(theme music)

EMMA

(narration) Roela, as it turned out, was the leader of Fatefall. She took care of big problems and settled disputes, and her people were not happy to see her go.

ENSEMBLE

Don’t go, Roela! We’ll miss you! Be safe!

ROELA

I am leaving Davind, Ainn’s brother, in charge.

DAVIND

What- me? Roela…

ROELA

This is to show you we trust you, Davind. You have lived here with us for years; you are one of us. You have a place here… with or without your brother.

DAVIND

He was coming around to your culture, I- I don’t know why he left!

ROELA

We know, Davind, we aren’t blaming you. We are only grateful that you have chosen to stick with us. Can you watch over Fatefall for me?

DAVIND

I can.

ROELA

Good. And if I am gone past the end of my leadership term, you may carry on with choosing a new leader for yourselves.

DAVIND

Please don’t be gone that long.

ROELA

I will try, Davind. Jam, Emma? Are you ready to depart from here?

EMMA

(narration) I didn’t have a clue what just happened, but I told her I was ready anyway, and off we went. She said goodbye to her people, Jam and I thanked them all for their hospitality and for letting Roela come along with us, and then…

Well, then it was back to traveling. And traveling meant talking to pass the time.

EMMA

So, um… we should get to know each other, right?

JAM

I suppose so. What do you do for fun?

EMMA

Uh… I don’t know, actually. Most of my time is taken up by soulmate quests.

JAM

I thought you didn’t like your soulmate name?

EMMA

I didn’t have much of a choice when it came to the quests. Mother just sent me on one after the other… What, didn’t your mother do the same with you?

JAM

Oh, she tried, at first. But I simply… wouldn’t go. I’d hole up in one of my favorite hiding places with a book and some snacks, and no one would find me for hours upon hours.

ROELA

So that is what you do for fun, then? You read?

JAM

Yeah, mostly history books. Though my mother didn’t always approve of which history books I read…

EMMA

You’ve read about the Era of Magic?

JAM

Yeah, a lot, actually.

EMMA

Can you… tell me about it? I was never allowed to read those stories.

JAM

I… guess, yeah, sure! You know how if a person stumbles into a form of magic today, Tegot instantly turns them into a monster?

ROELA

(doubtful) Hmm.

JAM

Well… Long, long ago, Tegot wasn’t around. Everyone had magic, peasants and royalty alike. Everyone got their own kind, a few spells from one school of magic or another, and with a lot of practice they could learn one or two extra spells from their school, too.

EMMA

So magic was just… the default. That sounds awesome.

JAM

It was. Of course, now we have Tegot around, and anyone who finds the secret to magic gets taken out right away.

ROELA

Not taken out. And not right away.

JAM

Huh?

ROELA

Tegot senses strong magic when it appears, yes, and he is skilled at tracking it down to turn its source human into a monster. But that is not always the case. If you’re careful, you can hide.

EMMA

You say that like- Wait.

ROELA

(pleased) Yes. The people of Fatefall, and many of the other Badlanders, possess magic. We cannot cast high-level spells, and we cannot improve ourselves, lest our magic grow strong enough to be sensed by Tegot. But deep in the chasms, we are kept relatively safe.

EMMA

Holy shit! What kind of magic do you have?

ROELA

I am a healer.

JAM

That’s so cool! I’m kind of geeking out right now.

ROELA

The kingdoms truly do not know of our magic?

EMMA

No, we had no clue!

ROELA

Hmph. Yet another symptom of their insistence on ignoring us.

EMMA

Ignoring you? What do you mean?

JAM

I thought the Badlands were only occupied by monsters until we met you.

ROELA

The civilians may not know about us, but the royalty has always known. They choose to ignore us, to deny us aid.

EMMA

But… I’ve never heard of you guys.

ROELA

As I said, civilians-

EMMA

But I’m the princess.

(silence)

JAM

Yeah, and I’m- the prince, I guess. Of Astar.

EMMA

Princess of Pheba.

(silence)

ROELA

(barely holding back anger) Have you come here only to mock me and my people?

EMMA

What? No! I-

ROELA

You said you were on a soulmate quest. To kill Tegot. Were you lying?

