#homey Louis

[againwithpurpose]

Got to love the fact that Louis and Armand have both contributed to creating a homey feeling around the kitchen they don’t need.

Louis has stacked the place with snacks for the comfort of men he’s going to fuck, get secondhand high by, and possibly have for dinner.

Armand has installed a shiny new kitchen appliance.

Poor Daniel is about to learn that The Microwave Man is not the same as The Plumber when it comes to hookups.

(Also got to love the scenographers for putting a microwave in that kitchen. Few had one in their home in 1973, but trust the little tech gremlin to own one.)

[theweepingangelofcas]

Spa Day - The Moriarty Brothers

Soooooo funny story, I now work 50 hours a week as both a baker and at a spa so my schedule is PACKED. But I really missed writing. So here I am. Summary: The boys do their best to give you a well deserved spa day (I deserve one too but I don't have time to get one, so let's write about it!)

*************************

William Moriarty

He probably had to do the least research for it. Though I doubt he goes to spas himself, I imagine he understands the practices pretty well himself. After all, he's read a lot of books. At least one of them has to be on self care, right?

He is a homey type of person at heart. Though visiting new places and meeting new people is just part of the noble lifestyle, he prefers to just stay home and relax.

So, on his day off, you decided to pamper him with a little spa day.

"William?" You called. He had just woken up from a nap a few minutes ago, and you knew he had to be around the kitchen for tea, "Where are you, love?" "'I'm over here, dear." His voice was serene and calm, just how you wanted it to be. The tray in your hands rattled with the glass bottles and oils, giving away your plans. He looked up from his piping kettle of tea, cocking an eyebrow at the elixirs and concoctions in your hands, "What's this?" Your face lit up, "You're getting a facial! You deserve to relax more, Will." He stepped up, observing one of the creams on the tray, "I've never had one before. But, I do trust in your hands." He kissed your forehead, once, twice, three times. His favorite way to kiss you. Soon enough, he was laying on the living room's couch. The lights were dim, only a few candles around you two. Lavender and rosebuds could be smelt throughout the room. With each potion of beauty you layered on his skin, his love for you grew. "Are you having fun, Will?" Your elated voice, sweet like candy floss, was music to his ears. His smile could only grow, "Always, love. Always."

Louis Moriarty

Let's face it, has this man ever known a day of rest? He'd rather die.

In fact, as much as he appreciates that you booked a couples massage for you both, he's a little annoyed that he won't have a head start on dinner that night because of it.

The spa was beautiful, to say the least. Flower vines clung to pillars near the entrance, so that the spa smelled of jasmine and peonies. The staff were attentive, offering you both wine before settling you into the private room. Louis, despite his confident demeanor, was adorably shy while getting undressed. He flushed at the idea. But something about you excitedly hopping onto the massage table eased his nerves. He watched as you got comfy under the thin, lilac colored sheet, breathing in the scent of flowers around you. His heart calmed, releasing a breath he didn't even know he had been holding. Maybe this would be a lovely day after all. He loved it. The firm but targeted massage eased his sore back in a way he hadn't known possible. Plus, seeing you happy and content? That was worth everything to him. You weren't surprised when he shyly asked to go back there again for his birthday.

Albert Moriarty

I'm convinced this man has like, a monthly pampering day or something.

Y'know, some wine, a facial, a massage, maybe a nice dinner. A real 'treat yourself' kind of day.

Of course, once you become his darling beloved, he takes you along with him.

At the end of the month, every month, you two have a day out. It's not an average day out, though. It's a day full of relaxation, pampering, and overall, not stressing about absolutely anything. You'd been surprised at first, when he told you about his monthly happiness sesh. But it made sense the more you thought about it. He was a busy man. He deserved to unwind from time to time. A couples facial, couples massage, and then you'd get a manicure and pedicure. Only the best for his dear y/n. Sometimes, when it's been a particularly stressful month, he takes you to a lovely dinner, or even a walk through the nature park you love so much. No matter what you two do together, it can be guaranteed that it'll be the best day you have that month.

