#can you believe they tried to sell this to me as red meets folklore? | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

taylorswiftandx · 2 years

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Taylor Swift and Children

'Taylor Swift'

Mary’s Song (Oh My My My): I dared you to kiss me and ran when you tried, just two kids, you and I

Mary’s Song (Oh My My My): We’ll rock our babies on that very front porch, after all this time, you and I

'Fearless (Taylor's Version)'

You All Over Me: But I did, so I smiled, and I melted like a child

'Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)'

Never Grow Up: Take pictures in your mind of your childhood room

Long Live: If you have children some day, when they point to the pictures, please tell them my name

'Red (Taylor's Version)'

All Too Well: You used to be a little kid with glasses in a twin sized bed

22: This place is to crowded, too many cool kids

Starlight: Have ten kids and teach them how to dream

Begin Again: And you throw your head back laughing like a little kid

Run: So you laugh like a child and I'll sing like no one cares

The Very First Night: Not trying to fall in love but we did like children running

'1989 (Taylor’s Version)'

(no children)

'reputation'

(no children)

'Lover'

Cruel Summer: I’m drunk in the back of the car and I cried like a baby coming home from the bar

London Boy: He likes my American smile, like a child when our eyes meet

ME!: Hey, kids, spelling is fun!

'folklore'

Illicit Affairs: Don't call me "kid," don't call me "baby"

Invisible String: Cold was the steel of my axe to grind for the boys who broke my heart, now I send their babies presents

Peace: Give you my wild, give you a child

'evermore'

Tolerate It: I wait by the door like I'm just a kid

Right Where You Left Me: I'm sure that you got a wife out there, kids and Christmas

It's Time To Go: Or trying to stay for the kids when keeping it how it is will only break their hearts worse

'Midnights'

You’re On Your Own, Kid: You’re on your own, kid, you always have been

You’re On Your Own, Kid: You’re on your own, kid, yeah, you can face this

Vigilante Shit: Now she gets the house, gets the kids, gets the pride

Mastermind: No one wanted to play with me as a little kid

Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve: And if I was a child, did it matter if you got to wash your hands?

'The Tortured Poets Department'

But Daddy I Love Him: “I’m having his baby,” No, I’m not, but you should see your faces

But Daddy I Love Him: Screaming, “But, daddy, I love him, I’m having his baby”

Fresh Out The Slammer: At the park where we used to sit on children’s swings wearing imaginary rings

Florida!!!: And my friends all smell like weed or little babies

Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me: So all you kids can sneak into my house with all the cobwebs

I Can Do It With a Broken Heart: ‘Cause I’m a real tough kid, I can handle my shit

The Alchemy: That child’s play back in school is forgiven under my rule

loml: We embroidered the memories of the time I was away, stitching, “We were just kids, babe”

Chloe or Sam or Sophia or Marcus: So if I sell my apartment and you have some kids with an Internet starlet

I Hate It Here: I read about it in a book when I was a precocious child

thanK you aIMee: And then she wrote headlines in the local paper, laughing at each baby step I’d take

thanK you aIMee: And one day, your kid comes home singing a song that only us two is gonna know is about you, ‘cause

Peter: In closets like cedar, preserved from when we were just kids

Peter: Words from the mouths of babes

The Bolter: And I can confirm she made a curious child, ever reviled by everyone except her own father

Manuscript: Afterwards she only ate kids’ cereal and couldn’t sleep unless it was in her mother’s bed

Other Songs written by Taylor

Christmas Tree Farm: In the town, kids are dreaming of sleighs

Eyes Open: The tricky thing is yesterday we were just children

I Heart ?: But I can’t believe you made me sit at home, cry like a baby

Official Alternate Releases

Anti-Hero (feat. Bleachers): Too hurt to hang out, talking shit about your famous baby

I Can Do It With a Broken Heart (Clean Version): ‘Cause I’m a real tough kid, I can handle it

#taylor swift #lyrics #taylorswiftandx #lyric parallels #children #kids #babies

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rhetoricalrogue · 4 years

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31 Days of Wayhaven, Day 17

Prompt: AU Rating: PG for Nicky’s language Words: 2,222 Characters: Unit Charlie, brief mention of Units Alpha and Bravo, as well as Detective Aubrey Miller. Summary: What happens when the coffee shop co-worker and the University co-worker get tired of their partners sighing over the other and decide to take matters into their own hands.

For the @31daysofwayhaven event.

Penny rolled her eyes as she came into work, hanging her coat on the nearby staff coat rack. Nicky had gotten there earlier than she had, which meant that he got to pick the music for the day, which also meant that she was going to be in for a day of listening to him sing along with Dean Martin. Not that it was a bad thing, but they’d done an entire shift of the Rat Pack the other day already.

“You’re late.”

She grimaced as she pulled on a dark brown apron and quickly pulled the strings around her waist to make a tidy bow at her hip. “Yeah, car trouble.”

Nicky shook his head. “You really ought to sell that thing, get you a new one.”

“With what money? No, the car trouble was because my brother decided to borrow it without asking me. I woke up to a note and had to grab the bus. Then the bus wasn’t on time, so I walked the rest of the way.”

He poured her a drink, a smooth hazelnut latte with a dusting of chocolate on top that he made perfectly to her tastes. At least that was something to cheer her up on a rainy morning, especially since he was practicing his foam art and made her a graceful looking swan on top. She caught a glimpse of herself in the stainless steel overhead countertops and winced. The soft, drizzling rain wasn’t enough to soak her or anything, but it had played hell with her long, silvery blonde hair. The sleek braided bun she had put it in earlier was now a frizzed out mess and her cheeks were unnaturally red from practically running to the cafe in order to be there on time.

Penny hated being late to anything.

“You’re too soft on Lars,” Nicky told her, pushing half a toasted bagel loaded with cream cheese her way while eating the other half. “He needs to have some responsibility, especially if he’s couch surfing at your place.”

Penny chewed on her bagel. “You don’t understand, he’s my baby brother. It’s my job to look out for him. Besides,” she took a sip of her drink. “He was going out for a job interview. Hopefully this one takes.” She adored her youngest brother to pieces, and she understood that he was in a rough patch, but at the same time, she was quietly frustrated that he showed up at her doorstep without calling first, ate all her food without shopping for replacements, and left his dirty laundry on the bathroom floor. She was going to have to have a talk with him once they were home to set some boundaries down. If not, then she would happily call their eldest brother Andreas to see if he could help out before calling the big guns in and contacting their mother.

She hated to jump around in the family pecking order, but enough was enough.

“I can relate, seeing as I have a little sister, but I still say you’re being too soft on him. There’s a fine line between older sibling responsibility and being a doormat.”

“I know, and you’re right. Taking my car without my permission and making me late for work is definitely something I’m going to talk with him about.”

Nicky made a mmhm noise as if he didn’t quite believe her. “Don’t worry, Pen.” Nicky told her, changing the subject as he made his own cortado and leaned against the counter to sip on it. “You didn’t miss him.”

She was glad that her red cheeks could hide the sudden blush that she felt rush up from her throat to her face. “Miss who?”

“Oh, don’t play coy with me, donna forte!” He elbowed her in the side. “The Tall London Fog with the soft Scottish accent. The one who looks like a golden retriever if a golden retriever was over six feet tall and had dimples when he smiled.”

