#Vertigo Gaming Inc.

[linuxgamenews]

Cook Serve Forever already has a focus on Steam Deck

Cook Serve Forever the new cooking adventure game will run on Linux with Windows PC. All thanks to further details from the creative minds behind Vertigo Gaming Inc. Due to make its way onto Steam this April. Vertigo Gaming Inc. announces its massive new culinary adventure Cook Serve Forever. Due to release into Early Access this April. But there is also a pre-release demo available to download and play on Steam. This is a Windows PC Demo but runs decently on Linux via Proton. But first, here are the support plans according to the Vertigo Gaming email.

We're using Game Maker Studio 2 for this game. And while we wont' have a native Linux port we are happy to see it working really well with Proton and will further improve compatibility with that and the Steam Deck.

While Cook Serve Forever is being developed in GameMaker Studio 2, there are plans. Since the developer will focus more directly on Proton as well as a Steam Deck. Since most GM2 games focus Ubuntu as its primary Linux OS. Most games run quite well outside of native support via Proton. So at least we have some sort of win. Although it would be a nice to see YoYo Games (developer of GameMaker Studio 2) upgrade their Linux compatibility.

Cook Serve Forever - Ready to Get Cookin

Cook Serve Forever is a cooking adventure game where you play as Nori Kaga, a home-taught chef. Doing so with nothing to her name but a food cart and a dream to make it big like her role model, the Culinary Queen, Chef Rhubarb. Chop, stir, and sauté your way through the bustling solarpunk city of Helianthus. Manage your menu, learn delicious recipes, and meet a diverse cast of friends and foes on your way to culinary greatness.

The new IP from the creators of "Cook, Serve, Delicious!" features:

A massive new adventure with dozens of hours of gameplay.

Gameplay in Cook Serve Forever simulates the rhythm and tactility of cooking.

Hundreds of new ingredients and recipes with an all new dynamic cooking system.

An amazing original soundtrack by award winning composer Jonathan Geer.

Optional side quests with a diverse cast of characters.

Be sure to check out the Cook Serve Forever Demo. Which is due to receive regular updates to address bugs and balance. Plus you can also Wishlist the game on Steam. Due to arrive in April 2023 on Windows PC, but playable on Linux via Proton.

[zettaflake]

A team of pro cooks/servers, and Hat Kid. What could possibly go wrong? Lots!

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[Inktober: Under the Indie Radar]

Prompt | Day 12: Spicey Game(s) | Overcooked by Ghost Town Games, A Hat in Time by Gears for Breakfast, Don't Starve by Klei Entertainment, Skullgirls by Hidden Variable Studios, Bug Fables by Moonsprout Games, Cook Serve Forever by Vertigo Gaming Inc.

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(The first massive multiplayer crossover of this journey... ah my heart is booming with starry joy! So many characters for this year's *pile*)

[hexonthepeach]

a gentle tongue breaketh the bone | 11: gambit

pairing: fem hybrid fox omega!reader/hybrid Alpha!nct 127

tags: reverse harem, non-traditional omegaverse hybrid! cyberpunk au, pack dynamics, polyamory, slowburn/slowbuild, angst & hurt/comfort, heavy content warnings inc. torture, graphic violence, suicidal ideation, explicit sexual content

summary: the year is 2127. decades of eugenics and warfare have led to the rise of designated populations: the ruler Alphas and their rare, prized omegas sequestered from the Beta population. in the aftermath of the War of the Two Tigers, New Goryeo ushers in an Imperial dynasty determined not by birthright but by the alliance of the Syndicate’s clancorps to choose the best pack of your generation. you are destined to take your place within the Imperial harem as a queen, and–perhaps–Imperatrix herself

but you have a secret, written into your skin and bones–one that could easily kill you, depending on who finds it out

ten years ago you chose your Alpha and their pack in a fateful meeting

now, you must make them choose you

[masterlist & glossary] [read on AO3] [0: prologue] [1: escape, again] [2: lost and found] [3: returned] [4: bound] [5: home] [6: gift] [7: reunion] [8: security] [9: secret] [10: prisoner]

wc: 6.6k

chapter warnings:  a teensy bit of violence, voluntary drug use

recommended listening: that's not fair - nct

Mark Lee [α, unknown Felid genetic composition] (3rd prince of the Lee dynasty, formerly 20th in line for the throne)

There's nothing particularly exciting about escorting their new ward a few floors to medical but he finds his heart racing the moment he gets Taeil's request, watching Donghyuck stop moving his haptics immediately in the window of their shared call. He'd tried to get the younger to weigh in on personnel rosters while they talked circles around your disruption of their business, all to no avail. 

Everyone is distracted, it seems.

"Back in the hotbox," Haechan sighs, ending his game abruptly and covering his face with both hands once his slimline visor is removed. 

"You could just stuff your nose with cotton balls or something," Mark says, a strategy he'd taken up the last time that scent had permeated his entire brain. He's not sure what you or even any other omega are supposed to smell like, but it certainly shouldn't be rancid fruit or the smell of flower stems left too long in water. 

"It's not my nose I'm worrying about. Give me five." Donghyuck lifts something up for the camera, the white plastic sleeve still cabled into his rig, hiding untold horrors.

"Fucking gross, man. No."

"Three minutes?" 

"How many times do I need to tell you I don't want to know about you jacking off–"

"Fine," Donghyuck raises his hands innocently. "Not my fault your balls haven't dropped yet."

"Meet me downstairs stat," Mark yells before disconnecting. He finds himself blanking out the moment he gets up, slight vertigo making him stare at the wall of his unit as if he'll find answers in the printouts held up with magnets and tape on the wall adjacent to his study, over his book collection. A tangled web he lives with every day, trying to understand why you’re here and not there. 

It’s weird–not knowing what you are. He’d done everything in his power to treat you like just another problem to be solved before they could offload it on someone else, the way Johnny had done when he’d left. But you’ve embedded in his brain, a splinter he can’t help but worry about since your admission.

“I don’t love him,” you’d said. There’d been sadness, of course, but something more firm beneath it in intention. Like you were thinking of someone else.

One picture seems to beckon most of all–a still from the grand ceremony they'd held when you'd been returned. He hadn't been in the Dome then, too soon after the surrender for the Syndicate to decide what to do with demilitarization, no victory for the losers. 

In his case the loss had been an open wound—his father's body found a week before armistice with the gun still warm in his hand, blood spattered across a childhood picture from a better era, when the firstborn and second born male twins and their triplet omega sisters had just been children. Dressed in robes fitting a different age, almost comical to think of now after a decade of Beta melo re-enactments.

Before the war–before bloodshed had cut all bonds between them.

Watching his aunt crawl back with you by her side, both of you dressed in white ceremonial mourning clothes for the dead Imperator, had left him feeling empty even as a child. His father had tried to bring peace and change to this stupid system and whatever little he'd accomplished had only led to the reinforcement of it. The ones left to mourn him and his cause could only do so in private.

Like his mother. 

She’d returned to the Dome, as well, head held high, no scraping and bowing for her dead father. Peace could only come with the voluntary surrender of the Lees to the Syndicate but she'd made it known she was not a willing subject, not like your mother. 

Or you.

After learning more about your own struggle, maybe he feels a little sorry for you. At least, he thinks, he's less nauseated by the sight of your face.

It's too bad that empathy can't extend to his latent animal brain; the urge to retch on the floor outside your unit increases the moment he's within proximity of your scent. 