[theresthespark]

Okay Lestat is canonically a Scorpio and Louis a Libra which are both painfully accurate. I wanted to play Estelle and share my astrology headcanons

Claudia:

Leo rising – the hair, the general slayage, her association with yellow aka the sun

Aries sun – she’s so bold plus libra and Aries are sister signs so they share traits that present different which feels right for Louis and her’s kinship

Taurus moon – not prone enough to over emotionality to be a water sign but not overly practical in the way the other earth signs are. Very stubborn and does canonically enjoy beauty and luxury. Also if you know a Taurus I feel like it just makes sense

Madeleine:

Virgo Rising – She just gives demure when we first meet her and yet no bullshit either. Virgos just seems very put together almost unassuming which is funny since every Virgo I know is crazy lol

Aquarius sun – the decisions she’s made in her life feel the best suited for an Aquarian. Also her talking to Armand? That woman stopped giving a fuck about what everyone else is doing years ago

Cancer moon – Almost did Scorpio here but her loyalty and intensity didn’t feel suited there. Cancer still has some of Scorpio’s snap but its homey and soft too. I also can’t see Claudia gravitating towards someone similar to Lestat at all lol

(Bonus: suspected Aries Venus. The intensity of her!! Her directness when she cares! How she chases life and joy!)

Armand:

Pisces Rising – those big ole eyes are a big marker for this one. Also Pisces have big baby energy despite being the oldest sign which feels perfect for him

Gemini Sun – Please what else could he be? There’s the 27 different faces but more so, the love for technology and knowledge, the urge to always strategize. The near inability to ground into his emotions. The perpetual anxiety. Also Geminis are so funny without even trying but that’s just me

Capricorn Moon – Caps are ruled by Saturn which is in short a struggle bus placement. Fits well with the forever 27 thing (stuck in perpetual Saturn return) and his tendency to self flagellate. Also it being represent by the devil card in tarot. Iykyk

Daniel:

Capricorn rising – When you first meet him he comes off quite no bullshit in a way that only makes sense for Capricorn to me. Also fits for the workaholic tendencies (our risings tend to be a truest to self energy aka us at our best). Also feel that may be what draws Armand to him hehehe

Sagittarius sun – If you look up famous Sags all of them are silly goobers (and lowkey problematic 💀). Like him being a Sag makes SO much sense to me for San Francisco. Only a Sag would make that many dumb decisions just bc it was a vibe lmaoo

Aries moon – Thinking about Eric’s comment about Daniel not taking kindly to bullies. Also how similar him and Claudia feel to me I feel they’d share some major signage too

(Bonus: Gemini Mercury bc his got the gift of the gab, the quick wit)

Louis: (i couldn’t resist finishing their big three)

Libra rising – Ruled by Venus, Helen of Troy, Malena coded. What else could he be really?

Libra sun – Painfully canon

Scorpio moon – With how he talks about himself and his life versus how he moves through the world it makes perfect sense to me. So much emotion but also a lot of passion all bottled unless in the right company. Also he would loooove SZA (plus plus you’re more likely to become heavily attached to people who’s sun is your moon)

Lestat:

Aquarius rising – Leo’s sister sign (perfect for him and Claudia’s dynamic). She’s a rebel she does her own thing she does not give a flying fuck about the rest of yall. Only an Aquarius could be responsible for the events in Queen of the Damned

Scorpio sun – Again debilitatingly canon

Leo moon – Do I even need to explain it? Pull any TVL passage if you want an explanation lmaooo

I hope you enjoyed my analyzes I love astrology and would kill to get a proper birth chart for these characters. The house placements! The Aspects! The CHIRONS!! I need to chill

[rapha-reads]

IWTV rewatch

Season 2 episode 1 [What Can The Damned Really Say to the Damned] - part 4/4

- And now... Mood shift, setting change, back to Dubai, 2022, and the 77 year-long lie. And lord oh lord, we jump right into it with the shot of the bedroom being a cell and Armand selling Louis' art without even telling him the works are up for sale. Greaaaat. This is gonna be fun.

[Louis] "'Could I see the pages we removed? Of Claudia's diaries?'

[Armand] 'We made an agreement.'

[Louis] 'I don't know what else is blurred or misremembered.'

[Armand] 'My name is in some of those pages.'

[Louis] 'I sit across from him and reckon with the knowledge I don't know what other misrememberings made into it. I won't share them with him but I need to read them again.'"