EMMA

No! Tegot has been asking for a royal sacrifice for years, and neither of our kingdoms want to be the one to do it, so we’ve been fighting, and then our parents found out we shared soulmate names and-

JAM

We’re here to kill Tegot. Really. Maybe not for the most selfless of reasons, but… still. That’s our goal.

EMMA

We aren’t here to hurt you.

ROELA

(calming down slightly) I… suppose that makes sense. The war has been going on for, what, a decade now? It follows that your kingdoms would be looking for a way out.

EMMA

(relieved) Exactly.

ROELA

But this does not mean I trust you. Your families have ignored our pleas for centuries, kept us vulnerable here in the Badlands simply because we did not follow the soulmate culture.

EMMA

Well, I mean, maybe they thought that if they let you in, Tegot would retaliate.

ROELA

(sharply) So? They have entire armies at their disposal, armies which they waste on each other because they are too cowardly to pool their resources and attack the problem at its source. We Badlanders have nothing but our magic, magic which we are not even allowed to use lest Tegot come for us.

EMMA

I’m… sorry. I never… I’m sorry.

ROELA

We should keep moving.

EMMA

(narration) Roela didn’t talk much after that—at least, not for the first few days. The distance between us and Tegot’s lair was greater than I expected; we traveled for weeks before even coming across a unique landmark in the repetitive red chasms of the Badlands. By then, we’d become much warmer with each other, not quite to the point of trust, but certainly to the point of civility.

That didn’t matter as much as The Cave.

JAM

(hushed) Stop. That’s… different.

ROELA

The door must be man-made, and yet I know of no Badlander settlements this far in.

EMMA

Well, then… could it have been made by a monster?

ROELA

It is possible. Some monsters retain enough of their sentience to use tools and build things the same as humans do. A lucky few even retain their full personalities.

EMMA

I didn’t know that was possible. I… Oh man, I’ve killed so many monsters on soulmate quests. What if one of them was still sentient?

JAM

We can’t think about that now, Emma.

EMMA

What do we do? Try to sneak past?

ROELA

That is most likely our greatest chance of getting out of here alive.

EMMA

I have a sword, if it comes down to it. If it’s not sentient, then- I’ve killed monsters before, and I’ll do it again.

JAM

Aw, to protect little ol’ me?

EMMA

(flustered) Yes. You and Roela. Obviously.

ROELA

Hush. Move slowly now.

(walking past the cave)

(growling and rustling from within the cave, movement out of the cave)

JAM

Shit!

(Emma draws sword)

EMMA

Stay behind me-

ROELA

Wait! We come in peace, Monster. Please allow us safe passage.

(silence)

AINN

(surprised) Roela?

ROELA

(confused) I… yes? Who… were you?

AINN

Ainn. Davind’s brother. I… You accepted me into Fatefall when my brother and I had nowhere else to go.

ROELA

You… Oh, Ainn… Tegot…?

AINN

Yes. I don’t even know for sure how it happened- I woke up one morning and realized I was ready to embrace the culture of the kind people who had taken us in, I was ready to reject the entire soulmate thing and make my own choices. It was so sudden, the magic just… welled up inside me, and…

EMMA

But how did you become a monster without Tegot finding Fatefall?

AINN

I knew we weren’t supposed to use our magic much, but I wanted to see what I could do! I ventured out of Fatefall one day, up to the surface to experiment.

ROELA

The day you went missing.

AINN

I didn’t mean to go missing, I meant to come right back home when I was done. But only a few minutes after I used my magic for the first time, Tegot’s shadow enveloped me. I looked up, and there he was; I didn’t even have time to plead with him before he touched me with his claw and transformed me into… this.

ROELA

A… bugbear?

AINN

I think so. I… I was lucky, really, that I was transformed into a monster that was humanoid enough not to take my humanity. But I knew I could never go back to Fatefall. Not like this.

ROELA

Ainn… We would have accepted you back, even as a monster. Davind misses you so much.

AINN

No, I- I couldn’t. It’s too dangerous, and- and what if I drew Tegot’s attention to Fatefall? I can’t be responsible for that, I just can’t.

EMMA

Ainn, if I may… We’re on a quest to get rid of Tegot. For good.

AINN

What!? No, it’s far too dangerous!