Donghyuck joins appropriately late and hastily dressed in half of his gear, eyes bright and cheeks flushed in a reflection of how Mark feels even if he'd never admit it. He wrinkles his nose and shakes his head in disgust.

"Don't say anything," Mark orders, watching his best friend grin like an idiot as he pulls the air towards him with his hand–savoring it. 

"You have no idea." 

"I'm glad." Mark snaps. 

He gives you a courtesy of ringing the doorbell from the touchpad, adjusting discreetly into a stiff posture years of remote Academy teachings and active service have molded him into. 

There's no answer. 

Several rings later and he still can't sense or hear anything from the other side. He looks at Donghyuck to see if there's any alarm on his face to match what he feels.

"Probably sleeping," the other shrugs. "Just go in."

Mark would rather shoot out a window and throw himself off this floor than walk in on an omega in the throes of heat but his hesitation only lasts a few seconds. He forces the door lock open with a press of his agent against the security pad. 

Immediately he's struck by a wave of concentrated pheromones, stomach twisting but staying down as he realizes it's not as bad as he expected–mitigated slightly by the warmed-leather scent of the pile of clothing and bedding blocking the door. 

"What in the hell–?" Mark kicks through it, recognizing a pack-issue uniform tangled in the pillows and comforter. 

"Johnny's," Donghyuck answers, knowing he doesn't have the ability to discriminate scent profiles. "Jungwoo said she'd need it for her nest."

Mark groans, entering the room as cautiously as he'd cleared the school a day ago–wait wasn’t it three days ago? It feels like an eternity since that firefight. 

"____?" He calls, finding the bathroom empty and moving to the main chamber.

You're in a better state than he'd found you in than in Confinement, but not by much. That frail omega body is curled into the lower bunk around the same rucksack you'd brought with you, packed full of clothing. You're dressed, thankfully, in more layers than he expected–body shaking when he grabs your shoulder to give it a weak tug. 

"Are you okay?" 

You whine, burrowing deeper away from him. 

"No funny business, alright?" He finds himself warning, but it's not needed. Your skin is clammy to the touch, ears flat against sweat-damp hair as you protest him pulling you away from your cache. 

"Don't touch me," you say. It’s more of a growl, really, your voice deeper than he’s heard it. Something inside him sings to hear it, approving. He doesn’t have time to question it as Donghyuck panics, rushing to intervene. 

Mark elbows him in the gut so hard that he folds against the screen wall, wheezing.

“You forget to boost in those three minutes?”

“How could I?” Mark doesn’t need Alpha scent to recognize the younger is lying, staring Donghyuck down until he pulls out an inhaler and takes a puff. 

“Good?” Mark asks.

“Good.” The look the younger gives him is pure menace, lazy eyes darting to you. He ignores it, carefully watching your response. Your tail is dead weight on the bed, heavy for how still it is.

"We'll take you to Med, but you need to get up," Mark tells you.

“I can’t.” 

This time, when you speak, he believes you. 

Mark crouches on the floor beside your bunk, finding himself awkwardly unable to touch you lest Donghyuck lose it any more than he already is. His hand hovers over your ears, the fur tickling his palms. It's his first time touching them–he had no idea how soft they were. The sensation makes his pulse skip.

"Need . . . need to get out . . ." you whine. "I can't be alone. Need to get out of here."

"Okay." Mark doesn't argue with the request. "Can you get up?" 

You shake your head a bit. 

"Let Haechan carry your stuff," he sighs. "We'll help take you down." 

"It hurts," you say, quietly. "I'm so cold."

Can you be any more dramatic? he thinks, but doesn't say as much looking back at his partner to find his eyes wide, nostrils flaring and mouth in a thin line. 

"Don't move. Either of you." Mark says, retrieving a blanket from the pile near the door. He's not surprised that the moment he wraps it around your body there's an immediate relaxation in your shoulders, tail swaying under the new layer. 

"I'll carry you," he says with only a little bit of resignation. It takes effort to extricate you from your things but soon you're curled into his arms, those warm velveteen ears pressed up against his jaw as you cling to his tech vest. 

"I'm sorry," you whisper, yelping a bit when he finally negotiates you both to a standing position, arm under your knees. "It just . . . it came out of nowhere.”

"What did?" Mark is grateful for the distraction as he carries you out the sliding door, almost tripping on more bedding. 

"Cramps." Your tiny reply carries a bit of embarrassment and he can't help but huff a laugh. Donghyuck is at his side sniffing experimentally, making Mark wish he had a free arm to push him back. He kicks with his boot instead, missing the younger Canid when he dances away. 

So much for having a second to help keep things in control. 

"We'll get you painkillers. Have you eaten yet?" 

You don't answer.

"I'll get food," Donghyuck offers, excitedly. "Anything you want or need–"

"Medical first," Mark orders. With your weight in his arms he's realized that the shivers in your body are involuntary, small quakes that seem to originate in your torso and spread to your limbs, making you rigid. Any doubts he had about your condition are beginning to dissolve, feeling you fight the pain to hold onto him. 

Thankfully Taeil is expecting you, helping him the moment the med wing doors slide open to get you into the nearest bed. He's relieved to no longer have you wrapped around him but there's a strange sensation in his chest watching the doctor unwind you from the duvet and check your pupils, attaching a remote monitor to your temple. 

"Why did you turn off your agent feed?" Taeil asks, tapping the screen on your wrist back to life. 

"Old habit," you murmur.

Mark watches your eyes slide to the right, towards the fogged view of the city skyline outside the floor-to-ceiling windows. This floor is the lowest of their demesne, closest to the marine layer that reappears nightly no matter what sunset breaks through it. It’s late now, and there aren’t even stars to fixate on. 

"Your signal stopped hours ago. You need to cooperate or you're going to be in more pain than necessary." Taeil presses the face of his wrist worn agent to yours, initiating a data transfer.

It's rare Mark has seen Moon so agitated, realizing the older Alpha has thrown a white coat over sleepwear as if he'd been roused from bed. He's about to ask Donghyuck to get coffee when he finds the younger has already fled, your bag abandoned on the floor. 

"She'll live, I'm guessing?" Mark asks, watching the nearby screen pick up multiple waveforms. "What is all that?"

"It's standard to monitor her endocrine response through perspiration," Taeil explains, looking amused when Mark's expression remains blank. "Sweat. From her wrist gland." 

"Oh." Mark nods, keeping a straight face.

"She'll be in full heat within the next few hours," Taeil says. "We have a call to make."

"We do,” Mark nods. “Doyoung said–"

"We don't need any more orders," Taeil interrupts. "Let's discuss this in private."

You perk a little, still on your side. Mark catches the way your body adjusts and your ears swivel in your mussed hair. 

"Stay put." He doesn't add the tone shift of an order but you still give him acknowledgement in an eye roll. 

Taeil leads him to his own private quarters, keeping the glass doors programmed to mostly translucent as he shuts them. Mark is immediately struck by the disarray in the usually-clean room, the musty smell of Canid making his hackles raise.

"I've already messaged Doyoung. You're going to have to put her in Confinement." 

"What?" Mark is less shocked by the request than the look of resignation on Taeil's face as he watches you through the door. He coughs a little, as if to cover it.

"I've taken three dosages of suppressants in the past 12 hours. Do you understand?"

He glances Mark's way, glasses reflecting the low green light from outside. The sweatshine and the rough patch of growth darkening the doctor's chin all begin to make a little more sense. 

"Really?" He can't help but choke out. It's been years of working with the doctor and he'd never imagined seeing him lose his cool when he was needed the most. But then he'd never imagined you being dropped into their lives like a dirty bomb as Johnny had so articulately described.