Brb, need to SCREAM. Oh, the control Armand us exercising over Louis... The way he micromanages every aspect of his life. The way Louis has to bargain for everything he wants, and the way he thanks (thanks!!!) Armand for every breadcrumb thrown his way. The way Armand cares more about his image, his reputation, his grip on Louis, than Louis' well-being and peace of soul and mind. And the way the scene is shot and designed, the bars behind the bed and the skyscraper settling, the lack of any colors and any homey furniture, the huge bed with an ocean separating them, contrasting with the comfy house and room of 1132 rue Royale, and how Lestat and Louis used to sleep entwined in each other's embrace... I will go mad.

- BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA THE ENTRANCE HAND IN HAND, ARE THEY SERIOUS. Oh, this is too hilarious. And how they drop the hands as soon as they're seated, yeah, real convincing, fellas.

- Oh, Devil's Minion's crumb! Armand responding to Daniel by mimicking his "Yeah" and those big eyes looking so amused and fond at that old man. Couldn't care less about the Loumand, I'm here for the Devil's Minion. What a performance, Louis rubbing Armand's shoulder, lmao.

- Daniel shutting down Armand immediately is hilarious. "Sure, sire, you're on the record, but you still haven't made an appearance in the story so for now stfu and wait for your turn". No wonder Armand goes crazy about Daniel, that guy doesn't know how to be afraid. And second shoulder pat, Lou, hon... You're enjoying this, aren't you. You are enjoying the way Daniel puts Armand back in his place, something you haven't managed to do in years, despite what you both like to pretend.

- Oh, I love that piece of music! That one is "The Whole World Was Ready to Return" and it is gorgeous. It's played here, as Claudia and Louis go to Paris, and at the end, when Louis issues his threat/warning to the vampires in Dubai. Very thematic. The music in s2 is different from the music in s1, by the way. S1 soundtrack had very folk/blues undertones, New Orleans style, while s2 is much more orchestral/symphonic, Paris style. The music adapts itself to the setting, and I adore that. It gives so much more texture to the story.

- [Louis] "The war had turned off the lights, stripped its streets of their beauty, sent its avant-garde into exile. But now, the whole world was ready to return, to remake their lives. Pilgrims, on their hopeful way."

Nah, the avant-garde, at least artistic, was there, just, waaay underground or dangerously flirting with censorship and hidden meanings. In Paris itself during the war, there were several plays written and played against fascism while the Gestapo was patrolling the streets. Notably, though conflictingly, Jean Anouilh's famous "Antigone", in 1944, Josephine Baker singing and spying , as well as Sacha Guitry, who was arrested after the Liberation and accused of collaboration without any evidence, but who managed to save a lot of Jewish artists and personalities by playing double agent, or good ol' Sartre (who hilariously makes a cameo later on in the show) who writes a lot of stuff between '40 and' 44. Anyway. There's more but I ain't have time right now to do serious research. Back to Louis.

- [Louis] "'I wanna say something to you. I don't need to hear anything back I just need you to hear me. Hard words and soft words. The hard. Our life is shit. It's been shit. It is shit. It's gonna be shit again. Stop feeling sorry for yourself. No one's watching, no one cares. A shit life beats no life. But where we're going now we can't be running away again. Doesn't mean we forget what we saw. What she did in front of us. I see you going that way I'm gonna pull you back. I don't need that from you. As long as you walk the Earth, I'll never taste the fire, you understand me? We're going to find others like us. Aind if it ain't here, cos life is shit, or I fuck it up again, or you fuck it up, we'll go to the next place. We can't be the only good ones out there. Soft words. If you were the last vampire on Earth... it would be enough. It's you and me. Me and you. You and me. Me and you. You and me.'"

And my hallucination of your dead father.

Anyway that's his child, that's her parent.

Gotta give it to Louis tho, he doesn't lie. Embellishes, obfuscates, but lying, no. As long as Claudia's alive, he's not gonna try the sun. But if she dies... All bets are off.

Also Louis is right and hey, actually needed to hear that right now, thanks bae. Now someone needs to tell him back his own words, I think he needs to hear it back.

Episode insider:

Jacob talking about the heart full of sugar and how he spent the rest of the night on a sugar high is so adorable and hilarious when the part that comes next is Dreamstat. Also hey, "Dreamstat" was coined by Jacob himself, nice!