“Careful, you make me think you’re the one with the crush on him,” Penny muttered as she sipped on her drink.

“Please, I know I’m handsome and charming, but I’m not an asshole. I wouldn’t steal anyone from my dearest friend and co-worker.”

“You’re not stealing anyone from anybody,” she grumped.

“Maybe if you actually got off your ass and asked him out.”

“He’s a customer!”

“Like that’s ever stopped anyone that works here! I mean, have you seen what the Bravo shift is up to lately? There’s good money on when Adam’ll get the courage up to ask Miss Grande Half-Caff Nonfat Latte with Caramel Drizzle out before the end of the month.”

Penny rolled her eyes. “Adam? Admitting he has feelings for anyone? I give him a year, minimum.”

“Hello, Pot. I’d like to introduce you to Kettle.” He turned to wash out the things he’d used to make their drinks and kicked at her calf. “Speaking of not admitting feelings, here comes London Fog and Dirty Chai.”

Penny masked the sudden lurch in her pulse by twirling around and grabbing the loose leaf tea from an overhead shelf and measured enough into a French Press, adding a spice mix and a little bit of fresh ginger before pouring in hot water to steep. She grabbed the canister of lavender Earl Grey she knew he liked and did the same in a separate French Press while Nicky called out a greeting, confirming that they both wanted their usuals.

“Actually,” London Fog said, coming up to the counter. “Could I add something a little more substantial? Perhaps one of those sausage rolls and a slice of pumpkin loaf? I fear today is going to be a long one, seeing as it’s grading season.”

“Oh? You’re a teacher then?”

“He’s a professor,” Dirty Chai interjected, already setting up her laptop. She’d moved from their usual two-person table to a larger four-person one so the both of them could spread out. “Don’t let him get modest; he’s brilliant in his field.”

Penny looked over her shoulder as she brewed a double shot espresso to add to the chai. “Where do you lecture at?”

The soft question had him looking up at her with an equally soft smile before he quickly looked down, suddenly very interested in the counter’s bakery display. “Wayhaven University. I’m one of the Professors in the Folklore and Ethnomusicology department.”

Nicky took over building their order when another person came in and distracted Penny. “What a coincidence,” he all but purred. “Our dearest Penelope is studying on that campus!” He caught the sudden interest London Fog gave and leaned conspiratorially against the counter. “She’s going back for her master’s degree, if I remember correctly.”

“Oh? What study?”

“You know, for the life of me, I can’t recall. Sounds like an interesting question to ask her though, Professor…?” Nicky trailed off, realizing that neither he or Penny knew their regulars by name, only by order.

“Buchanan. Cameron.”

“Call him Cam,” Dirty Chai said, taking her order and sipping with a happy sigh. “I’m Winona.”

“Nice to finally meet you both. I’ll go warm up that sausage roll for you.” On his way to the back kitchen, Nicky nudged Penny with his shoulder, silently winking at her. She turned her face so Cam and Winona wouldn’t be able to see her expression and narrowed her eyes at her partner before going back to helping the short line of customers that had already started to form for the morning, shaking her head as the first heartfelt strings of Come Back to Sorrento could be heard coming out of the kitchen, Nicky’s smooth baritone making one of the ladies in line sigh dreamily.

Penny transitioned from building orders to taking payment while Nicky bustled in behind her on cleanup and prep duty, the two of them working well. Every so often, her eyes would stray to Cameron and Winona’s table, the two of them with their heads down and fingers clacking over their laptops. Two hours later, Cameron was looking at his watch and cursing under his breath while quickly packing his things away.

“Thanks for letting us stay so long,” he said, sticking money in the tip jar.

“It was nothing,” she told him, fiercely hoping he didn’t catch the way the tips of her ears were a bright pink. “I’m glad you could stay with me - us long enough to get some grading done.”

He smiled and she couldn’t help but mirror the same smile back. “I’d have loved to spend more time, but my office hours are going to be starting soon and I usually have a few students wanting to talk around this time of the year.”

“We’re always here in the mornings!” Oh, smooth one, Fisher, she thought, mentally kicking herself for forgetting how to talk to people when the person in question was one she had a silly crush on. Don’t flirt with customers, it’s just an awkward experience for everyone involved!

Cameron nodded. “And stopping by is always a great start to my day. Your partner mentioned you were studying at the university?”

“I am.”

Cameron shouldered his laptop bag and smiled again. “Maybe we’ll run into the other on campus then.”

“I’d like that.”

“I would too.” He blinked, as if he had been reluctant to break eye contact. “Well, I’d better get going, or else I’m going to miss some student appointments. I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“Bright and early!” Or so she hoped. She really was going to have to speak with Lars about him getting his own transportation. Penny sighed as the bell over the door chimed and tried - and failed - to not watch as Cameron walked down the street.

“He’s not that old.”

Penny jumped at the sudden appearance of Winona at the counter. “Pardon?”

“Cam. He’s not that old, just in case you were worried he was some stuffy professor with a really good skin regimen.”

She let out a nervous laugh. “I wasn’t…” Penny nervously tucked a stray bit of hair behind her ear. “I mean, I didn’t want to presume…”

“Like I said, Cam’s brilliant in his field and made career moves way before the usual timeline. I’m guessing he’s around your age.” She put more money in the tip jar. “You know, if that was a deal-breaker for you.” Before Penny could say anything in response, Winona waved and left.

Penny ran a hand down her face before frowning. There was something other than money in the tip jar. Curiosity getting the best of her, she fished it out, finding it was a business card with all of Cameron’s information on it.

FYI, a woman’s loopy handwriting in bright red ink read at the bottom, your partner wrote down your phone number on a napkin when he gave Cam his order. Thought I should even the playing field and give you his too.

Penny’s eyes widened as she flipped the card over. And BTW, he thinks you’re cute too.

“Whatcha got?” Penny all but jumped out of her skin at the sound of Nicky’s voice unexpectedly at her ear as he tried to look at the card in her hands.

“Nothing!” she yelped, clutching it close to her chest before sticking it into her apron’s pocket. Turning around, she grabbed Nicky by the ear. “And what are you doing, giving strange men my phone number!”

Nicky winced, leaning down as he tried to wiggle away from her grasp. “He’s not strange, Pen! He’s a regular! Practically family! Ow, fuck!”

She let his ear go. “You could have asked me if it was okay first!”

Nicky rubbed at his ear and rolled his eyes. “Yeah, and at the glacier pace that either of you were moving, you may have gone out for drinks when you were both eighty.”

She washed her hands at the prep sink and started making sure that everything they’d used was washed and ready for a new order. Lunchtime was a sort of quiet lull, they got a few regular orders in, but it wasn’t anywhere near the morning rush. She checked the schedule. The Alpha shift was coming in for the afternoon to evening times, which meant that she needed to come in a little earlier tomorrow morning to make sure that things had been properly cleaned and organized and that the morning breakfast items were fully stocked. She loved them to pieces, but Tane and Maaka weren’t the most organized of duos. She made a mental note to check the to-go cups as well: Tane had a habit of using a marker to black out the Warning, your contents are extremely hot and make it read Warning, you are extremely hot instead.