"We can arrange for you to go to a rut hotel if you need to–"

"I'm not leaving." Taeil shakes his head. "If anything happens to her it's on me. But I need you to take charge and to keep us safe at all costs." 

"Keep us safe?" Mark is surprised at the use of words. "Not her?"

"She's the safety issue. Didn't you read the file I sent you?"

"I think I got it." Mark lies. He’s understood maybe one word out of the ten buried in scientific jargon but it was the debrief reports on investigation into suspected Nostradomina agent activity that had sunk in. If there’s one thing he understood it was infiltration. 

"I just don't think she's . . . we don't have any indication she's working with the Syndicate. Do we?"

Taeil grimaces. "That's not the problem. Do you understand why we had to separate her and the others?"

"Well everyone in the building but me wants to–you know."

He’s gesturing towards where he thinks Donghyuck is jerking into a potted plant but he ends up pinned in Moon’s unrelenting stare. The look the other man gives him is merciless.

"She's a liability. All reports indicate her kind are genetically engineered to take over a pack from the inside. Like an infection."

The words seem dissonant to the image of your body in a hospital bed, your eyes clenching every now and then in pain. Mark can't believe that something as small and vulnerable could constitute a real threat to their safety but he also knows instinct all too well. Growing up outside the Wild had just been a taste, seeing his kind in the throes of it in drills or in battle another thing altogether.

"Are you worried you'll go into jimseung like Jaehyun?" 

Taeil hesitates to answer. "I won't shift with my level of conditioning. Jungwoo and Yuta are safe, too . . . at least, I think. Both have exposure to omegas and aren't responding the way I am." 

"But they could." Mark says. He'd already gone over the results of Jungwoo's testing after the incident in Johnny's quarters–wanting to be sure the other Alpha wasn't playacting that he'd been perfectly in control. If Donghyuck or Jaehyun were any indication, holding it together in the presence of a ripe omega was too good to be true.

Whatever had happened, you'd been scared and hurt. He wasn't going to let that occur again, even if it meant grounding an asset.

"You have to understand she's something different. Possibly because she was raised in the Wild–some kind of new anomaly." Taeil paces the small area, wrestling with his thoughts. "I'm not in the right state of mind to do the experiments necessary to–"

"No. It's not necessary, period." Mark says, placing a hand out to signal he’s on board. "We get her through this heat cycle. You get through your rut. And then we figure out what to do with her."

"We need to put her in Containment, then." Taeil says. "Or . . ."

"Or what?"

Taeil doesn't look at him, crossing his arms as he takes in his unmade bed. 

"Accept our fate."

"No." Mark finds himself shaking his head, almost a little violently. 

"I don't want this as much as you do," Taeil says. “Too easy, too simple, really. But she’s embedded in the pack bond.”

"Johnny forbid it," Mark says, and he believes it. The prime Alpha's order always stood, regardless if he was present. Mark was willing to die by that rule even if the Canids had shown a marked dissent. Blaming biology and hierarchy only went so far–all of them were free agents and with nine people to manage they'd have to weather the storm together or suffer the consequences.

In this case, the risks were much too high to not face it together. Taeyong wasn't going to be himself for a few days–certainly not capable of making the tougher calls with the genetic bond you already shared.

No, that’s up to him, now. The understanding of it leaves him feeling more like a villain than a protector.

"No one touches her until Johnny allows it." He affirms.

Taeil opens his mouth to speak but nothing comes out. He nods instead, reaching for the door control. 

"Do me a favor, Doc?" Mark says before he thinks too long about it. "Put her under, first? You can make it easy, right?"

Mark watches the elder's shoulders slump as he looks through the door at your huddled body.

"It's your call," Taeil says. "Hope we can stand by it."

"Do you feel better?" Mark asks, seeing you sitting up in bed.

"Infinitely."

You'd watched Taeil carefully as he administered the double injections into the dripline–waited until they were both distracted to pull the needle out of the connector port while keeping it trapped under the gauze on your wrist, pretending to look through your agent on your other hand. 

"You're probably starving."

You give him a weak smile. "Ramen isn't as good as I thought it would be."

"No," Mark agrees. "We'll get you the best meal ever when we get off lockdown. Whatever you want. Beef even."

Whatever you want, you think. Such a fitting testament to the next few minutes of stilted conversation. Taeil is hanging back like a beaten dog as you shyly answer Mark's questions, at some point sniffing his own clothing and making a face of revulsion.

Thankfully you hadn't waited long–not with the call that comes into Mark's comm. Again he'd gone into the next room, distractedly pacing as he talked to Yuta over his in-ear.

It didn't matter that the room was soundproof. You can tell your gambit has paid off by the absurdly annoyed expression on his face as you follow the conversation while making meaningless gestures on your wrist pad.

Mirroring Taeil's agent line had been simple. A beginner's hack, really.

Let the NSPD take care of it.

It's not a security vulnerability if you bring the whole team on. 

They'll answer to you if I tell them to–

No. No. Okay. 

Alright, alright. I'll be down in fifteen. 

Five, alright.

I have stuff to take care of here. No. Not that. 

Fine! I'm on my way.

"I need to take care of business on the sublevels. Are you alright resting here with Taeil and Haechan until I get back?" Mark asks once he's emerged again, only a corner of his mouth lifted. He's so very good at hiding his anxiety but you can smell it on him distinctly–sour lemon and a hint of bilgewater. You’re nauseated, as if you’re on the sea again.

"Haechan said he's making me something delicious and then I'll get some sleep, I think. I'm tired," you say, giving him a look of relief and gratitude. "Thank you, Mark. I couldn't think straight with how much pain I was in." 

The words make you sick. The pain is interminable. You've kept the scream pressed between your gritted teeth but it's always there, like the lump in your throat and the slick between your thighs.

Containment. 

Put her under.

You'd met Mark's eyes when he'd said those last words through the glass and combined with your physical agony it had only strengthened your resolve. 

If you're going down, it's with a fight. You know how to pick your battles now that your main opponent has chosen his proxies.

Mark leans down over you to take your hand and you offer him your left quickly, squeezing it in your damp grip.

"It won't take long, he assures. "I'll check on you when I'm back. Please make sure to eat before you sleep." 

If you knew better you'd think his concern was genuine. You blink at him lazily, exposing your teeth in what you hope is a genuine smile. 

"Wake me up when it's over," you joke. 

"Soon," he says, and then he's out of the ward. Only that bitter rind scent remains, made worse by the brushfire of Taeil's rut setting in. 

You'd suspected enough after yesterday's confrontation but it's something else to scent a day's worth of Alpha stewing in his quarters. Over the cloying scent of disinfectants and the drug supplies you can’t help but scent through their refrigerated seals is something much more damning. Your doctor is compromised.

Good, you think.

Whatever rationality you're holding on to is disturbed by it. Unfortunately everything else piloting finds the Alpha’s scent criminally seductive. Right now Taeil smells like crisp white lychee, ripe beneath a prickly skin.

He’s still something of a mystery to you. Canid and an Alpha, yes. But no one recognizes him as such. Paying lip service to another omega, just doing his duty, unallowed the taste of what any of them would desire. He has to feel the pull the way you know his little helper does, the way Jungwoo did when you gave him the space for it. 

He's even more attractive, sleep-touched, glasses askew in his hair—especially when he attempts to hide what you already know is happening to him. You've watched him step back, shoulders hunched, unable to make eye contact. 