[Jacob] "Anne Rice's vampires are so human. This is kind of a departure from these sort of beautified, glamorous vampires. It's just really fun." - yeah, I like the glam vamp, but the monstrous vampire, a bit like Mike Flanagan does in Midnight Mass, is also a thrill.

Love Delainey saying she loved doing her stunts and all the physical stuff!

[Assad] "Armand wants to protect himself, but also wants to protect his relationship with Louis, what they have. He feels he has no choice except to come in, sharing the narrative with Louis." - yep. Protecting himself. Protecting what he has with Louis, even at the expanse of Louis' own will. Because what does Armand fear above all else? To be unloved. Not necessarily alone, like most vampires, but to be considered unlovable and unworthy of people's care. So if he can't be sure that people's feelings for him are genuine, he will orchestrate and manipulate them to tie them to himself. That's Armand's schtick.

season 1 masterpost

part 1 | part 2 | part 3

episode 2 | episode 3 | episode 4 | episode 5 | episode 6 | episode 7 | episode 8

[moonchats]

glue song - S.R

summary: where spence has a dance with you :)

warnings: major fluff, reader is also an agent,spencer’s bi because just because the writers can take it away doesn’t mean it’s staying away,

*reader is gender neutral and description isn’t described!*

Your home was homey, green walls and dim litted rooms, it made you in awe of it every-time you walked through the door. It made you smile even more when you realise your boyfriend lived in your dream home without you ever knowing.

You and Spence were close before you finally got together, you two were the best of friends, you sat across from him for 3 years feeling sorry for yourself as he talks about a girl he kissed, or a guy he liked wallowing in self pity, wishing it was you he chose to care for, and wish was there when he awoke. And finally your wish came true. And it had been the best years of your life.

Both of you had the day off, you decided to spend finishing up research and baking while Spence had took himself on a walk to the bookstore on the corner before he got groceries. Chocolate fudge cake, with sprinkles of course, was a favourite of Spencer’s so you decided to make it regularly, and any left overs were greatly appreciated by the rest of your team, which is what you were making now. Spencer and you were insanely alike, both of you loving doing your own thing but in the company of each other, more like shared silence, but both of you still needed recharge time and you both have your own ways of doing it.

Their was cocoa powder all over the kitchen, and cake mix on your face, but with the sound of music humming from the record player throughout the appartement, nothing could diminish such a good mood. With birds lightly chirping from the gutter above the window, and the sun shining on the ever growing collection of books, it was a perfect day.

As if on queue, Spencer walked through the door as soon as you thought of perfect, holding bags of groceries and a smile on his face. “Isn’t this a sight for sore eyes” he gushed, heat rushing to your cheeks, as he placed the groceries on the counter placing a kiss to the top of your head.

“Well hello” You smiled towards him, he wore a light washed pair of jeans with a thin jumper along with his shirt and tie, with the glasses that make you smitten, “,this should be done in about 40 minutes”

The glow on his face was nothing but appreciation, an appreciation of you, and your love for him, “I love you” He smiled, a thank you from him.

“I didn’t even do anything”

“Yeah, but you’re here and so i love you” He responded, your heart full.

The piano started, from a track you both adored, ‘Hooked on romance’ from the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra filled the room. You looked him in the eye, “Dance with me?”

“Dance with yo-, I can’t dance, i can barely stand without falling” He chuckled, you smacked his shoulder lightly, pleading with him with your eyes, “Fine but you can’t judge me.”

His fingers lightly grasped yours before he pulled you into him to rest your head on his shoulder, as you swayed with him to the song, before he pulled away from you, holding on to your hand to spin you around before pulling you back to him. Your head instantly rested onto him again,

“I feel like i’m stuck to you, like i cant think of my life without you” You whispered.

“Then don’t, stop acting like you’ll become a ghost of my memory, i’m here for you, till forever” He rubbed your back and you both carried on swaying.