The good thing is that on dead nights, the brothers would come up with some interesting off the menu recipes and leave notes for her and Nicky to try in the morning. Maaka was more organized than his brother and the notes were always fun to read, especially when he added his own commentary.

“You never know,” she told Nicky, the business card in her pocket weighing far heavier than it ought to. “I just may surprise you.”

Cha cha cha d'amour

Take this song to my lover

Shoo shoo little bird

Go and find my love

#31daysofwayhaven #Unit Charlie #fell into a hole today regarding my writing #AU #when coffeeshop au meets college au

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geek-patient-zero · 5 years

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Part 1, Chapter 2

Or: McCann Reads His Mail

Blood War: Masquerade of the Red Dead Trilogy Volume 1

Dire McCann returns to his office, in “the heart of the tenderloin district.”

Big, bold, black letters on the door proclaimed, D. McCann, Investigations. Beneath his name, in much smaller print, was the disclaimer Consultation by Appointment Only.

I guess even Dire knows his first name’s a little odd and abbreviated it. Who’d want to give work to a guy who looks like they’re trying to give themselves a nickname.

There’s several paragraphs describing the office. The outer office/reception area has a coffee table with old issues of Sports Illustrated and three red chairs, like a doctor’s office with an even more limited selection of outdated magazines.

It wasn’t much, but he didn’t require any better. Recently, his only clients had been the Kindred, and none of them worried about his taste in furniture.

Not to his face, anyway. Vampires are like suburban parents that way.

The office proper, or his ”inner sanctum” as the narration calls it, is pretty standard; huge oak desk, “an elaborate telephone answering machine,” a table with a fax machine, PC, and printer on it, some metal cabinets, and more red chairs. It was also mentioned to have an “outrageous” rent that was almost worth it for the building’s cleaning lady.

The glow of a nearby streetlight gave the room an eerie, ghost-like interior.[...]No cheaply framed photos with hearty endorsements or tacky paint-by-numbers artwork hung on the walls. McCann believed in a strictly functional workplace. Besides which, it made a better impression on potential clients.

McCann sits behind his desk and reloads his submachine gun.

Considering what had happened already tonight, it seemed like good policy to stay ready for trouble.

For all the good it did him, but good thinking I guess. Proper paranoia helps in the World of Darkness.

Then he checks his answering machine. Two of the messages are for “divorce work.” That kind of stuff “didn’t interest” McCann, but there’s another detective in the building who specialized in it, and McCann trades him leads for favors, so he writes down the names and phone numbers. Another message is trying to sell him health insurance.

McCann grinned. Considering his present circumstances, he wasn’t sure he could afford the premiums.

Finally, McCann gets around to checking the mail he was carrying around during the first chapter. After separating the junk mail, he’s left with the small box, which was from Switzerland, three letters from Venice, Italy, another from Australia, and the last from Peru. He starts with the mail from Venice.

Dated approximately a week apart, the letters contained detailed records for financial deals made during the previous seven days. The facts and figures covered hundreds of major business transactions throughout Europe and the United States. The detective scanned the documents carefully. There were no unusual expenditures or unexplained finances. Not that he expected to find any. The masterminds of the Giovanni Clan were the greatest financial wizards in the world. They kept a tight watch on their investments. McCann merely wanted to make sure no one other than him was skimming the profits.

Interesting. Despite doing work for the Camarilla, McCann also has connections to the independent Giovanni Clan, or at least is stealing money from them, and in a way that even their “financial wizards” can’t detect. There’s an even more interesting reveal at the end of the paragraph.

The longer he lived, the more cautious he became. And, though he appeared to be in his mid-thirties, Dire McCann lived a very long time.

Huh. The summary on the back cover describes him as “mortal.” Then again it also misspells his surname as McCannan, so...

Next he opens the latter from Darwin, Northern Territory Australia, which contains a newspaper clipping. Recently, “nomadic” Aborigines fled their reservation in the Tanami Desert and set up a shanty town outside the city. Officials tried to get the “troublemakers” to go back, “but with no success.”

No one could offer an explanation for the natives’ unexpected migration. Nor were the unwelcome Aboriginals willing to discuss why they had abandoned their primitive shelters and made the long trek to the coast. Their only reply was to point in the general direction of the Macdonnel Ranges and utter the word “Nuckalavee, Nuckalavee,” over and over again.

The hell’s a mythological Scottish demon doing in Australia?

Unfortunately, no one other than the natives understood what the term meant.

Have they tried asking a Scottish person? Maybe someone from the Orkney Islands? This is like Native Americans fleeing from the Loch Ness Monster or a kappa.

For those of you who’d never heard of it, or had never played The Bard’s Tale, the Nuckelavee is this big horse with the upper torso of a rider growing out of the middle of its back, and it has no skin.

The story ended with the mayor promising city residents that the shanty town would be gone shortly.

Australians being shitty to the Aboriginals. What a surprise.

I know, hypocritical coming from an American. But still.

McCann grimaced. He understood why the Aboriginals had fled. But he doubted that the government officials in Darwin would believe his answer. Or care. Mentally, McCann noted that he should request that his clipping service search for any follow-up stories. Or reports of unusual disappearances in the Northern Territories.

It’s a minor spoiler, but not an unsurprising one given the setting, but the World of Darkness version of the Nuckalavee is a vampire; a Nictuku, the name for a fourth generation Nosferatu. Father Naples mentioned them during the prologue when he was talking about the Nosferatu, remember?

“A few of their fourth-generation progeny are rumored to be grotesque monsters, known as the Nictuku.”

But whether it’s the mythological Nuckelavee or a vampire character based off of it, it’s bizarre that Weinberg took a mythological creature from one culture, transplanted it to a completely different one on a different continent, and act like it was always a part of that culture. Even in 1994, before Wikipedia, anyone familiar with Scottish folklore would know better. Hell, check that fan wiki page I linked just now. The reference used for the page came from VTM: Clanbook: Nosferatu. It came out in 1993, and it’s most likely what Robert Weinberg used for information on Nuckalavee too. If the information on the wiki is accurate to the book, then the book straight up says that the thing is Scottish. Even if the vampire migrated at some point, more people should know about it, at least as a legend, than some scared Aboriginals.

Speaking of... I’m no expert on Aboriginal cultures, living on the opposite side of the Pacific and all, but I’m sure they can communicate better than pointing at some mountains and grunting a monster’s name in fearful tones like some old Hollywood tribal character. At least enough to say “there’s something life threatening by our reservation and we’re getting away from it.” The story’s sympathetic to them at least, but that part rubs me the wrong way.

Next, McCann opens the envelope from Peru. It contains a photo and a handwritten note from a member of the Explorer’s Club. The photo makes McCann “swallow hard”. More bad news.

Scribbled in black ink around the margin of the photo were the words, “Found at entrance to huge cavern, Gran Vilaya ruins, Peru.” The picture showed a massive stone statue of a crouching demonic figure with a misshapen, bloated female body and the face of a snarling jaguar. Circling her feet in a ring were a dozen stone heads. Judging from the size of the skulls, the demon stood a least fifteen feet tall.[...]It fronted a huge network of previously unknown caves that honeycombed the Andes for miles. No one knew for certain the purpose of the underground warren. Several members of the expedition thought it might have served as a ritual burial ground for the mysterious Chachapoya civilization due to the numerous skeletons found scattered all through the tunnels. Which would therefore identify the demonic figure as the guardian of the dead.