Yes, you think, he’s hooked. Now to pull in your catch.

Mark has disappeared long before you make your move. You’d be found out if you simply got up. Instead you make a tormented noise, adjusting in the bed. Pleasure roils through you when you see his back tense at the sound, more when he refuses to look at you.

"Hey," you say. "Could you lend a hand?"

Taeil turns around, head flinching a bit as if he's afraid of what he'll see. 

You beckon to the floor beside the bed.

"I brought some of my things. Kind of stuck here," you add, lifting your wrist. The needle doesn't pop free, but you're conscientious of the drag of the cannula as you disturb it.

"Of course." He says. He's still wary as he foists your pack onto the bed. As soon as you unzip it he puts distance between you, the animal present in his quick glances over his shoulder.

"Thank you, doctor," you say. "I appreciate you letting me stay here overnight. I felt like I was dying." 

"You're not . . ." he begins, immediately deflecting. "We'll make you comfortable for your stay for the next week."

"Week?" You ask in a hushed tone. "Will it hurt like this the whole time?" 

He swallows. "Most likely."

Your lip wobbles with effort, tears a little easier to produce with the knife-in-your-gut radiating pain.

"Don't worry," he says, rapidly. "I think I finally found a method to mimic cryotherapy. We'll insert a central catheter and keep you on a steady infusion of parental nutrition and sedatives. It's a last resort, but you'll be–"

"No," you say. You infuse the word with the hours of time you'd spent in a similar position, shepherded into a dreamless state by types just like him. Imperial physicians who considered your body an object at their disposal, to be treated or used alike. 

No, indeed. Never again.

"Please don't make me do this alone."

Taeil moves forward unconsciously, eyes lighter than you remember. For a moment you wonder if he's breaking already.

But then he's heading to the far side of the bed—most certainly to check your IV.

You dump the contents of your bag across your legs. Taeil pauses, catching sight of the object amidst undergarments and flimsy lingerie–all of which you'd worn recently. 

The satisfaction you experience seeing him falter is worth the shame of all that scent and that horrible thing Jungwoo had given you laid bare. 

"I'm so sorry," you improvise, stuffing everything back in your bag one-handed. "That isn't mine. I forgot I hid it there." 

"It's fine." 

It's absolutely not fine, if you're registering his panicked response correctly. 

You pretend to hide the toy, only furthering the comedy of the situation by clutching onto twenty centimeters of soft synthetic cock and fumbling it in your offhand grasp. You look up at his blank expression, stuffing it away innocently.

"Jungwoo gave me it," you say. "I haven't used it."

Taeil's throat bobs conspicuously as he occupies himself with his tablet, unable to make eye contact. "It's a very common aid. You may want to keep it . . . for later."

"I wouldn't know how to use it," you admit.

For once he's silent. You let it hang, pulling out a blocker spray you'd been retrieving as you wait for him to fold.

He says something quietly under his breath that you pretend not to catch.

"Sorry, what?" you ask, tiredly.

"Videos. There'sinstructionalvideos." The last part is a bit muffled as he covers his nose and mouth at the offending mist as you apply the spray. 

It's another little ploy you'd thought of in the past few days, after remembering something Wooyoung had said. The Alpha attractor was one of your more expensive purchases but you'd had to have it–curious what similarities the perfumer had captured to your own scent.

Majesté Impériale had been woefully dissimilar besides a few top notes but the synthetic pheromones were worth the price tag, judging by the way Taeil has moved away again.

"My apologies. I don't think this blocker is any good." You say, dousing yourself. 

"Please," Taeil answers from beneath his sleeve. "It's not going to do much at this point."

"Oh. Well. Can you show me that video?"

The silence returns, this time punctuated by the tap tap tap of a stylus as Taeil considers your request. 

"What video?" He asks, voice distant. 

"The instructional one?" you ask innocently. 

To his credit he shrugs off any embarrassment, back to practicality, but you can't miss the red blotches on his nape as he turns to regard you again. You know you're on thin ice but you cherish the fact that he's affected.

"I'll be happy to send it to you when you have your VR rig and are in a more comfortable environment," he says, mildly irritated. 

"Of course," you demure. You add a lazy tone to your voice. "Thank you for taking care of me."

He has the audacity to laugh. 

"You're surprisingly compliant tonight, Princess." 

50 ccs of ketamine by IV drip will do that, you think, a twinge of regret that you aren't experiencing it.

"I certainly feel better," you say, yawning. "Just . . . really sleepy."

"Good," he says, adjusting his glasses back onto his nose. "You should get some rest. I can wake you up whenever the brat is done burning down the kitchen. I should probably go check on him, actually."

You pretend not to respond, burrowing into the pillows and concentrating on slowing down your breathing and heart rate. There is some truth, you know, to the presence of Alpha pheromones being a sedative and analgesic in this state–but it's nowhere as good as the fluid dripping useless down your wrist.

You keep your ears and tail still as you hear the doctor approach you again. It's not like you can hide the brainwave monitor but you lean into your meditation exercises for that. It won't be long, after all. 

Taeil is wary as he approaches, not buying your act but too distracted to anticipate danger. You can smell the blockers on him, also useless with the onset of rut. His bloom is woodsy with a hint of spice–safe and delicious to your fox. You let her unfurl a little when he's close enough for you to feel the heat from his body—radiating cleansers and traces of bitter-sharp that you suspect are remnants of release from earlier. 

How many times had he come to the fantasy of you already, you wonder. The thought is surprisingly satisfying, accompanied by the memory of watching Jungwoo earlier. Warm skin so close and willing to be explored, blood pumping heat to your sex and bringing precious fluid to the surface–

"____," he says. "You can stop pretending. You should have gone under three minutes ago." 

You don't give him the satisfaction of springing awake, or moving at all. A calloused hand presses down your ears and they barely twitch, but something else deeper inside you does at the petting. You let go a shuddering sigh. 

Immediately Taeil freezes. You resume breathing deeply until he settles, giving your ear a sharp tug. 

You stay still. 

You wish he'd continue–wish he'd touch you more in an effort to test your resolve. 

In your own fantasies he'd undress you and prepare you for the procedure while you fought to remain unresponsive, letting him slide his hands down your naked body without resistance, using you for his own satisfaction as you stifled any sound–

"Last chance," he says, angling your head away. "Stay down."

The order thrums through you like a shockwave.

You hear the click of the penlight before your eyelid is lifted and with that first sliver of light you make your choice between the syringe under your pillow and your own, personal, last resort. 

You choose the worser form of violence. 

You seize his wrist and bite into it with all your might–still, technically, staying down.

"No!" He jerks away, free hand connecting with your skull so hard your vision flashes white. He fists your hair to break your hold as hot sweetness floods your mouth, that trickle matched by the one soaking between your legs.

You look up at his bloodless face as his grip goes slack, unable to fight, eyes pitted with the sudden dilation of his pupils. 

After a few seconds you loosen your jaw, licking softly at the shallow wound . . . as if you were truly apologetic. The whimper he makes is pathetic, eyes scrunching closed at the heavenly sensation. 

"I told you if you drugged me again you'd regret it," you say, between swipes of your tongue. "You didn't give me a choice."

"I was trying to help you," he says. He pulls back your head with a sharp yank, freezing the moment you let out a mewl of pain. He lets go, instantly, bewildered.

"This is the kindest thing you've done for me since you saved my life, Taeil," you say, kissing his wrist before you release it. "I remember."

"I shouldn't have," he says.

Under the warm glow of your successful conquest you feel the sting of his words.