A smile appeared on your face, which he felt grow against his chest “Then I guess i’m stuck forever”

by the glue OH AND YOUUUU!!!

also the song they danced too was

it’s on of my fav tracks of all time, please give it a listen if you get time i promise it won’t be a bad decision!!

also, i’m making all my ‘x Reader’ fics gender neutral from now on, i try to limit the description on the reader as much as i can so be as inclusive as possible, please let me know anywhere else i can make it more inclusive with my language

and also please lmk if you enjoyed, spencer is a very comforting character so i love writing fluff for him because it comes to me so easily!!! - Love you to the Moon and back xx

[melit0n]

One of my favourite things about the Phantom of The Opera fandom is the juxtaposition between two of the Phantom's lairs (ALW's Erik and Leroux's Erik).

The musical version's lair is a large cave underneath the Palias Garnier (it's reason of being there unknown) and is, well, oddly homey. The tall ceiling removes the claustrophobic feeling that you may get from being far beneath surface level, the boat tethered loosely on the moat shines a ray of hope for freedom, and the over all decoration of the place isn't, well, terrible. It may be filled with Opera props from over the ages and whatever Erik could get his hands on with that 20,000 Francs per month, but it's all immediately accepted because 'he's the Opera Ghost'. If you ignore the smell of stagnant water and smoke (honestly though, why does musical Phantom have so many candles??), it's pretty comfy for a cave 200ft + underground. You can take into realisation that the cave is The Phantom's lair easily, and makes the place seem almost whimsical, to the point where getting dragged down (in hindsight, of course) isn't even that scary. It's basically a new world to explore, and not really ominous (on first impression).

However! Leroux's Phantom's lair is much more terrifying for the point that it is so normal. Minus the torture room and Erik's coffin, the whole apartment is incredibly average for someone of higher status of the age. Louis philippe furniture, whole place is well dusted, stocked kitchen; a complete Parisian apartment with a drawing room, dining room, kitchen, cellar and two bedrooms. That is what makes it much more terrifying than ALW's lair. It can be easily confused for a normal apartment if not for the oddities of the lack of windows (no natural light), rooms never to be seen by anyone other than Erik (torture room), freedom so close yet so far (a locked front door), the impending darkness, the scent of rot etc. The mimicry of humanity for the sake of Christine (and himself) would quite easily drive someone nuts. Further, imagine the feeling of being watched down there; the paranoia of that. It's dim, barely lit by oil lamps/candles and there are a dozen more mirrors for Erik to hide behind. It's so much more terrifying than an open cave where his every move can be mapped.

[yellowsugarwords]

Hey:) I'm glad you're back and are feeling better I've been missing your posts! If you could (and want to; no worries if you don't!) could you do a "What state (do you think) is every twdg s4 character from?"

Thank you!<33

OMG OKAY WAIT I LOVE THIS HAHAH

(let the record show: I am Canadian so this could very much be biased)

okay ima do the whole season 4 squad so let's go

Clementine: Georgia feels the utmost fitting for Clementine. Possibly because of the first season, but probably also because of her ‘doesn’t take shit’ yet sweet personality.

AJ: I can see him emerging from Nebraska. Something about that just makes me giggle.

Marlon: Montana 100%. Marlon fits the vibes immaculately.

Louis: California. He’s way too chill and easy going in the face of imminent death to be from anywhere else.

Violet: Wisconsin. I can see her being obsessed with cheeses and the cold.

Mitch: Definitely New York. His aura just fits.

Willy: Florida. He’s crazy and reckless and I think that fits perfectly. He is the embodiment of “Florida man” in the news.

Tenn/Minerva/Sophie: I’m getting strong North Carolina vibes but I have no idea why.

Aasim: Wisconsin. I don’t know why, I can just feel it.

Ruby: I can see Ruby growing up in Georgia. There’s something about her sweet homey personality I can see coming from there.

Omar: Pennsylvania. I feel like he would fit the vibes there and it also kinda makes me giggle thinking about him facing vampires.

Brody: I’m getting Alaska vibes. Something about her being private and often isolated.

𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 💌☕️ | 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘮𝘦 𝘰𝘯 𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘰𝘯! ♡

[nalyra-dreaming]

Daniel is a picky 20 year old college student. He is a college student right? Berkley? 'Cause I'm looking at the house and doesn't look too shabby. Looks kinda homey. It's not enough to be called a dump.

Which leads me to wondering why Louis doesn't have the presence of mind to have bought some blackout curtains. Louis seems to be hiding in the other room when the sun is out. It looks like they put newspaper on the windows further into the interview when Armand is around. Armand talks about how he was at home doing something. So home must be elsewhere.