Credit where it’s due, Robert Weinberg didn’t just make up the Chachapoya. Little’s known about their ancient civilization, and some of what we do know come from the Inca that conquered them and the Spanish, which aren’t what you’d call unbiased accounts. They even lived in the kind of “fog-shrouded region” or “cloud forests” that Gran Vilaya was described as being found in.

The writer ended his note with the hope that McCann felt his research money was being well spent.

McCann used money from a “secret Giovanni slush fund”, which of course none of the Giovanni clan elders know about, to fund the expedition. McCann feels the cost was justified, but would’ve preferred it it if they’d found nothing.

The statue was not a representation of the spirit guardian of the dead Chachapoyas. It showed their murderer..

Not sure why the Spanish had to build underground catacombs for the Chachapoyas to die of disease and poverty in when- No, wait, he’s talking about a vampire.

A creature who abhorred all life, she was named Gorgo, the One Who Screams in Darkness. And the empty caverns in Gran Vilaya indicated that once more she walked the Earth.

Turns out she’s another Nictuku, like Nuckalavee. One with a kickass title. It looks like some very old, very powerful vampires are waking up, and McCann is not happy about it. He opens the box from Switzerland. It came from “an old friend.”

Inside were photocopies of more than three hundred pages of hand-written memos and high level classified documents. They were a mixed selection from a half-dozen different European security agencies. All were marked TOP SECRET.

But we readers don’t get to learn what they say, because McCann checks his watch and learns he’s gotta be at the Club Diabolique to meet Alexander Vargoss in half an hour.

McCann’s preparing to leave when his phone rings. Remember his “elaborate telephone answering machine?” It’s got some spiffy futuristic tech in it like a “caller ID feature” and the ability to record phone calls. Stuff that only someone secretly skimming money from the Giovanni can afford. But seriously, I enjoy reading old stuff and seeing things that are common today described as rare and amazing. Hell, I didn’t know caller ID was a thing in 1994. My family’s middle class and we didn’t get phones with caller ID until the 2000′s.

Unfortunately, none of his phone system’s features come in handy in this case. He doesn’t recognize the number, but McCann answers the phone anyway.

A man whose voice McCann didn’t recognize spoke in clear, crisp tones. “Lameth,” said the stranger, “beware of the Red Death.”

Without another sound, the man hung up, leaving a stunned McCann holding the receiver. Lameth, the speaker had called him.

Nah, Dire, despite his clear, crisp tones the mysterious caller still has a bit of a lisp. He was actually calling you “lame-ass.”

It was a name from the dawn of history, one that McCann believed long forgotten. A master schemer, the detective did not like unexpected shocks. Especially ones of this magnitude.

McCann certainly has the connections and resources to be a master schemer. Still, I’d of liked to have seen him actually scheme before the narration straight up calls him one.

He tries to listen to the recording of the phone call, but turns out it didn’t record. The caller ID screen is blank, and even the phone number it picked up earlier disappeared. This is starting to sound familiar.

Luckily, McCann memorized the number despite his previous confidence in technology. He calls the local police station, specifically a cop named Harry. He asks for a favor due to him for a bottle of wine he sent Harry for his birthday; the location where his phone call was made from. Turns out, it’s from a booth in the front lobby of his building. One that’s been out of service for months.

Let’s recap. Assassins just tried to kill McCann. Powerful vampires are waking up abroad, which is worrying for a very old schemer with an eye towards international news like him. And an untraceable magic man just called him by a very old name no one should know and warned him of a threat with an ominous name. All before he’s gotta meet with the Prince of St. Louis. Good thing McCann’s a big tough book protagonist, ‘cause I’d certainly be a little anxious.

Not a believer in coincidence, the detective knew the three events had to be linked together. But how?

The voice on the phone had warned him to “beware the Red Death.” McCann had absolutely no idea who or what the Red Death might be. He had a terrible suspicion that he would soon find out.

#vampire the masquerade #vtm #vtmb #world of darkness #vampire: the masquerade #blood war

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kiss-my-freckle · 5 years

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Dialogues

1x2 -

Red: Watch yourself with her, Donald. She hates men, and cops most of all.

1x3 -

Red: I prefer to play with myself in private.

Liz: He’s a myth. Red: That’s what they said about Deep Throat … and the G-Spot.

1x5 -

Red: She owns that nightclub. Last time I was there, we had a great deal of fun, until she tried to strangle me with her stocking.

Red: Or just bend over any available piece of furniture and let her slap you on the ass. She loves that.

Red: He knows you better than I do, and I know where that lovely little freckle is.

1x6 -

Red: Because Yuri talks faster than a cheerleader after a nooner under the grandstands. Probably not a metaphor you understand.

1x8 -

Red: Oh, my God. I’ve never been more scared of a woman in my life. She was thrilling in bed. What a pair of legs. I think she played field hockey in college.

1x14 -

Red: I had a little talk with Rasil. We had a few laughs, compared notes about you. He told me all about that delightful thing you do with a trouser belt, which was a bit hurtful, since I was pretty sure it was our thing.

1x18 -

Vlad: You slept with my wife. Red: How is Fadila? Vlad, it was a mistake. I can easily blame it on the hashish and the grappa, but the truth is - may I speak freely? You’re better off without her. She’s fickle.

1x19 -

Red: Calculus. I can’t even think about derivatives without thinking of that tutor in manor hall. Cindy something-or-other. Never wore a brassiere. Always a bounce in her step.

1x20 -

Red: Ah. Smells like decadence and vice.

2x1 -

Red: They know your habits, the banks you use, the pills you pop, the men or women you sleep with.

Red: Lord Baltimore. Aren’t you a surprisingly saucy minx.

Samar: Aren’t we confident today? Red: I’m confident every day. Samar: And I thought we had nothing in common.

2x7 -

Red: Keep your plum covered. We’re not alone.

2x10 -

Red: Luther, I never thought I’d enjoy having anything in my mouth as much as Petty Officer Virginia Sherman, but this - My God! It tastes so good! I hesitate to swallow, and I certainly don’t want to spit it out.

2x2 -

Red: Mmm! Tastes just like Patty Sutton.

2x3 -

Red: Titillating. But what Laskin and Russo do with or to one another in their spare time is none of my concern. Red: A threesome? Interesting. Based on his sartorial splendor, I gather this is Mr. Vargas. Does that even look like real hair?

Red: You poor thing. Honestly, I don’t know how you do it. It boggles the imagination. B.B., you don’t look well. Are you alright? Let me guess: irregular heartbeat, shortness of breath, perhaps a little tingling in your nether regions? Those drinks you’ve been enjoying on the house? They weren’t from the house. They were from me. I hope you don’t mind. I took the liberty of adding a special surprise ingredient, something to treat any localized dysfunction you may be suffering. Has the little man been falling down on the job? It’s a miracle drug, not so much for a glutton with a bum heart, however. But look on the bright side, you’ll die with a marvelous erection.