With the bond in effect he can feel it, too, regret flitting across his dazed features. He's angry with you but it's the same irritation as if a fly were buzzing about his head–not the response of a man who's just lost his free will.

"At least you're being honest," you say. It feels good to know it, finally–to not question everything being said or done to you. 

"I thought so," he says, checking the cannula and finding your pulled out IV. "No wonder you're still in pain."

"Stop," you order. He holds, unable to continue re-inserting the needle.

"Please let me give you something for it, at least." It's almost begging for how clearly desperate he is for relief from the pain transferred between you. Sweat drips into his sideburns, trickling down his neck.

"First time knowing what it feels like to be one of us? You'll be such a better doctor after this. Maybe even a better Alpha."

"Doubtful," he responds. 

You laugh. Just as suddenly you regret it, doubling over as a fresh wave of agony ripples through you.

"Fuck." He collapses against the bed on his side as the pain crests, sucking in sharp breaths with each aftershock. Once it subsides he's barely standing.

"How was that so fast?" he muses. You know he isn't referring to the cramps. "It only took a few seconds. I could have recorded the recombination . . . Studied it . . ."

The fact that he's more upset at missing data instead of being bondmarked confuses your fox, but you cherish it. He really wasn't a bad first choice.

"I don't know why. I'm sorry."

"No you're not," he huffs, smearing blood across the sheet as he picks himself up. "I can feel that, you know. You've done this before, haven't you?"

"Stay down." You repeat his order back, savoring the flavor of it on your blood-soaked tongue. You can't help but enjoy this new invulnerability, the way his knees buckle and he's forced to hold on to the bed rail.

"Only once, after Johnny," you explain. "One of the new eunuch bodyguards they gave me was an Alpha spy. Like you, I suppose–chemical castration only."

You stuff down the revulsion at the memory, stalked through the gardens by what you thought was just another foot soldier for the Syndicate. You were used to your share of creeps even amidst the eunuchs but you’d recognized that Alpha stench the moment he’d pinned you in the grass. He'd almost had you, the knife your mother had made you carry in your sleeve useless against his disproportionate strength and speed.

"He only made it a few days before he tried to claim me. I managed to bite his hand when he tried to cover my mouth to keep me from screaming. And–well. All I had to do was ask nicely after that. He would have turned himself in, if I hadn’t asked him to help me by ending his own life."

Taeil watches you carefully, a wave of impression bringing you distant traces of satisfaction under the horror. He likes knowing you can protect yourself, you think. Your fox is singing with joy at the first positive feedback it's received from him without a barrier.

"I didn’t think he would do it,” you say, truthful now that there’s no need for secrets between you. “Do you know, he was still begging for me until the end, even after he shoved a blade into his own heart?"

You dig your nails into your forearm, drawing blood. Taeil mirrors you, clutching his bitten forearm at the pain and collapsing across the bed. You pull him to you, cradling his narrow shoulders. He doesn't fight at all, laying prone across your legs.

"I would have done it sooner but I wanted to give you a chance to do the right thing, since you saved me before," you say. “I’ll be kind and give you the choice to help me. Again.”

The man in your lap is completely yours, easier even than you expected. You stroke wild locks from his forehead, savoring the ambergris and musk released as he buries himself in your scent, finally. Your own pet–a decade in the making.

If you'd have chosen to bite Taeyong somewhere more vulnerable–nearer his scent gland–maybe you'd have been able to avoid this altogether. It had felt too risky at the time, too likely to get you in trouble. You'd been proven right.

The truth of your nature isn't something any of you can avoid now. 

Either they accepted you, or they killed you. You weren't going to wait and find out which. 

"You will help me, won’t you? Don’t you want to make the pain stop?"

"Guess I don't have to ask you your levels anymore," he jests, disarming you. “You should take something.”

"There's an easier solution to all of this," you say, thinking of what he’d said earlier. “Accept your fate.”

"What?" Taeil's face is buried in your belly, only a layer of synthetic down separating you. Your fingers drag lightly over his skull.

"Mate me," you say. "Maybe if you're a good Alpha I'll let you claim me, too."

His shoulders move with what you assume is a fight against his own instinct. When he finally turns his head to blink at you lazily you realize he's laughing at you, again.

"How is that funny?" you ask.

"Oh I could. We all could. But you'll just get worse," he says, slurring a little.

"What do you mean?"

Taeil's amber-touched eyes unfocus, settling on your neck. "Your heat. Won't break. Not until . . ."

He reaches for you, gesticulating a bit before his hand flops down. You panic, feeling more than seeing him begin to slip away. It feels a little like drowning again, watching your Alpha disappear into the waves of unconsciousness.

"Taeil?"

Something is terribly wrong, your animal brain unable to parse why as he slips out of your grasp, toppling a tray table in the process. A flash of yellow-white tubing follows.

You spider out of the hospital bed, dropping to the cold tile on top of his prostrate form and ripping out the needle he's secretly inserted in his forearm.

"No, no, no, stay with me–" you plead, slapping his jaw. "Don't leave me."

"Not gonna die," Taeil chuckles, unfolding on the tile. His white coat is spread like wings under his sleepwear, darkened with sweat, what looks suspiciously like an erection tenting his pants. "Just. So . . . high."

"Stay awake," you order. 

His eyes flutter open for a half-second, looking up at you with dazzling affection. 

"Good luck, princess . . . you'll need it."

Then he's out like a light extinguished, mouth partially open. You rock against his hips, with zero response.

"Wake up!" You yowl, already finding the shape under you flagging, your body desperate for him to return the favor.

You repeat his gestures to check his closed eye, his pupil barely responsive. He breathes shallowly underneath you as you curl over his chest, fists balled in frustration.

One down, five to go.

It's going to be a long night.

[previous] [next] [check the masterlist before you proceed]

[thessalian]

Thess vs Responsibility

It was a pretty shitty day today. I’m going to fucking throttle Temp, I swear. I have a folder containing two weeks’ worth of damning screenshots of her bullshit, but it’s not like she hasn’t been told before, so I’m sitting there going, “What the fuck point is there in telling Scruffman when even if he does talk to her, she’ll be better about it for maybe a week and then go back to her bullshit again”. It doesn’t help that something’s up with either the transcription software or the laptop where the dictation just stops even when my foot’s on the pedal and won’t keep going until I stop pressing the pedal for a second. (I’m sure there’s some kind of memory sink issue, but I don’t have the permissions to look into that.) Because that just makes a nine-minute long bullshit Whipple’s specimen dictation dictated in the most counterintuitive way possible an absolute nightmare to type when I literally stop every forty-five seconds because of playback going stupid. Especially when Temp left said nine minute monstrosity (and several other, somewhat shorter monstrosities) sitting at the top of the typing queue, more or less forcing me to do the damn thing a little under fifteen minutes before close of play. So I had to work past my log-off alarm with that frustrating bullshit.

It. Was. A. Bad. Day.

But I cheered up a little in the middle of this mess of a day when my phone notification pinged to let me know that at least Chicken Launcher didn’t have Vertigo Gaming Inc’s issues with meeting a damn deadline. Well, in fairness, Pan’Orama kind of yo-yoed its release date, but it said it was going to be released today and according to the head’s up Steam sent me, they made it happen. So I thought however bad the day got, I could cheer up by sliding over to my computer and purchase myself my landscape-building faff game.

And then after hell-afternoon, I did slide over to my own computer and found a notification from Steam that my bestie beat me to it.

