the large city I live in even PCPs are usually part of a hospital network. When we read the patient information materials the hospitals in question were in-network. The document stated that any outpatient labs were covered for any in-network locations. Only when we looked up each test in the document did we find that the insurance would pass any extra costs like facility fees on to us.

I had already been fighting the insurance company for months so I had the person whose job it was to make me stop calling on speed dial. I walked her through the materials and she agreed that they were extremely misleading. Eventually the $900 we paid got waived. I'm pretty sure the next year those documents were written differently.

Cost estimators will help you make a choice to lessen or prevent these charges

Insurance companies in the US have websites and often apps that exist just to help you figure out what charges you might be on the hook for. Get to know them before you need them. Look up an ankle x-ray and you'll be able to see based on the facility how much it will cost you. I recently did this when I knew I needed an ultrasound. My out of pocket costs ranged from nothing at a hospital over an hour away to $300 from the hospital where my specialist works. When I factored in the cost of transport to and from the other hospital, the $300 didn't look too bad, but I also had another strategy in mind.

Sometimes where the test is done changes the billing

I'd learned before my last surgery that blood draws done in my doctor's office, instead of the lab downstairs. The charge numbers are different, so the hospital fees didn't apply. I asked my specialist if the ultrasound might be the same story and if possible could we do it in his office. I got it done in the office and didn't get charged the hospital fee.

Office visits can charge hospital fees too

When looking for a provider, I would recommend contacting the billing department where they are located and asking if a facility fee is charged for office visits. My new pain specialist is at a facility that does charge this fee and I've decided to pay it. The clinic is a good one and it's worth it to me. I also can afford it until I've paid my deductible, at which point my insurance will pay it.

Insurance companies think they've given you enough information

When I saw the facility fee for a routine office visit, I called the claims department at the insurance company to find out if this was the new normal since I'd never been charged one for an office visit before. The woman on the phone said it's becoming more common for hospitals to bill this way. We chatted about my concern that many patients are going to be blindsided by this. She commiserated. She and her colleagues have to explain these bills daily.

To be totally honest, the insurance companies are trying to be more transparent. That's why the cost estimators exist. The materials insurees get every plan year do recommend using the cost estimator so you don't get unexpected bills. But most people who have insurance won't use the estimator. They go to the doctor maybe twice a year and when they're injured. Preventative care appointments are usually covered at 100%. And the last thing you're going to do when you break your ankle is consult the estimator before deciding which hospital to go to.

The people these estimators help the most are those of us who are already insurance savvy. We know we better check for unexpected fees. So do your friends and family a favor and make them read this post or articles on the same issue. Be the person who asks about this at the webinar even if the presenter went over it (because your colleague that was playing a game on her phone will probably pay attention to your question because she's frustrated you're making this boring meeting go longer).

Just like ballooning mortgage bills these fees are things even well people need to know about. I just had this discussion with my parents and colleagues and they were convinced they didn't need to know this until I spelled out the potential costs.