2x11 -

Red: The other one, the watercolorist, she - legs like a shot-putter. She gets me in this headlock. I black out. Next thing I know, I wake up - no sheets, vaseline everywhere. The lipstick on the mirror overhead reads, “Same time next year?” I haven’t missed an art expo in Basel since.

Red: Ah. A Russian milonga. Watch closely, Lizzy. Everything you need to know about negotiation is there in the tango milonga. At the outset, they are opponents. Each has something the other wants. They size one another up, assessing risk, setting boundaries, challenging each other to breach them. A sensuous battle - violence and sex balanced on the blade of a knife. Nothing given that is not earned - nothing taken that is not given. This is the pure essence of negotiation. Not a poker game, but a milonga. A tango. A seduction.

Red: And I assure you my bed accommodates a broad spectrum of behavior.

2x12 -

Red: Samar, my dear, bump in the road I can help smooth over, or have the clouds finally parted and this is a social call?

2x14 -

Red: Careful there, boys. You don’t want to bruise the merchandise.

Red: Really, I’m all for being thorough, but at this point, you’re just taking the nickel tour.

Red: Oh, the Dinky. No matter the time of day, that damn train is always full of hungover frat boys and co-eds in the throes of morning-after regret.

Red: Good heavens, Earl. You’ve never had any feeling in your heart, but now it looks like there isn’t much going on below the waist. Earl: I do all right. The wheelchair is just a little memento of our time together in Bolivia. Red: No hard feelings, I trust.

2x18 -

Red: Because, Mr. Jasper, you strike me as a man who would prefer to pitch rather than catch.

2x20 -

Red: Don’t look so glum, Kenneth. You just spent 10 minutes being ridden hard by Agent Navabi. I’d die for five.

2x21 -

Red: She makes her real money consulting. Costs a fortune. She did, however, let me name a lipstick color - “Fire In The Hole.”

Kimberly: I can only tell you what they’re doing. I’m sorry, but I can’t tell you who they’re doing it to.

3x7 -

Hasaan: What do you want? Red: Well, another spin of the bottle in Melanie Reichman’s basement, but, I’ll settle for you.

3x8 -

Red: When’s the last time you got any of that, Pablo? Or have you? Pablo: We share everything.

Red: No wonder Cash doesn’t trust you with anything more important than babysitting. Pablo: That’s big talk coming from a guy who’s -

3x9 -

Red: I prefer that slight curve at the small of the back, the swell of a breast, the soft nape of the neck to quicken my heartbeat.

3x21 -

Cynthia: I read his e-mails. Ever since I found him with the nanny, I look at everything. Samuel: We don’t even have a nanny! It was a movie. Red: A nanny movie? Cynthia: Not just nannies. Schoolteachers, nurses, and a ridiculous threesome with two completely unbelievable policewomen. Samuel: Cynthia, they’re just movies. I have never cheated on you. And besides, I don’t think he wants to hear about it. Red: Yes, I want to hear about it. All about it. Unfortunately, I do need to hear about your contract with Halcyon. So business first, and then, Cynthia, I’ll be all ears.

Red: I had an enlightening meeting with Samuel Rand today. More to the point, with his wife, Cynthia.

Scottie: Howard didn’t take that job. We haven’t had sex in four years. We’re rarely in the same country, let alone the same bed. Red: What bed have you been occupying? Scottie: I’ve been assuming a larger role in a management position lately. Red: You don’t say.

Red: You have it all wrong, dear. I didn’t come to kill you. I came here because you and I are about to climb into bed together, just for a quickie.

3x23 -

Red: Aram… set him up with someone, for God’s sake. He’s like a kid with his first erection on the school bus.

4x7 -

Red: My sympathies to your significant other. And if your flag is flying at half mast, rest assured, I find in the privacy of one’s boudoir, pleasing others is the key to pleasing oneself.

4x14 -

Red: Oh, my goodness. This is tedious. I’d give almost anything to have a scratch. But seeing as how, given your profession, David, you might be more inclined to squeeze them rather than scratch them, I won’t impose. I’ll just wait for the next break.

David: Forget having your testicles scratched. You’ve been castrated.

4x20 -

Red: Baldur, you and I are deal-makers. We buy low and sell high. Getting that cruise line on the cheap was better than sex with your mistress. Either of them. I’m a little down on my luck. A penny stock. Invest in me now and when I rise, you’ll be able to afford three mistresses.

4x22 -

Red: I do wonder what else Donald’s men will find in your nightstand. Are you a vibrator kind of gal, Laurel? We’ll see.

5x1 -

Car guy: How’d she do? Red: Like Bergita Olofson in her parents’ rumpus room on a Saturday night.

5x2 -

Cooper: No, he’s playing grab-ass by the pool between naps and happy hour.

5x10 -

Isaacson: Bite me. Red: Hmm. A woman after my own heart.

5x12 -

Red: Joro spiders. In Japanese folklore, the joro is said to be able to change its appearance to that of a beautiful woman who seduces men, binding them in her web before devouring them. Hence its name “joro-gumo,” or “whore spider.”

5x13 -

Red: Imagine the confidence a man has to have in his own genitals to take on a nickname like “Big Willie.”

5x15 -

Red: Yes. Very impressive. What a gymnasium - a real shrine to athleticism. I can just feel the testosterone.

Fagen: You promised me a sure thing, gives me Viagra, and all I have to show for it is a four-hour erection.

[deleted scene]

Smokey: You’re a sucker, Red. Everyone thinks you’re soooo tough with the hat and the shades and the people you kill but I know better. Circus folk know a sucker when we see one. You’re a sucker. You’re a sucker for the pets, you’re a sucker for Heddie. And God knows why, you’re even a sucker for me. Red: I suppose I am. Smokey: Well, that’s good for me. I’ll follow you anywhere. Red: Well, let's start in the back. I believe we have some cash to count.

5x19 -

Red: This apartment. Right here. Oh. My God. To have been the proverbial fly on Clyde Tolson’s duvet. Liz: Clyde Tolson lived here? J. Edgar Hoover’s lover? Red: This was their secret hideaway. Imagine the conversations. Cooing over JFK’s lovers. Slandering Dr. King. What peignoir to wear to bed. When I saw the apartment was for sale, I couldn’t resist. Liz: You own the apartment where the homophobic head of the FBI carried on his affair with his boyfriend? Red: Allegedly. I wouldn’t admit this in mixed company, but J. Edgar and I have a surprising amount in common. For instance, we both always get our man.

5x21 -

Red: I’ve heard steroids make your penis shrink. Have you found that to be the case?

Liz: Gonzalez called you. Red: His guard, actually. We developed something of a bond.

6x2 -

Red: Through five marriages, numerous lovers, allegedly both male and female.

Red: Cary Grant once said after a particularly evocative LSD trip, “I imagined myself as a giant penis launching off from Earth - “like a spaceship.”

6x4 -

Red: Baldomero, what do you say we call this whole thing off? What happened in Iztapalapa was a terrible mistake. I regret it dearly, and I had no idea she was your mother. Baldomero: You were in my bed. There was a picture of me on the nightstand. Red: Okay, in our defense, it was incredibly dark, and we’d been drinking heavily. Honestly, I regret the entire weekend. Of course, don’t tell your mother that.