EMMA

Maybe so, but we’re tired of living under his reign. We have to at least try.

JAM

We’re going to kill Tegot, Ainn. But it would be a whole lot easier with help.

AINN

You want me to go with you?

EMMA

Yes! We don’t care that you’re a monster, because you’re clearly still human on the inside. Come with us. You’ll get to use your magic!

AINN

I… I don’t know, I…

ROELA

You do not have to come with us, Ainn, but… Davind does miss you. Even if you will not fight Tegot with us, you should go home to him.

AINN

I can’t go home to him. Not with Tegot around.

EMMA

Then…?

AINN

Yes. I’ll help you!

EMMA

(narration) He invited us into his cave for the night. It was surprisingly homey, with crude furniture taking advantage of the natural strangeness of the cave. We stayed the night there, prepared to take off in the morning once Ainn showed us his magic.

JAM

(hushed) Emma?

EMMA

(sleepily) Huh?

JAM

Oh, I- Never mind.

EMMA

No, it’s okay. What’s up?

JAM

I just… remember our talk, about how magic would make fighting Tegot a lot easier?

EMMA

Yeah, we’re lucky we ran into Ainn.

JAM

No- Well, yes. But… do you think, if we re-traced his steps from the morning he got his magic, we could get magic, too?

EMMA

And get turned into monsters before we even reach Tegot’s lair!?

JAM

We could turn out like Ainn, only our appearance altered.

EMMA

Yeah, or you could end up like any of the countless monsters whose only thought is about what they’re going to eat next. It’s way too risky.

JAM

I’m not saying we do it now. That would kind of defeat the point of it anyway, if Tegot ambushed us right after we got the magic. I’m just saying… Maybe once we’re there, in the lair, ready to fight him—maybe then it would be worth it. To try.

EMMA

Neither of us is getting turned into a monster, Jam. Not if I can help it.

JAM

If you say so.

EMMA

(narration)

When she rolled over to finally go to sleep, I got the impression that she was… disappointed. I wondered why they studied the Era of Magic so much, why they had so many questions about monsters. I couldn’t imagine wanting something so badly that I would give up my entire body for it, but maybe Jam wasn’t as attached to her body as I was to mine. Maybe to them, the change wouldn’t even be a bad one, just… neutral. Not a good thing, but not so much of a loss as it would be if it happened to me.

Jam was starting to matter to me. I was beginning to put myself in her shoes, see things from her perspective, and I was definitely starting to care about what they thought. In fact, I considered waking them up again just to apologize, though I wasn’t sure exactly what I’d be apologizing for. For not understanding her, maybe. For not getting it.

I went to sleep hoping that one day, I’d get it, if only for the closeness it would bring us.

(ad start)

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REN

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BRIAR

Are you seriously interrupting the ad? You moron! Sorry, we’ll get out of your way.

REN

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NOVA

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(ad end)

EMMA

(narration) Before Ainn and Roela woke up the next morning, Jam and I ended up outside the cave, intending to spar.

JAM

So I just hold the sword… Like this?

EMMA

More or less. Remember, this is Roela’s sword, so don’t break it.

JAM

It can break!?

EMMA

(laughs) Not during a spar. Not unless you’re really, really crazy with it.

JAM

Oh gods.

EMMA

You’ll be fine.

EMMA

(narration) We sparred for about an hour, me showing them the basics and going extremely easy on them at the start. They weren’t as good as me, but they caught on fast—at the very least, I figured she’d be able to hold her own in a fight.

JAM

(panting) Thanks for teaching me this, Emma. I probably shouldn’t have skipped out on all my swordfighting classes.

EMMA

That’s okay, I skipped out on most my history classes, so we’re even.

JAM

You think we’ll run into any feral monsters on this journey?

EMMA

Yesterday I would have said yes, absolutely, but after meeting Ainn… I don’t know. Maybe we’ll get lucky and only meet the more human ones.

JAM

That would be nice.

EMMA

(narration) Not long after that, Ainn and Roela finally woke up. Roela made us a simple breakfast, and Ainn began to show us his magic.

AINN

I don’t like using it often, but… well, Tegot’s already transformed me into a monster. That’s usually as far as he goes, when it comes to magic-users. Which means there shouldn’t be any harm in me using my magic.