So game I have been wanting for ages and a reminder that I am loved. Plus leftover Japanese curry for dinner. I guess that is what we call a silver lining. I mean, I was also really productive today in that I did laundry (including folding and putting away), repotted my coriander and tomatoes, watered all the plants, took out the garbage... A+ adulting. Now I have to finish the A+ adulting by going to bed so I can get a decent amount of sleep for tomorrow. Even if I do just want to play shiny Zen game instead. But I am tired and tomorrow probably won’t be much better than today was, work-wise, so I will be Responsible.

Sometimes being Responsible blows. I probably need to start booking holiday, honestly. The extra money helps but damn, were the extra hours a mistake for my health...

[nic-spit]

5 Great Duo Co-op Games

Looking for something just for you and an SO? Looking to exclude most of your friend group because you just CANNOT handle that many people? Well here's a list of games specifically capped at two players. No need to lie about "how many people your server can handle", it's fine.

1) We Were Here (series)

We Were Here is a puzzle-heavy horror-light series from Total Mayhem Games. All games follow two explorers as they get separated and thrown into dungeons, music boxes, D20's, and all sorts of complex mechanisms that need fixing. Communication is exclusively through walkie-talkies as you explore a mysterious and sometimes grotesque setting.

Best part? The first game? Is FREE on Steam.

BUNDLE for all 4 games.

2) Operation: Tango

Ever wanted to be an international super spy? Or maybe the techie behind the super spy? Well with this puzzle game by Clever Plays, you can be!! One player takes control of the spy and uses speed, gadgets, and timing to infiltrate various top secret buildings, while the techie uses cameras, remote control, and L33T H4CK1NG to play support.

Don't be fooled, though. We were concerned that the techie side would fall flat or feel more sparse/less utilized than the spy but we were completely wrong. The strengths of each side feels balanced and used appropriately.

This game requires 2 copies and cannot be played same-screen/split-screen due to the nature of the game.

OPERATION: TANGO on Steam, PlayStation, and Xbox

3) Ship of Fools

O, to be but a little sea creature, sailing on a ship, towards complete and utter destruction.

That's the vibe behind Fika Productions and Team17's roguelite Ship of Fools. A great horror storm approaches, and you need to collect weapons, friends for your island, perks, and experience in order to stand a chance. Chaos and giant crab monsters abound.

Ship of Fools on Steam

4) Hide and Shriek

Like the first We Were Here, Hide and Shriek is FREE on Steam. A silly horror game from Funcom about defeating your competition with spells and shrieks as you both try to collect as many of your own colored orbs as you can.

Hide and Shriek, Free on Steam

5) Cook, Serve, Delicious (series)

Cook, Serve, Delicious is a chaotic game about running a restaurant (or food truck, depending on the game), where you take orders and hand make the food to the customers specifications, while also completing chores to keep your restaurant clean and respectable. Hundreds of different types of food, snacks, drinks, and dessert in each game each with possible customisation options. A great game by Vertigo Gaming Inc that can easily pass an entire day away building a food empire.

Cook, Serve, Delicious BUNDLE on Steam

And there you have it!! 5 list items, 10 games in total, two of which are completely free!! All so you can curl up with One (1) other friend and have some adventures together, no one else required.

What other two players games are worth the money? Let me know

[vapehk1]

Baton Vape Takes a Swing at Big Tobacco: A Humorous Look at America's Beloved Vape Brand

Welcome to the whimsical world of Baton Vapor, where quitting tobacco feels less like a chore and more like a journey with a cheeky friend. Founded by the visionary Thomas Vo, Baton Vapor has twirled its way into the hearts (and lungs) of Americans seeking a swanky alternative to tobacco. With all products proudly stamped 'Made in the USA,' Baton Vapor isn’t just blowing smoke about quality and patriotism! A History of Highs and Highs Back in 2014, before Baton Vapor was even a glint in its founders' eyes, there was Vertigo Vapor, Inc., nestled in the ever-rainy Bellevue, Washington. Think of Vertigo as the awkward teenage phase of Baton Vapor, where Thomas Vo and Gabriel Laurant, two buddies turned business partners, dipped their toes into the e-liquid game. But like all good tales of transformation, our heroes had bigger plans. Fast forward to 2016, and the dynamic duo decided it was time to level up—enter Baton Vapor. Imagine the montage scene: buzzing offices, clinking bottles, and the birth of Baton CBD, the sidekick that made chewables cooler than your average gummy bear. But why stop at one? Baton Vapor decided to conquer both the tobacco and cannabis arenas, proving that versatility can also be vaped! A Whirlwind of Challenges Just when Baton Vapor was hitting its stride, 2019 brought in the kind of plot twist you’d expect in a B-rated horror flick—Vaping Associated Lung Injury. Picture it: mass hysteria, news headlines screaming danger, and states slamming down regulations like parents discovering a teen’s hidden vape stash. Despite the turmoil, it turned out the real villain was a shady ingredient in illegal THC products, not our protagonist vape. In a dramatic response to Washington’s new taxes (because what’s a story without a little rebellion?), Baton packed up its coils and juices and set up shop in the glitzy desert of Las Vegas, Nevada. Let’s face it, if you’re going to get taxed to death, might as well do it where the nightlife never ends and every hour is happy hour! Innovation and Evolution Fast forward to 2021, and Baton Vapor decided to jazz things up by introducing non-tobacco nicotine (NTN). This wasn’t just a new product launch; it was a revolution! Out with the old tobacco salts, and in with the new, sleek, cleaner nicotine. It’s like swapping your beat-up old clunker for a shiny electric car—smoother, faster, and oh-so-sophisticated. Meanwhile, Baton CBD took a discreet bow and exited stage left. The website went dark, and the chewables vanished into the night. Perhaps it was a strategic retreat to let NTN steal the limelight, or maybe the world just wasn’t ready for that level of chill in chewable form. Baton Today and Tomorrow Through all the ups and downs, Baton Vapor has remained steadfast in its commitment to quality and innovation. Each product is a love letter to both the environment and the consumer, crafted with care and a pinch of American pride. It’s not just about making money; it’s about making a difference, one vape at a time. What’s next for our plucky hero? With Thomas Vo at the helm, the future is as bright as a neon light in Las Vegas. Expect more flavors, more innovation, and perhaps a little more mischief. After all, in the world of vaping, the only constant is change, and Baton Vapor is here to keep the industry on its toes—and consumers puffing away, healthily and happily. Conclusion Baton Vapor, once known as Vertigo Vapor, has carved out a significant niche in the U.S. vaping market, championing American-made products and striving to provide a healthier alternative to tobacco. Co-founded by Thomas Vo and Gabriel Laurant, the company began in Bellevue, Washington in 2014, later rebranding to Baton Vapor and expanding into Baton CBD. Despite facing regulatory hurdles following the 2019 Vaping Associated Lung Injury scare, which was mistakenly linked to legal vaping products, Baton relocated to Las Vegas to escape restrictive laws. The brand continued to innovate, notably with the introduction of non-tobacco nicotine (NTN) in 2021 and phasing out traditional tobacco products. Although Baton CBD has since faded from the scene, Baton Vapor continues to push forward with its commitment to quality, driven by Vo's personal mission to combat tobacco addiction, mirroring his own family experiences. This jovial yet earnest narrative of Baton Vapor not only underscores its dedication to innovation and quality but also highlights its adaptive strategies in the ever-evolving vaping landscape. FAQs 1. What makes Baton Vapor different from other vape brands? Baton Vapor sets itself apart by ensuring all its products are manufactured in the United States, emphasizing high quality and safety standards. The brand focuses on innovation, particularly with its transition to non-tobacco nicotine (NTN) products, offering a cleaner alternative to traditional tobacco-based vapes. Baton Vapor is also driven by a mission to provide effective alternatives for smokers wanting to quit tobacco, inspired by personal experiences of its founders. 2. Can Baton Vapor products be considered a safer alternative to smoking cigarettes? Yes, Baton Vapor products are designed to be a safer alternative to smoking cigarettes. By eliminating tobacco from their products, especially with the introduction of NTN, Baton aims to reduce the health risks associated with tobacco consumption. However, users should be aware that while vaping is considered safer than smoking, it still involves nicotine, which is an addictive substance. 3. Where are Baton Vapor products available? Baton Vapor products can be purchased through their official website, various online vaping product retailers, and in select brick-and-mortar vape shops across the United States. Since relocating their headquarters to Las Vegas, Nevada, Baton Vapor has continued to expand its availability to meet growing consumer demand. 4. Has Baton Vapor discontinued their CBD product line? Yes, as of 2021, Baton Vapor has quietly phased out its Baton CBD branch, including the popular CBD chewables. The focus has shifted towards enhancing their nicotine vape products and expanding their range of non-tobacco nicotine offerings to better align with their goals of providing tobacco-free alternatives. 5. What steps does Baton Vapor take to ensure product safety? Baton Vapor adheres to stringent manufacturing practices to ensure the safety and quality of their products. This includes using only high-quality ingredients and maintaining rigorous testing processes to comply with U.S. standards. Furthermore, following the vaping health scare in 2019 linked to illicit products, Baton Vapor has been proactive in educating consumers about the safety of legally produced vaping products, distinguishing their items from those containing harmful substances like vitamin E acetate. If you want to know more, please refer to this article: https://keystonevape.com/best-vape/the-best-disposable-vapes-2024-you-cant-miss/ Read the full article