#dialogues

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entergamingxp · 4 years

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Let your mind wander with 40 of our best reads • Eurogamer.net

We’ve been lucky enough to publish some wonderful work on Eurogamer over the years, written by some wonderful writers, and we thought pulling some of it together at a time like this would be a nice thing to do.

If you see something you like, scroll down to the bottom of the piece and click on the author’s name to see what else they’ve written. There are some real treats I haven’t been able to include here – it’s a long enough list as it is!

Thank you everyone who contributes to Eurogamer and helps make it what it is, and thank you for reading it. Have a nice Easter weekend.

How Age of Empires 2 got some Scottish kids into RTS – Here’s a question: How do you get a bunch of disillusioned kids in the arse end of Scotland into real-time strategy games? Sam Greer remembers the 90s in Scotland and an unlikely gaming champion.

Petscop, the internet’s favourite haunted video game – Last March, a YouTube channel titled Petscop began releasing Let’s Play-style videos of what appeared to be a bargain-bin Playstation One game designed to entice undiscerning children. But things quickly took a darker turn, as Sara Elsam finds out.

An ode to video game doors – It’s easy to underestimate doors, Andreas Inderwildi writes, and yet they are also imbued with a kind of magic. If you’ve ever wanted to see a lot of lovely video game doors, now’s your chance.

After half my life, Ace Attorney’s re-release brought me full circle – Some games can have profound influences on our lives. Jay Castello grew up with the Ace Attorney series and wanted to be a lawyer – but life doesn’t always go the way it was planned.

I went Christmas carolling in Rust with a real piano, and got shot a hell of a lot – When Emma Kent heard that craftable pianos were coming to Rust (with MIDI support) and she could plug a microphone in too, there was only one thing she wanted to do. But would her fellow Rust players share in her festive spirit?

The story behind the Oblivion mod Terry Pratchett worked on – Imagine one day getting an email thanking you for the companion you made for Oblivion, signed by someone claiming to be author Terry Pratchett. Then imagine discovering, many letters later, it really was him. Cian Maher tells an unlikely story of friendship and collaboration.

The Lords of Midnight: on the legacy of a truly epic wargame – Even now, there’s little else remotely like it. Jennifer Allen remembers a cruel but magical adventure for Commodore 64. And thanks to devoted fans, there is now a way to play it.

Red Dead Redemption 2 and XCOM 2 have one crucial thing in common – companionship – From perishable squad mates to tales around a camp fire, Vivek Gohil digs into what makes companions in Red Dead Redemption 2 and XCOM 2 so special.

I was in Football Manager and I don’t know how to feel about it – Imagine our surprise when writer Chris Tapsell turns around and announces he was once in a Football Manager game, a series he loves – but as a football player. If it weren’t for a shoulder injury he may well have been a professional footballer today. But something always bothered him about his FM representation: his stats weren’t right. His height, his birthday, his eccentricity. This is the story of him getting to the bottom of it.

Roleplaying across the internet – It doesn’t have to be people sitting around a table. In its purest form, roleplaying is when a person says, “Let me tell you a story,” and the other person says, “Me too.” Giada Zavarise takes into the world of forum roleplaying.

If Ubisoft wants to cling on to Clancy, it’s time to talk politics – Tom Clancy relished a political drama so why does Ubisoft try to avoid it in his name? Is such a thing even possible? Edwin Evans-Thirlwell takes a closer look at Clancy and the legacy he left behind.

I owe everything I am to Buck Rogers: Countdown to Doomsday – You’re in a game shop in the mid-1990s and you have £15 to spend, and that’s a lot – you’re a kid and you’re poor. Jennifer Allen had a choice on her hands. What to choose? Pele? Streets of Rage? Or how about this box with the hero and the aliens on…?

Kazunori’s War: the world of Gran Turismo’s creator – He keeps a selection of pre-packed bags by his desk so he can leave at a moment’s notice. He’s an occasional racing driver. And he spun out a car at 200km/h as a very naughty youth. He is Kazunori Yamauchi, creator of Gran Turismo, and Martin Robinson travels to Japan to meet him.

It’s not easy being green: a brief history of orcs in video games – Who invented orcs, how did they get their green colour, and when did they start being more than dumb enemies? Nic Reuben seeks answers.

Why did ancient Egypt spend 3000 years playing a game nobody else liked? – Here’s a game responsible for one of the first ever instances of trash talk, a game played by pharaohs, but even after 3000 years of play, Senet went the way of the disonaur. Christian Donlan tries to find out what happened.

The boy who stole Half-Life 2 – In May 2004, a German boy wakes to find his bed surrounded by armed police officers. Seven months earlier, the source code to the in-development-and-late Half-Life 2 leaks onto the internet. Simon Parkin tells the story of a global hacker hunt, from both sides.

The six-year story of GTA Online’s long-vacant casino – When GTA Online launched, the Vinewood Casino was there. It wasn’t open but it was “opening soon”, according to a sign on the door. One year later, still closed; two years later, still closed. Nearly six years later, still closed. Why did it take so long? Jordan Oloman digs into a troubled development.

The cult of Hideo Kojima – What is it about Hideo Kojima that has crowds turn out in their hundreds to meet him? Khee Hoon Chan waits among one such crowd in Singapore, and then all of a sudden, spotlight on, Kojima is there.

Hearts and minds – Tom Bramwell puts on his best suit for the WWE Hall of Fame ceremony, and it leaves him wondering why there aren’t more heroes in games.

The US town ruled by an AI storyteller – Great storytellers talk about creative partnerships with all kinds of things, from drugs to religion to half-awake states of mind. Can artificial intelligence now be added to the list? Emily Gera shines a light on a fascinating storytelling experiment.

The God who Peter Molyneux forgot – Do you remember Curiosity and the promise of a life-changing prize for whoever tapped the last block? Brayn Henderson does – he tapped it. But did it change his life? Wesley Yin-Poole travels to Scotland to find out.

The Wind Waker inspired me to build a boat – Ever decided to build a boat because you really liked a game about sailing around? No of course not. Nor, I bet, have you ever bought an ocarina instrument because of a game, or fashioned your hair to look like Nathan Drake. Or have you? Omar Hafeez-Bore ponders the influence of games.

Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp and the feud that keeps on running – This time he’s demanding a single coconut. Philippa Warr tells the a hilarious story of two lifelong friends falling out over a valentine.

Brando and Bowie: The amazing stories of a man you’ve never heard about – He alone witnessed Marlon Brando’s last ever performance, and David Bowie kissed him on the lips. He held high positions in the video game world and directed big games for big companies. And yet, he never quite found success as we know it. Or did he? Bertie tells a long story.

Why can’t video games get shoulders right? What an inspired question! And it turns out it’s all in the shoulder blades. Alan Wen investigates.

Viva Piñata places a brutal lens on late-stage capitalism – Don’t be fooled by its cutesy looks. Viva Piñata is, as Hazel Southwell tells us, maybe the only game where the kind of business psychopathy preached on Huel-based wellness retreats outside San Francisco will actually work.

The promise of a game world you can touch – James Holland puts his hands in front of him and as the on-screen bubbles start to pop, he feels them popping on his skin, on his bare skin – he’s not wearing gloves or equipment of any kind. Is this the tech of the future?