EMMA

(narration) With that, Ainn teleported clear across the chasm, appearing tens of meters away in the blink of an eye.

EMMA

Holy shit!

AINN

(shyly) I can take people with me, too. If I’m just going short distances, I can do it over and over again, but if I do it over a long distance then I need to rest before doing it again.

JAM

Teleport me with you, please! That sounds so fun!

AINN

Okay, but don’t lose your breakfast. It can make you feel a little nauseous the first few times.

(teleportation sound)

JAM

Woo! It’s like riding a rollercoaster!

AINN

(laugh) If you say so.

ROELA

So you can use this magic of yours to teleport us closer to Tegot, yes?

AINN

A little bit at a time, yes. I can get all four of us maybe 120 feet out at a time, and then I’ll need to avoid using my magic for a few hours so it can charge back up. It’ll certainly speed things up at least.

JAM

This is the best day of my life. Teleport me again?

ROELA

We should really be saving his magic for traveling-

JAM

Just over to Emma, that’s all!

AINN

Oh, alright.

(teleportation sound)

JAM

Wooo!

EMMA

(narration) Something about Jam’s smile made my stomach flip, so I made the decision to stop looking at her. With Ainn’s occasional help, we continued on our journey.

And what a journey it was. Not nearly as many monsters as I’d expected—none, in fact—and thus my sword got no use. Not to mention how boring the scenery was. It felt very slow-going, even with Ainn’s teleportation, and it took us about a month to get to the next point of interest.

That point of interest was another village, by the looks of it.

ROELA

Odd. I don’t recall there being a Badlander village this far in.

EMMA

Well, what are we waiting for? We might as well say hello and see if we can stay for the night.

(walking towards town)

TENOR

Halt! Who goes there?

ROELA

My name is Roela, I’m the leader of Fatefall. This is Ainn; yes, he is a monster, but please give him a chance. He has retained his sentience.

EMMA

I’m Emma.

JAM

And I’m Jam.

ROELA

(slightly bitter) The royalty of Pheba and Astar.

(silence)

TENOR

The monster can come in. The rest of you can get lost.

AINN

Uh… what?

ROELA

Pardon?

TENOR

I said, the monster can come in. I’m sure you’ll fit in just fine here, Ainn.

ROELA

And we… can’t come in?

TENOR

Are you listening to a word I say? Get lost, humans.

EMMA

(alarmed) Humans-?

JAM

We’re not against monsters! If you’re a monster, that’s okay—we’re on our way to kill Tegot, we’re fighting for you!

TENOR

…You’re headed for Tegot?

JAM

Yes! We just need a place to stay for the night and then we’ll be on our way. We plan to slay him so he can no longer torment us.

TENOR

…Alright, come on in. But one wrong move, and you’re out!

(gates opening)

EMMA

Holy shit. They’re all monsters.

TENOR

Watch it, human. Yes, we’re all monsters. Some of us have more sentience than others, but we’re all treated equally. We were all human once.

JAM

So you all have magic?

TENOR

Yes. We all gained magic, and we were all transformed by Tegot. But we have chosen to embrace this new life instead of wasting it away. We’re still alive, after all. We didn’t stop living just because we look scarier now, regardless of what the humans think.

ROELA

For the record, I- Not all humans dislike your kind. Some can learn to accept you.

TENOR

Yeah, well, not all monsters dislike humans, either. But some sure can hold a grudge.

EMMA

So, uh… Who’s your leader here?

TENOR

Baidro. He founded this town, decades ago. With the help of his magic and monster power, he was able to make Spelldrift into the amazing town it is today.

JAM

Monster power?

TENOR

Yeah. Most monsters gain a passive sort of… perk when they’re transformed. Usually it’s nothing life-changing, just a little something to help you out like running faster or becoming immune to common illnesses. Depending on the type of monster you’re turned into, though, you could get something really crazy.

AINN

I didn’t know that! What’s my power?

TENOR

It may be hard to spot; it’s not like we get a newsletter explaining our benefits. But, being a bugbear, odds are you’re just a little more hearty than the average monster. Able to withstand a little more… everything.

JAM

That’s so cool.

