Episode 18.5: Single Bells Ring [a fic by nonsensedarling]

Today Mia reads Finally, You and I (Collide) (AO3 | Fic Post) by @lululawrence Funny how Louis could sum up everything he’d had with Zayn so easily. Ex. One syllable, two letters. Fourteen years of friendship and marriage and everything else they had been to each other, put together and explained to anyone who asked with that one tiny word. Ex. Ex-Best Friend. Ex-Lover. Ex-Husband. Ex-everything, really. Zayn had truly become his everything, and Louis still ached in the spaces within that used to be filled by him, even all these years later. Sometimes love was a bitch. Or the five times Louis was accidentally wooed by cookies and the one time he was purposefully wooed by brownies.

Today Evi reads So It Goes... (AO3 | Fic Post) by @thosefookinavacados “I’m going to kill you.” “Go right ahead, love.” [H/L, 30-45 minutes, spies/assassins]

As promised, we are back for season 3! For our very first episode, Mia reads Truth or Drink (AO3 | Fic Post) by @kingsofeverything. Truth or Drink | Exes Harry and Louis broke up years ago, and they're seeing each other again for the first time to play Truth or Drink. On camera.

Just in time for the holidays, we are back with our final episode of the season. But we bring good tidings: the podfic pals will be back in 2024 for season 3! We want to take this moment to thank everyone who has listened to our episodes, the many wonderful writers who have allowed us to record their fics, and the lovely people who spread the word by reblogging our posts. You all rock! Happy holidays from the pals x Today Mia will be reading room for your love underneath this tree (AO3 | Fic Post) by we_are_the_same (@so-why-let-your-voice-be-tamed on Tumblr). “IwannameetHarryStyles,” Daisy mumbles, and Louis blinks. “What?” “She says she wants to meet Harry Styles.” Phoebe pipes up, and Louis blinks again, absently switches the camera to himself because he knows that his followers will want to catch his baffled expression. “You-” he starts, and then stops himself, because he did tell her she could ask for anything she wanted, and how can he go back on his word and tell her that he doesn’t actually have the power to make that happen? Because Harry Styles is – he’s next level kind of famous. Louis has two million subscribers on his YouTube, but Harry has eighteen times as many followers on his Twitter alone. He’s had three number one hits in the last year, and his last album had charted at the top spot for a record breaking 27 weeks. He’s a singer, actor and philanthropist, and there is no way in hell that Louis can get him to come meet Daisy for Christmas. So of course he laughs, even if it’s a little bit breathless, and nods at her. “One Harry Styles for Christmas, coming right up.”

We have another Christmas fic for you! This week Tabby reads I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm (AO3 | Fic Post) by @haloeverlasting. Louis takes a deep breath, and replies very quickly to get it over with, “Well, see, I don’t have any heat in my flat right now and it’s hard enough to go to sleep when I’m bloody freezing—” “Oh god. And my music’s gone and made it even worse,” Harry cuts in. “Well, it only went out today,” Louis explains, “So it wasn’t that bad before, erm. Now.” “Before?” Harry asks, horrified. “How long has this been?” “Oh, erm,” Louis folds his hands where they hang in front of him and admits, “All week.”  Harry visibly wilts. He looks so sad, it makes Louis feel awful. He’s gone and crushed someone’s Christmas spirit. Some beautiful boy who looks like Danny Zuko is sad now and it’s Louis’ fault, which means he doesn’t stand a chance at being the cute neighbor from the floor below. And now he’s going to have to sleep in his freezing cold flat knowing he may as well have ruined Christmas. Or, Louis’ heat is out, Harry’s a terrible upstairs neighbor, and an empty Christmas tree is the perfect excuse to fall in love.

This week Emmu reads Oh Little Town of BATHlehem (⁠⁠AO3⁠⁠⁠)⁠ by @londonfoginacup. Louis Tomlinson needs a small pink bathtub. He needs it. His fucking family had forgotten to include him in the email chain for Doris for Christmas, with her very carefully thought out Christmas list, until every easy item was gone. Only when he asked Lottie if anyone else had heard from Doris yet, only then did they realise their mistake and forward the email chain to him. So, it’s either a small pink bathtub or an entire bouncy castle. And if he had the money for a bouncy castle that would be fine, but that fucker costs more than his monthly rent and he simply does not make that much working as an optometrist assistant.

This week Emmu reads Sun-kissed Hurricane, Perfect Storm (⁠AO3⁠⁠)⁠ by @canonlarry. Harry is the quiet kid in the back of his statistics class who writes a lot and dreams about Louis’ cheekbones . Louis needs a statistics tutor ASAP before he flunks and the quiet kid in the back of the class seems like a good choice. Harry wants to help Louis however he can and Louis wants to see how much he can make Harry blush.

Today we are back with a special themed episode. This week's episode is all centered around Flowershop AUs. First, from 00:24 into the episode Emmu will read Monday (AO3 | Fic Post) by @nouies. A flower shop AU featuring a one-sided feud, puns, and a missing cat. Then, from 13:50 into the episode, Anitra will read her own fic, All This Time (AO3 | Fic Post) Louis Tomlinson had been best friends with flower shop owner Gemma Styles for years. It wasn't until she suggested he date her alpha brother that he ever thought of Harry that way. Maybe it wasn't such a bad idea… And finally, from 21:05 into the episode, Anitra will read I Kinda Need A Hero (Is It You) (AO3) by @fallinglikethis Louis is a barista who’s had his heart broken. Harry is the boy who wants to put the pieces back together.

We are staying in the Halloween spirit with Spinning Out Waiting for You by @daggerandrose (AO3 | Fic Post), read by Emmu. Harry Styles is a year and a half away from graduating with a masters in potions and he has one huge milestone to reach in his academy career: the Matching Ceremony. From Halloween night until graduation, matched witches and familiars will have to create a talisman to be a physical representation of their bond. One for the witch and one for the familiar. Most pairings last an entire lifetime. If only it were that simple.

It is almost Halloween! To get into the spirit, Anitra reads five ficlets that were all submitted to the @1dtrickortreatfest. First up is Exposed by @jacaranda-bloom (AO3 | Fic Post) Louis should really stop agreeing to do favours for his friends while drunk, especially when they result in him becoming a live-art model… Next, at 5:21 into the episode, is even when you're lost by @uhoh-but-yeah-alright (AO3 | Fic Post) Halloween is the one night a year witches who’ve passed on to the next realm can return. Harry has no reason to know that. All he knows is he misses Louis and he fucking hates Halloween. At 10:38 into the episode you can listen to head all full of stuffin' by Lhhome (AO3) “I don’t!” That’s what Louis had said on live television a little over a month ago when asked whether he thinks scarecrows are sentient creatures. He is severely regretting that right at this moment. You can listen to Ghost Ship by @beelou (AO3) from 15:03 into the episode. Louis goes ghost hunting on his own the night before Halloween. It might not be his best idea. And finally, from 19:41 into the episode you can listen to Foreshadowing by @neondiamond (AO3 | Fic Post) Alone at home on a rainy Friday night, Harry reads a story that resembles his own life a bit too closely…