Inside Tomb of Horrors, the hardest D&D module ever made – Just getting inside can be an ordeal, as two of the entrances lead to certain death, and losing a character level 10 or higher – all that time invested – really hurts. Why would someone make something like that? Malindy Hetfield takes a closer look.

PS2: The Insiders’ Story – The PlayStation 2 is still the best-selling console in the world. It was a landmark machine and its success made Sony feel invincible. Ellie Gibson takes us back to a time of David Lynch adverts and wild parties.

VR has already taken people with dementia to the seaside, and now video games are exploring neurological disease itself – Watching a participant literally cry with happiness as they remove the headset is not a sight writer Luke Kemp will soon forget.

Decoding Shenzhen: The Chinese city that makes the world’s tech – Known as the mecca of manufacturing, Shenzhen is a fishing city turned megatropolis, where an idea can be made a reality and sold in a market stall in two weeks. Arshiya Khullar investigates.

The human cost of Red Dead Redemption 2 – In October 2018, Red Dead Redemption set a new benchmark for the kind of production values a video game could reach. Technically, it was a marvel. But at what cost?

The folklore roots of Sekiro’s anus-ball snatching enemies – Why does an enemy in Sekiro grab a pale fleshy thing from your behind, hold it up like a trophy, then devour it in its own behind? It’s all to do with some disturbing monsters in Japanese folklore, as Ewan Wilson finds out.

Why I play video games – Dr Omar Hafeez-Bore believes a good part of why he chose to pursue medicine was because of video games, and not for the reasons you may think.

Stories with dice: the thrill of old-school D&D – Even 40 years on, video games have a lot to learn from Dungeons & Dragons. Oli Welsh discovers the joy of pen-and-paper role-playing games.

A horse named Gizmondo: The inside story of the world’s greatest failed console – It’s like it never existed now, but for a while Gizmondo – a handheld gaming machine – was going to conquer the world. The 2005 launch party even featured Pharrell Williams and Sting. But less than a year later, the company behind Gizmondo collapsed into bankruptcy. Ellie Gibson hears the whole shady story from the people who were there.

Passing on the gift of games – Have you ever passed the gift of gaming on and watched someone come to terms with it like you once did? Oh the tantrums I used to throw playing Street Fighter! Emad Ahmed has a niece and nephew to pass the gift onto, with surprising effects.

After I stepped into Yakuza’s world, Yakuza’s world seeped into mine – Wish you were there, in Japan? Well, there are few games better than the Yakuza series for taking you there. They helped Malindy remember happy years studying there, and overcome a painful memory.

The quest for Shadow of the Colossus’ last big secret – What if everything in Fumito Ueda’s renowned game had not been found? Could there be a 17th colossi hidden somewhere, waiting to be discovered? Craig Owens takes us into a world of unsolved mysteries and secret hunters.

The secrets of Dark Souls lore explained and explored – It’s not easy to get at the story in Dark Souls because unlike in other games, it’s scattered and hidden away. Richard Stanton connects the dots for us.

from EnterGamingXP https://entergamingxp.com/2020/04/let-your-mind-wander-with-40-of-our-best-reads-%e2%80%a2-eurogamer-net/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=let-your-mind-wander-with-40-of-our-best-reads-%25e2%2580%25a2-eurogamer-net

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torentialtribute · 5 years

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Wales legends on winning Grand Slam as Gatland’s side chase 12th sweep

One win from glory, the 2019 Welsh rugby team could join the greats of the past by becoming Six Nations Grand Slam champions against Ireland on Saturday.

Ahead of the match Sportsmail gathered together a group of Welsh legends who were part of all the six Slams in living memory for a trip down memory lane.

Wales can become Six Nations Grand Slam champions by beating Ireland on Saturday

1971

22-6 f England (Cardiff); 19-18 v Scotland (Murrayfield); 23-9 v Ireland (Cardiff); 9-5 f France (Paris).

Sir Gareth Edwards: 1971 was exciting, off the cuff, with little fuss. Our coach, Clive Rowlands 'last word to me before each game would be:' If it's good ball, use it. If it isn't kick it! "

We trained on Aberavon beach and just had one back move where Arthur Lewis would cut back against the flow of play. Guess what we called it? "An Arthur!"

Looking at today's complications, that's ridiculous! JPR Williams was such a masterful runner, we didn't need much else.

Against Scotland Gerald Davies had curved fit full back Ian Smith, but couldn't score among the posts. John Taylor then had a conversion right on the touchline in the last minute to win it.

Wales scrum-half Gareth Edwards runs with the ball during his team's win over France

Delme Thomas couldn't look. I said: "To think we've come all this way, played some great rugby and will lose!" It was too much of a fairy tale – but he got the kick.

We tended to lose to France in Paris, but not that final day. Despite the 9-5 score-line it was one of the classiest games I played in. Everyone still drools about it when I go to Paris now!

JPR intercepted Roger Bourgarel five out of our line. I thought: "I better follow him." With about 20 yards to go he threw the ball and I scored in the corner.

1976

21-9 f England (Twickenham); 28-6 v Scotland (Cardiff); 34-9 v Ireland (Dublin); 19-13 f France (Cardiff).

Edwards: We were more dominant in 1976 – a confident side with experience in the places that mattered, with the Pontypool front row of Charlie Faulkner, Bobby Windsor and Graham Price.

JJ Williams: I used to have honey and toast before a game, but the Pontypool boys would have a bloody steak! Sometimes they wrapped one in a napkin and ate it after the game – never waste a steak!

We stayed at the Angel Hotel in Cardiff and on Fridays would walk up Queen's Street to the cinema – seeing Blazing Saddles one time – all with an ice lolly! It was fabulous, but so bloody corny.

On match-day you'd open the curtains and see a sea or red outside the window. You don't go out, if you'd be swamped.

John Dawes would pick the smallest room in the hotel for a team meeting, to make the atmosphere more tense and tight, then we'd come down the lift and squeeze through thousands trying to grab you as you walked across the road to the ground.

Edwards makes a break during the Five Nations match against England at Twickenham in 1976

Edwards : One of the first things John said to us that year was : "You might not be a good team at the start of the season, but you're going to be a good side of the end!" We believed him.

JJ Williams: The dressing rooms at the Arms Park were very quiet, but when you came out of the tunnel the wall of noise hit you.

France were after our blood, but it was our peak after the invincible 1974 Lions tour. Mervyn Davies led from the front as a great captain, and we followed.

The necklaces were closing down, so the special Slam gift Wales a huge lift. Max Boyce was starting out then too. As we've got better, we've got more famous!

So did the Grogg shop in Pontypridd – they made caricature models of Mervyn and JPR to sell. All of that became part of the folklore. Possibly the best Grand Slam Wales ever won.

1978

9-6 f England (Twickenham); 22-14 v Scotland (Cardiff); 20-16 v Ireland (Dublin); 16-7 f France (Cardiff).

JJ Williams: 1978 was tougher as teams were after us. In 2005 everyone went bonkers because the modern generation didn't have a Slam and had gone through so many dark times.

In the 1970s if we didn't it was considered as a failure. The pressure was enormous, and we all had day jobs, so if we had lost the public on a Monday morning!