TENOR

(proudly) Yeah, being a monster’s not all bad. Some would even say it’s good. (louder) Hey, Baidro! Got some newcomers here.

BAIDRO

(surprised) Newcomers? Well, Tenor, you don’t see that every day.

TENOR

And three of them aren’t even monsters.

BAIDRO

Not monsters—and you let them in!?

TENOR

They seem like okay people… I brought them here for your judgment.

BAIDRO

And who are they?

TENOR

Ainn is a bugbear. Roela is a human. Emma and… Jam, was it? They’re part of the royalty of Pheba and Astar.

BAIDRO

Ah, we are in the presence of royalty!

EMMA

Seems to me like you’re royalty, too.

BAIDRO

(chuckles) I suppose I am. Come, sit down.

EMMA

Hey, what’s with the white cane?

ROELA

(chastising) Emma!

JAM

(hushed) He’s blind, dumbass.

BAIDRO

(laughs) Oh, it’s fine. Though I suspected better manners from a princess.

EMMA

(embarrassed) Uh, sorry, sir.

BAIDRO

Before you ask, I was blinded when I tried to fight back against Tegot during my transformation. He clawed out both my eyes in one swipe.

EMMA

And you are a…?

BAIDRO

I am a centaur. Tenor, here, is a naga. We are lucky to have been turned into creatures with such strong ties to humanity.

TENOR

It happens more often than you think. It’s actually very rare that a monster loses their humanity completely.

ROELA

Oh. I didn’t know that.

AINN

Neither did I!

BAIDRO

Well, now you know. With that out of the way: what is your intention here?

EMMA

We’re on a quest. To kill Tegot.

BAIDRO

To kill- Good gods!

JAM

She’s telling the truth. He’s been asking for a royal sacrifice for too long and tormenting our kingdoms when we don’t deliver. We have to solve this problem, one way or another.

EMMA

(narration) One way or another, I thought, my hand idly moving to my sheathed dagger.

ROELA

I am the leader of Fatefall, a Badlander village, and I can vouch for them. Their intentions are true.

EMMA

Hey, maybe you could help us!

TENOR

What?

EMMA

Help us fight Tegot! I mean, you can’t be pleased with the guy, right?

TENOR

Well, no, but-

EMMA

Then what have you got to lose?

TENOR

(angrily) What have we got to lose? What does that mean?

EMMA

I just mean- Well, you’re already monsters, so…

TENOR

So our lives are less valuable? So we have no purpose other than to join your army?

EMMA

What- No! No, that’s not what I meant, I-

TENOR

What you meant was that because we are monsters, you don’t think our lives are worth living anymore. But they are. I love being alive, and so do all of the monsters here in Spelldrift. It doesn’t matter to us that society has cast us out; we’re still people, with feelings and relationships and dreams, and we refuse to let go of that.

EMMA

I- I’m sorry. I didn’t… I’m sorry.

BAIDRO

Go easy on her, Tenor, she’s learning.

EMMA

No, no, I- I shouldn’t have said that. Really, I didn’t think. I’m sorry.

BAIDRO

Hmm. I am sorry to say that we will not help you fight, human… but if you truly intend to battle Tegot, then you will need all the help you can get. Tenor, take them to Firinn.

TENOR

What-! Don’t say his name!

BAIDRO

It’s okay. I think he would want to hear what they have to say.

EMMA

(narration) We said goodbye to Baidro, and Tenor led us back outside and towards the far edge of the village. We passed many a monster; most of them looked at us with awe, as though they hadn’t seen a human in years, while others glared daggers at us.

EMMA

(hushed) It’s so strange, not being treated like royalty anymore.

JAM

I know, it’s weird. But these people have been abandoned by the royalty, by the kingdoms in general, and even by most of the Badlanders. They’re not used to humans not hating them.

EMMA

It must be hard, looking one way but still feeling another.

(pause)

EMMA

Jam?

JAM

I… Thank you, Emma, for calling me Jam. From what I’d heard of you from my mother, I always assumed you were some stuck-up princess with no empathy beyond etiquette, but… You’re a good person, beneath all the stupidity.

EMMA

(laugh) Hey!