[games-und-lyrik]

Soccer Story

Die Welt könnte genauso gut untergehen – Soccer Inc. hat jedes örtliche Stadion, Team und Turnier geschlossen. Welche Art von Welt kann ohne das schöne Spiel überleben? Zum Glück hat ein magischer Fußball dich zum Retter des Fußballs auserkoren. Illegales Kicken in Soccer Story In Soccer Story stehen dir Rätsel und Probleme gegenüber. Sie lassen sich mit einem Fußballschuss lösen. Besiege Bösewichte im Kampf 1vs1. Trete in verschiedenen Sportarten mit deinem Fußball an. Knobeln ist hier ebenso gefragt. Verbotenes Fußball Erinnere die Menschen an das Fußballspiel. Besiege die besten Teams. Spiele überall. Du findest auf der Welt Tore, Rätsel und Geheimnisse. Durchlebe Einzelspielerschicksale und begegne durchgeknallten Charakteren. Erledige Aufgaben, konfrontiere abtrünnige Schiedsrichter und beschäftige dich mit verrückten Sportarten. Alles hat mit Fußball  zu tun. Karriereaufbau Baue deine Fußballkarriere auf. Trete gegen verrückte Fußballteams an. Haie, Kleinkinder, Rentner und Ninjas fordern dich heraus. Rette den Fußball für die Welt. Bringe Frieden und Harmonie. Treten im lokalen Mehrspielermodus gegen Freunde an. Rette den ultimativen Sport. Ein Entwickler vieler Adventure sind die Pendulo Studios Weitere Adventure auf Games und Lyrik: Alfred Hitchcock – Vertigo Blacksad: Under the Skin Day One Der Fall John Yesterday Hidden Runaway Hollywood Monsters Hollywood Monsters 2: The Next Big Thing Igor: Objective Uikokahonia Yesterday Origins Runaway - A Road Adventure Lesen Sie den ganzen Artikel

[gmlocg]

2,554.) Cook, Serve, Delicious! 2!!

Release: September 13th, 2017 | GGF: Arcade, Action, Simulation, Strategy, Management | Developer(s): Vertigo Gaming Inc. | Publisher(s): Vertigo Gaming Inc. | Platform(s): Linux (2017), Macintosh (2017), Windows (2017), PlayStation 4 (2018), Nintendo Switch (2019), Xbox One (2019)

[emotionalmultimediaride]

Epic Games Store free game: "Cook, Serve, Delicious! 3?!"

Epic Games Store free game: “Cook, Serve, Delicious! 3?!”

Epic Games Store‘s new freebie is Vertigo Gaming Inc.’s cooking simulation Cook, Serve, Delicious! 3?!. Cook, Serve, Delicious! 3?! briefly showed up in the GOG midweek sales: “Family-friendly games and a mixed set” article, together with its sequels, but I didn’t write much about it, so here we go with some more information of how to prepare food on the road, as this is the background story:…

[linuxgamenews]

Cook Serve Forever adventure with plans for other platforms

Cook Serve Forever culinary adventure game has hope for Linux with Windows PC. All thanks to the crazy creative genius of developer Vertigo Gaming Inc. Working to make its way onto Steam. Vertigo Gaming Inc. reveals its massive new culinary adventure Cook Serve Forever for release in 2023. Along with other platforms and storefronts set to be announced soon. But the Steam page does not outline Linux. So we reached out to the developer directly, here is the email reply.

...but we're using GameMaker Studio 2. We'll likely take the same multi-platform route we have for our more recent releases.

This is not a full out confirmation for Cook Serve Forever. But rather, a commitment to multi-platform support going forward. The release is due in 2023, so there is a bit of time. And the use of GameMaker Studio 2 should make Proton a solid option. Which is the case for Cook, Serve, Delicious! 3?! Especially since GameMaker Studio 2 seems to focus more directly on Ubuntu support. But, it would be smart if Yoyo games enabled native support for the Steam Deck.

Cook Serve Forever - Announcement Trailer

Cook Serve Forever will have you cook your way through the bustling solarpunk city of Helianthus as Nori Kaga. Doing so as a food cart chef aspiring to make it big like her role model. She is the Culinary Queen herself, Chef Rhubarb. This all new IP from the creators of Cook, Serve, Delicious! features hundreds of recipes. There is also a dramatic fully voiced story, tasty sidequests, and stunning artwork. While offering gameplay that simulates the rhythm and tactility of cooking.

Featuring:

A massive new Cook Serve Forever adventure with dozens of hours of gameplay!

Hundreds of new foods, ingredients, and recipes with an all new dynamic cooking system.

Play with a friend via local co-op through the entire campaign!

An amazing original soundtrack by award winning composer Jonathan Geer.

Fully voiced story starring Elspeth Eastman (League of Legends). Emme Montgomery (Cook, Serve, Delicious! 3?!), and more to be announced!

Hit the road in Cook Serve Forever, a huge sequel to the million-selling Cook, Serve, Delicious! series. Doing so across a ton of levels in a new gameplay structure and redesign to deliver fast paced action. So be sure to add the game to your Steam. With hopes for Linux support with Windows PC.

[jasper-rolls]

Hot Buttered Biscuits - Jonathan Geer [Cook, Serve, Delicious! 2!!]

[endworldgaming]

Heyo folks, here’s today’s gameplay video! In this one I’m playing the recently released early access version of Cook, Serve, Delicious! 3?! by Vertigo Gaming Inc.

The video showcases 2 levels in the third section of Boise, Idaho, which is an early section of the game. I’m currently still practicing as it’s been a while since I last played CSD2, and this game is more fast paced than that one was.

More videos soon!