Probably, yes.

It will be interesting to see if that was premeditated or just happened. For now I tend to think the latter, because of the impromptu daylight-protection (which, btw, makes it even more sus that Louis had to "sleep" till sundown in 2x03).

[seeingteacupsindragons]

Idk if you've answered this question before but do you think albert is truly a culinary hazard and only knows how to make crème brulée or was moran just exaggerating?

Honestly, I don't think Moran had any idea what he was talking about. It's either that, or Albert made something fucked up for Moran in the past because he thought it would be funny.

I went back and re-read bits of this to make sure I got it right and...he doesn't really...there's nothing indicating he has any experience with Albert's cooking.

He says Albert has no sense for home things (which we know isn't entirely true, because he's hella neat), but, well, he's also a soldier and a murderer and a manipulative fuck, and I think Moran sees far more of those sides than Albert's homey side.

But when he first comments on it, he's commenting on the fact that basically everyone else was assigned food-preparation tasks, while Albert was being sent way out of the home to go invite Mycroft, something that probably didn't need to be done in person but would keep him well away from the kitchen. And, it was the first task Louis assigned/thought of.

So I think Moran made some assumptions based on things.

I also think this is one of those things that grew a little out of control because of the publication schedule of the manga--the set up for this was nearly a year before the payoff of Moran being wrong lmao loser, so the fandom had many months to assume this was a Thing, because Albert being an awful cook would also be funny, of course. But it made people get very entrenched in a certain view before it was tossed aside in canon and that can be hard to reconcile.

So, yeah, Moran just gets hit with the butt of the joke stick again.

[iunmadeher]

ur louis doechii edit is so good i showed it to my homey who hasnt seen the show bc its so fire. i hope u make more iwtv edits, the only reason i havent latched onto ur black sails edits is bc i havent made the leap to watch it yet but knowing i have more of ur edits in store has moved black sails to the next real show i watch ❤️ i hope u feel all the love from the fandom and also hope u are doing well in general

AHHH MY HEART!!!! thank you SO much😭😭❤️❤️❤️ also black sails is literally one of the best shows ive ever watched along with iwtv so have fun watching it but also if youre going trhough with it please look up the content warnings first :—) i hope u have the greatest day ever

[seasurfacefullofclouds1]

https://x.com/louiswt91world/status/1872397278746644769?s=46

All the Christmas pictures from tomlinson family feels so good.. i used to be curious how their houses are or mainly louis’.. not exactly sure where they kinda meet for Christmas but it seems to homely.. like not some millionaire’s house with black and silver background..

Also this year are they kinda celebrating separately? Thought lottie is not their place..

Confession: other than Louis’ grandparents’ house where they gather every Christmas, I don’t know what their houses look like, not even Louis’ house.

The photos do look really cozy! I like the color scheme and homey touches. I think maybe they got together for a day and then spent Christmas on their own.

[mariacallous]

If you did a culinary DNA search on baba au rhum, you’d find that this fancy French cake’s ancestral line has the same humble roots as the homey babka. 

It all started with the inspired tinkering of an exiled Polish king. No one knows exactly what happened, of course, but it seems that Stanislaus I, twice deposed in 18th-century Poland, moved to his country estate in France, where he loved to cook and held court in the chateau kitchen. There, he baked a gugelhopf, a yeast cake invented by Viennese bakers to celebrate the victory of the Austrians over the Turks in 1683. Gugelhopf is rich and regal-looking. It’s usually baked in a tall, fluted pan called a Turk’s head mold because of its resemblance to an Ottoman sultan’s turban. 

The cake came out too dry, so the ex-king soaked it in wine and decided to call it baba (grandma), because it reminded him of the welcoming confections of everyone’s baba back in the old country. In fact, besides for the shape and some chopped-up dried or candied fruit, gugelhopf and baba are essentially the same. 

As is babka, which is among the most beloved of Jewish comfort foods. But while babas are large cakes and were mostly saved for special occasions such as Easter, babkas, though similarly egg-rich and yeasty, were smaller and regularly baked by Jewish balaboostas. Babka means “little grandma,” and in most Eastern European Jewish households, they were not only smaller but plainer, too, as dried fruit, raisins, and spices were costly. Babkas were more like little loaf-pan versions of Stanislaus’ gugelhopf. 