Edwards: We could've easily lost against England. It was a bloody trudge through the mud, but Phil Bennett tonked over a late penalty and we won 9-6. That was my 50th cap too, so I'll never forget it.

Wales wingerJJ Williams goes over to score a try during the Five Nations in 1978

In Dublin at half-time it led 13-6 but the Irish came out like a warring faction. I never saw the ball in the second half! It was a super-human effort from our pack.

We were so exhausted that after an hour we were still sat in our kit. Friends wanted me to come out but I was too tired and went to bed early!

JJ Williams: Then the first 10 minutes against France were like Waterloo. It was mad. But when it settled down we'd try to get the ball out and play.

Edwards: For winning we were given a decanter, and a silver badge that reads 'Wales Grand Slam' but never had medals. A good shake of the hand from the selectors was it!

JJ Williams: I think we were given a blazer too, but it never fitted!

2005

11-9 v England (Cardiff); 38-8 v Italy (Rome); 24-18 f France (Paris); 46-22 v Scotland (Murrayfield); 32-20 v Ireland (Cardiff).

Martyn Williams: No one thought we would win the Grand Slam in 2005, having been poor in the years previously.

Our style caught the imagination and after beating Scotland scoring some great tries, with no Slam for 27 years, it might have felt the weight of the world was on our shoulders.

Coming into Cardiff to play Ireland I felt nervous, but unbeatable. We didn't realize just how many people were in town, as we had come in the back end.

Martyn Williams celebrates after the final whistle in his side's victory over Ireland in 2005

I saw the news on the Sunday, with 250,000 people outside City Hall, and thought: "Wow , I'm slippery I didn't see that on the way in! '

It was a perfect sunny day so the roof was open, but it didn't matter – the atmosphere was electric. Ireland had Brian O'Driscoll, Paul O'Connell and Ronan O'Gara, so we knew it would be tough.

Gavin Henson hit a drop goal and then when a Gethin Jenkins charge-down settled us Kevin Morgan scored we knew we'd done it. For the last three minutes I was looking at the clock before the elation and relief.

I was three when Wales suffered last won a Grand Slam, so to be part of one took a long time to sink in.

Because it had been so long some wanted an open-top bus tour on the Monday, but the players said no. You only do that if you win the World Cup!

A crazy time to be involved; the highlight of my career. Although, because I was man of the tournament I had some press interviews on the Monday – difficult after our weekend in town!

Williams and Kevin Morgan celebrate with the trophy following the win over Ireland

2008

26-19 f England (Twickenham); 30-15 v Scotland (Cardiff); 47-8 v Italy (Cardiff); 16-12 v Ireland (Dublin); 29-12 f France (Cardiff).

M Williams: I'd retired after the 2007 World Cup disaster but at 32 as soon as Warren Gatland rank and asked if I wanted to come back I didn't take long to say yes. I knew we had a good team and saw what Warren and Shaun Edwards had done at Wasps.

With 13 Ospreys playing at Twickenham we beat England in a game we probably never should have won. Warren has this uncanny knack of giving players belief – we should have been dead and buried, but never looked back.

None of us had won at Twickenham – no Wales side had since 1988 – so suddenly with Scotland and Italy next at home we had momentum.

Wales players spray champagne as they celebrate the Grand Slam against France

Jamie Roberts: I made my debut against Scotland, the only game I played in that tournament, so whether that counts as a Grand Slam I don't know! On reflection my selection was probably to put a rocket up Mark Jones.

It was Gatland's first campaign and he wanted to stamp his authority quickly – I was the beneficiary of that decision! I was a pitch-side for the France game, so lived every minute, and did get a medal!

M Williams: It was a completely different style of winning to 2005. Then we were like Kevin Keegan's Newcastle, you score, we score. But in 2008 only two tried – still a record.

Shaun had worked his magic with the defense. It was a very un-Welsh way to win. We basically won because of Shane Williams, and our defense! At Croke Park, with Shane got us out of jail. We then sealed it against France at home again.

Williams holds the Triple Crown (right) and the Six Nations trophies after the France game

2012

23-21 f Ireland (Dublin); 27-13 v Scotland (Cardiff); 19-12 v England (Twickenham); 24-3 v Italy (Cardiff); 16-9 f France (Cardiff).

Roberts: The previous four years had harbored so much disappointment. In 2009 I lost a European Cup semi-final on penalties, let Ireland win a Slam in Cardiff with a last-minute drop goal, lost a Lions second Test in the last play against South Africa, and then was knocked out of the World Cup semi-final by a point in 2011. So by 2012 I was in my mid-20s and praying for no more disappointments.

Warren worked us so hard and made us believe we were fitter, faster and stronger than everyone else.

Against Ireland you have to empty the tank physically and mentally. Those matches hurt. We absolutely battered into them and Leigh Halfpenny won it with a penalty in the 79th minute.

Wales center Jamie Roberts scores his try during win over Italy at the Millennium stadium

At Twickenham I ran into Manu Tuilagi and felt a click in my medial ligament. Scott Williams came on for me and won the game after stripping the ball off Courtney Lawes – it was an amazing win which sealed the Triple Crown but I was worried I'd be dropped!

Luckily I recovered – getting all the abuse and 'Lazarus' nicknames from the lads – and scored a try from 60 meters against Italy. I didn't score too many, so that was awesome.

Alex Cuthbert was an academy boy, straight out of university on £ 5,000-a-year and scored three tries in the Championship – the step off his right and change of pace against France won us that final game – and Dan Lydiate was Wales personified – his attitude to level people was incredible.

For the core group it felt like we finally had reward for our efforts. The 2011 World Cup was savage – the worst moment of my career – so 2012 was special. And when you win trophies in Cardiff there are no early nights!

Roberts and his team mates celebrate after winning their country's fifth Grand Slam

2019?

24-19 f France (Paris); 26-15 v Italy (Rome); 21-13 v England (Twickenham); 18-11 v Scotland (Murrayfield); Next – Ireland (Cardiff).

M Williams: Recently this is the best team who've come here on the final day. Fingers crossed the magic of Cardiff will get Wales through and everyone will be dancing in the streets again. I'll be back all day long.

Edwards: They're on a fantastic run, but it is still done. I'll be proud if Alun Wyn Jones joins the group alongside Gerald Davies, JPR Williams, Ryan Jones, Adam Jones, Gethin Jenkins and me who have won three Grand Slams – we'll welcome him to the club with open arms!

He deserves it. Would my team beat this one? Well, lots of us are over 70! Good luck to them, I hope they achieve it.

Warren Gatland is one win away from seeing his team join the greats of the past

Roberts: Warren, Shaun Edwards and all the coaches deserve a perfect send-off. I have a huge amount of respect for the resilience of this team.

I can't see Wales losing. Their attacking game hasn't been allowed to shine yet, so I hope they blow Ireland off the park and score some great tries. Prepare the heart to beat at 200-beats-per-minute!

JJ Williams: This crop has shown glimpses of being a great team. We would've been proud of the Josh Adams try against Scotland. It was perfect.

This team are not spectacular – Gatland's teams will never play flamboyant rugby – but are defensively oriented and comfortable without the ball. They've done well and will get better. I am confident.

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