[ufonaut]

whatre your thoughts on Alan when he was written by Greg Rucka (the 52 weekly series and Checkmate back in the early 2000s)

i like him a lot! i think greg rucka's alan is one of the most interesting takes on alan in the modern era, and that's no backhanded compliment -- he actually touches on alan's grey morality in ways we haven't seen since sentinel (which by 2006 definitely felt very far away) and i personally believe that's one of the most compelling aspects of alan in the grand scheme of superheroics. i don't generally like rucka's writing, i simply don't think he's a very exciting author, but both 52 and checkmate do a very good job with a character that's been largely ruined by geoff johns' jsa 1999 (a good series as a whole and as an introduction to the jsa but certainly at the cost of sanitizing much of what made alan himself)

there's a panel from 52 #9 that gets brought up every now and again on here & often misquoted as the sole manifesto of abominable mental health care in comics but i've never agreed with that sentiment because what rucka writes here is perfectly in line with alan's sixty-something (at that point in time) year long history

(52 2006 #9)

this is a man whose suffered mental breakdowns every couple of years for most of his adult life (all star squadron 1981 #20, all star comics 1976 #65, young all stars 1987 #9, infinity inc 1984 #9, green lantern 1990 #110) and who's infamously terrified of being institutionalized (ggw 1992 #31), alan would not accept even the notion of mental health care and he's certainly barely accepting the physical trauma he's suffered. while i'll be the first to admit there's times when rucka still tends towards the elder statesman status johns had thrust upon alan, i think there's enough precedent (see: the aforementioned issues) to give flavour & subtext to this kind of dialogue -- alan can claim he's setting an example, and an objectively abysmal one at that, while staying well within his comfort zone

now on to that sweet sweet grey morality, checkmate started out as a division of task force x and keeps well within those boundaries despite eventually becoming associated with us national security & meant to operate on a covert international basis. it often employs people like the thinker or count vertigo led by amanda waller, all well known to be outright villains or anti-heroes at best. what alan's meant to do as white king is provide the group with a legitimate air by coasting on his reputation as a somewhat respected public figure & one of the world's earliest heroes. after all, the white king of checkmate is, by definition, something of a figurehead. what alan does do is not remotely stand for that -- he outright threatens his colleagues and associates, he regularly walks into field ops at the cost of a job he's never wanted and generally does not fill the position as intended by waller & co

(checkmate 2006 #4)

i think, contrasting with the ways alan-as-sentinel was visibly unhinged, this is one of his angriest periods in a delightfully understated way. he's still mourning jennie's death, the loss of his eye and the trauma suffered -- none of which is said but rather felt in his very action. the implication throughout is that of alan being blackmailed into joining checkmate and often waller aims to hold him back with questions of his supposed patriotism (and other things. if you count recent revelations), the climax of which is reached when alan gets himself unceremoniously kicked out of checkmate after violating just about any & every rule of engagement put in place by the agency. there's lots of parallels to be drawn between alan & waller as well but the most pertinent one is certainly alan's complete and utter refusal to play her game and how that's framed as a taste of her own medicine

like i said, rucka definitely gives us some of the most compelling alan appearances in the modern era! there's a real understanding of the character here

[ollamhproductions]

With the second game delayed, I figured we would enjoy the first game of the mad-house cooking game.

[loadingbf461]

Wolf Among Us

Life in the Big Bad City is Bloody, Terrifying and Dangerous.

Bigby and Snow are returning to untangle more mysteries in the much-anticipated sequel to one of Telltale’s most beloved games, The Wolf Among Us.Award-winning voice actors Adam Harrington and Erin Yvette are back to breathe life into the main characters (Bigby and Snow). The Wolf Among Us. Available on PC, Consoles, and Mobile. Life in the Big Bad City is Bloody, Terrifying and Dangerous. Fairytale characters are being murdered in.

Fairytale characters are being murdered in this hard-boiled, violent and mature thriller based on the award-winning Fables comic book series (DC Comics/Vertigo) by Bill Willingham. As Bigby Wolf – THE big bad wolf – you will discover that a brutal, bloody murder is just a taste of things to come in a game series where your every decision can have enormous consequences.

Based on the Eisner Award-winning Fables comic book series

It’s not only WHAT you choose to do that will affect your story, but WHEN you choose to do it

A mature and gritty take on characters from fairytales, legends and folklore who have escaped into our world

A perfect place to begin your Fables journey, even if you’ve not read the comics this game is set before the events seen in the first issue

Includes access to all five episodes:

Wolf Among Us Ending Explained

The Wolf Among Us On Votable

Episode 1: Faith

Episode 2: Smoke and Mirrors

Episode 3: A Crooked Mile

Episode 4: In Sheep’s Clothing

Episode 5: Cry Wolf

Click the blue button labeled “Support” at the bottom of this page to or click here submit a Player Support ticket.

Wolf Among Us Book Of Fables

© Bill Willingham and DC Comics™ Bill Willingham (2013). All Rights Reserved. “PlayStation” and the “PS” Family logo are registered trademarks and “PS3” and the PlayStation Network logo are trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox LIVE, and the Xbox logos are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies and are used under license from Microsoft.

[odinsson2021]

Playlist Saturday 18. September 2021 8 - 10 PM!!

Stormwitch - Rondo ala Turca - Eye of the Storm - Gama-Musikverlags GmbH  - 1989

Palace - Rock And Roll Radio - Rock And Roll Radio - Frontiers Music Srl - 2020

Journey - Don't Stop Believin' - Escape - CBS Records - 1981

Honeymoon Suite - Little Sister - Monster Under the Bed - Suite Music Inc. - 1991

Barnabas Sky - Legends Rise - Inspirations - Pride & Joy Music - 19.11.21

Heart Line - Fighting to Live - Back in the Game - Pride & Joy Music - 19.11.21

Six Silver Suns - Edge of Forever - As Archons Fall - AOR Heaven - 22.11.21

Altzi - You don`t believe in Love (Single Release) - RA Music - 20.08.21

Night Ranger - Touch of Madness - Midnight Madness - MCA Records - 1983

Supernova Plasmajets - Lonely Hearts in the Night - Now or Never - Pride & Joy Music - 22.10.21

Osukaru - Joker (In the House of Cards) - Starbound - AOR Heaven - 22.10.21

Paganini - It's a Long Way to the Top - It's a Long Way to the Top - Vertigo - 1987

Heroes del Silencio - Enter Dos Tierras - Senderos De Traición - EMI Electrola - 1990

Accept - The Undertaker - Too Mean to Die - Nuclear Blast - 2021

Aeonblack - Nightwalker - The Time Will Come - Black Sunset Records - 2021

Black & Damned - Liquid Suicide - Heavenly Creatures - Rock Of Angels Records - 2021

Bloodbound - When Fate is calling - Creatures Of The Dark Realm - AFM Records - 2021

Dan Baune's Lost Sanctuary - Temple of Fear - Lost Sanctuary - Rock Of Angels Records - 2021

Epica - The Skeleton Key - Omega - Nuclear Blast - 2021

Evergrey - The Beholder - Escape Of The Phoenix - AFM Records - 2021

Generation Steel - Shadow in the Dark - The Eagle Will Rise - Pure Steel Records - 2021

Helloween - Angels - Helloween - Nuclear Blast - 2021

Herman Frank - Liar - Two For A Lie - AFM Records - 2021

Iron Maiden - The Writing on the Wall - Senjutsu - Parlophone - 2021

Blind Guardian - Mr. Sandman (Single) - Virgin Records - 1996