The ex-king was so pleased with his invention that he served it in dramatic fashion to his guests at a party one night. He poured some alcohol over his gugelhopf, set it aflame, and carried it into the dark ballroom, thrilling the crowd. He called the cake Ali Baba — a play on the word baba, but also a tribute to a character in The Thousand and One Nights. 

The story and recipe might have ended there, except that the Stanislaus’ daughter eventually married French king Louis XV and gave the recipe to Nicolas Stohrer, her pastry chef, who revised it to include raisins, candied fruit, and a soak with rum. And thus, baba au rhum was invented. 

Over the years, baba au rhum and babka went on to produce more progeny. Parisian pastry chefs, reluctant to be outdone by a Polish pretender, created several versions, changing spices, shapes, and alcohol soaks. More than a century later, when baba au rhum had already become a classic, a pastry chef named Auguste Julien decided to bake baba in a plain ring mold and substituted kirschwasser (German cherry brandy) for the rum. He glazed the cake with melted apricot preserves and served it with a mound of whipped cream in the center. The cake, named savarin to honor Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin, French author of The Physiology of Taste, is considered one of the most elegant pastries ever created.

And the homey babka? Less stylish to be sure, but most beloved by Jews and non-Jews alike, and reinvented with ever-more variations. For most babka-lovers, the basic question is: cinnamon or chocolate? But these days there are recipes galore and this “grandma loaf” is stuffed with chocolate, nuts, marzipan, fresh and dried fruit, preserves, and sprinkled with streusel in top. 

And so the baba, a simple old recipe, stands proud today, centuries on. We take pleasure in the numerous varieties that have sprung from it — fancy offerings in elegant pastry shops, humble cakes from neighborhood bakeries, and fragrant loaves baked in our own ovens. Because a great recipe will always stand the test of time.

[its-to-the-death]

Thank you so much for running this poll and giving us a chance to celebrate and nerd our about our best boy, Louis. I've been having a ton of fun, even if this whole time we've been up against some pretty strong odds.

I love our homey, smart, stabby boy, and it's been so good and fun to rally around him as a fandom. So thank you!

You’re welcome! I’m really glad I got into Moriarty the Patriot through this tournament! Reading everyone’s Louis propaganda has been fun.

[beyondxmeasure]

Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. Let’s spread the self-love

I've had a few of these asks and have been a little too busy this week to properly respond... but thank you to the lovely anons and @huggieshalo for tagging/asking me. Sorry for the delayed response.

My 5 fave fics that I've written...

The Habit I Can't Break This one, probably because it became such an (unexpectedly long) labor of love that ended up not at all how I thought it would when I first set out, but am thoroughly grateful for all the twists and turns because I think it made the fic better in the end. And judging by the hits and kudos, I would tend to think you all agree. 💖

A Simple Twisted Fate This one, because I just love the dynamic between this Louis and Harry and their banter, plus the smut... not to toot my own horn, but yeah... it's pretty good. So I guess I did--toot, toot!

Longing like a Searchlight This one, because she's my first, my baby and warts and all I really do love her dearly. I tackled some difficult topics gracefully (I think, I hope!) while still having lots of fun banter, solid smut and lots of mutual pining to keep it interesting. I also really still enjoy the world building, homey vibes and characterization of Harry's family that really brought his home town to life.

Let Your Heart Be Light This one, because unlike the Louis in this fic... I'm anything but a Grinch around the holidays, and turn into a gleeful kid at the thought of Christmas, winter and any valid excuse to be nestled snug in my bed with a nice long fic. This fic is like a cozy cup of cocoa for your heart... There will be a little bit of heartache, but it will wrap you up with loads of good feels, laughter, joy and seasonal splendor.

I Know You Rider (Gonna Miss Me when I'm Gone) This one, because I'm an 80s kid who grew up in the 90s and loves nostalgia. This fic is full of it and if you want a blast from the past, it's a really fun read. A carefree teenage summer vacation tale set in a beachside New England town against the backdrop of an outdated amusement park. It's steeped in a lot of local references and stuff from my childhood, so it's close to my heart. A lot of research and deep dives of random odd bits of historical info or other stuff went into writing it.

I know this has already gone around a bunch and so many of you have done this, so I won't bother tagging anyone... but if you see this and feel so inclined, consider yourself tagged!

[fff777]

Watched Ten on Bam's house!

They both "have a screw missing"

Tiredness + excitement = losing your mind Right you are dude

I JUST recently watched the Nutcracker and only then did I know Waltz of the Flowers was from the Nutcracker. Anyway Bambam has Waltz of the Flowers as his doorbell music?

Ten literally did not move when Bambam jumped out. Plan failed.

Hugs :3

Of course he ordered Thai food

Ten kitty :3

I wonder why Ten and Bambam speak Thai more than Minnie? Or does he mean that when they speak together, they tend to speak in Thai more than when they're speaking with Minnie?

Yes >3 Bambam said that he and Ten would probably speak in Thai a lot.

I've noticed that Bambam is calling Ten Ten-hyung in Korean

LMAO Ten and Bambam only recently had a deep talk where they felt they became friends and this is the second time they're meeting after that deep hang out sesh.

Bambam came back from a world tour just to film Bam's house with Ten XD

Ten had one (1) bad experience with day drinking and it scared him from day drinking ever again...until today? XD

After Ten introduced On My Youth, Bambam was like aight now that work is over, let's PLAY >3

Bambam: Why are you speaking so formally to me, you don't even normally do it >(

Lol Ten is doing that thing that my grandpa supposedly said XD You have to drink at least a bit to be able to control your tolerance.

Bambam: I think you're the best drinker in your group Ten: .....aiya....*blush*

The PD became a fan of Ten after looking him up! :3

Ten's hair is really pretty today btw. The way the tips are a little thinner kind of like a mullet?

Bambam, after Ten introduces On My Youth in Mandarin: 聼不懂啊! Probably picked that up from Jackson and Mark Tuan >3

Was it necessary to include the uhm

Bambam's enjoying Ten speaking in Thai so much

Ten's top 3 hyungs are Taemin, Key, and Yunho

Ten compared choosing between Taemin to having to choose between mom and dad and Bambam immediately went well I prefer mom

Ten watched Bambam on TV X'D

Ten only eats delivery ToT

Aw, Mark Lee often sends Ten birthday wishes right at midnight

LMAO the differences between Mark Lee and Mark Tuan

Nooo Mark Tuan is late with birthday greetings lmao

Ten met Mark Tuan at a YSL event~!

Bambam worried that Ten won't like the somtam he prepared. Probably because Ten knows enough to be able to judge.

Both Bambam and Ten are cat slaves XD

LMAO comparing which cat products they use

Omg the WayV kitties doing the turn trick

Ten scolding his cat in cat hisses XD

Ten's cats: Louis, Leon, Levi Bambam's cats: Pudding, Latte, Cupcake Bambam was like why are your cats' names so cool? Meanwhile he has princess names for his cats lmao.

Ten is too competitive and that's why he doesn't like playing games ToT

GEORGE BUSH

Ten says that he doesn't have as many worries nowadays. I hope that's true ;_;

Ten's drawings are so pretty

Bambam taking a photo of Ten as he draws :3 Two artists in action

Ten's picture for Bam's house :3

Bambam ALWAYS brings up Taeyeon and Ten was all like "oh, Taeyeon would fit this program well." Maybe because it's a homey show and Taeyeon is a homebody :P And every time Bambam just gets so excited and overwhelmed at the thought of him being associated with Taeyeon at all.

Ten: If Taeyeon comes, ask me to come too! Bambam: I think Key would want to come too Ten: It'll be so fun! Bambam: ...but I want to spend alone time with her Ten: ...

Twas fun as usual!!! :3

[bucketkicked]

@ofteaandmagic gets a random Louis starter!

Louis walks through the door of the shop, finding it quite quaint and homey. He looks around, interested in the wares as his fingers dance around them, reading their labels and descriptions. He wouldn’t be able to do much with the herbs, as his magic wasn’t as strong as it used to be, but the potions…perhaps he could do something with those. That wouldn’t stop him from getting herbs anyways, he could always find something to do with them.

He glances up from one he was particularly intrigued by, happening to catch the shopkeeper in his gaze. Friendly, from the looks of it. “Excuse me,” he calls out, giving a wave, “how much does this agrimony cost? I’ve also got a question about a potion or two.”