JAM

(fondly) I’m kidding. I just… I’m sorry I judged you so harshly in the beginning. Maybe this is a long time coming, but… I trust you, and I’m glad I met you. Soulmates may be a stupid thing in general, but I would be proud to be yours.

EMMA

(narration) I didn’t know what to say to that. I kept thinking about the dagger at my waist. I ended up just threading my fingers through Jam’s, entwining our hands together as we walked, and I didn’t bother saying anything at all.

We were reaching the bounds of the space, stopped by the chasm walls, when Tenor finally came to a stop. They knocked three times on the chasm wall and then waited in silence, until finally a part of the wall slid open.

TENOR

Firinn’s right through here. Good luck.

(walking inside)

EMMA

(narration) The place was like a cave, covered in stalagmites and dripping stalactites, lit by magical blue light sources placed in all the corners. Strange furniture in all different styles was scattered around the room. No one was home, it seemed, until a person suddenly opened a nearby door and walked in, scaring us all.

EVERYONE, INCLUDING FIRINN

(some variation of:) AHH!

FIRINN

What are you doing here!?

EMMA

I- Baidro sent us, Tenor led us here!

FIRINN

What!? Why would they- my space here is supposed to be a secret!

JAM

I’m sorry, sir, but Baidro thought you might be interested in our quest.

FIRINN

In your quest? I’m not a mentor, gods.

EMMA

Please just hear us out.

FIRINN

No thank you. Get out of my house!

JAM

(hurriedly) We’re going to kill Tegot!

FIRINN

…What?

JAM

(calmer) You heard me. We’re going to kill Tegot, and we could use your help, whatever that may look like.

FIRINN

You don’t even know what I can do.

JAM

No, but Baidro said you might help. He must think you’re suited for the job.

FIRINN

I… I’m a magic caster. A strong one. I practice regularly.

ROELA

What? How have you not been transformed yet?

FIRINN

Tegot hasn’t found me, that’s how. I hide out in this town of monsters so that their magical signatures cover up mine and Tegot thinks he’s already transformed the source of the magic. He’s wrong, of course, but let him think what he will, eh?

JAM

That’s… amazing! Has anyone ever done that before, just hidden from Tegot even with such strong magic?

ROELA

Not that I’ve ever heard of. It is impressive.

AINN

What kind of magic do you have, then?

FIRINN

Evocation. Offensive stuff. Mostly ice-flavored, like ice daggers or freezing mist.

EMMA

That’s perfect! Please, will you help us? You could really turn the tides!

FIRINN

I’m sorry, but I’m not interested in joining the losing side.

EMMA

You’re already on the losing side. You’re hiding out in a lonely cave in the middle of the Badlands where you never even interact with the few people living around you. We’re trying to change things. If we defeat Tegot, you won’t have to hide anymore.

FIRINN

And what if we lose, hmm? Then Tegot will get even stronger and make the odds even worse for the next person.

JAM

Make him stronger? What do you mean?

FIRINN

That’s the power he gained when he was transformed into a dragon. He steals people’s magic when he kills them.

EMMA

He wasn’t always a dragon!?

FIRINN

See, how can you claim you can kill Tegot when you don’t even know anything about him?

JAM

Teach us, then!

AINN

Please, we’d love to learn!

EMMA

We’ll do whatever it takes to defeat him, sir. Whatever it takes.

FIRINN

…Then sit down. You have much to learn.

(ad start)

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Reverse deja vu?

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Captain, have you ever wondered if you’re asleep or awake?

3… 2… 1… Fire!

(laser blasts)

Are you sure you’re awake right now?

(scream)

Why did Patel’s castle explode when there’s no hull breach on the bridge?

Why are you asking stupid questions during battle!?

What if there’s another world you can wake up into?

The walls are glowing…

Those aren’t walls… those are servers!

Citizen! This is Captain Hardcase of the Confederation ship Chimera. can you hear me?

I think you killed her.

Oops!

They outgun us 6 to 1, and we can’t escape without a star drive!

Where’s Mr. McGuy?

Maybe he died again.

You don’t need to thank the computer for killing us, sir.

He told me- He told me that I’m not who I think I am.

The hell are you talkin’ about?

I don’t want to rush you… you need time… to process it and come to terms with it.

Beyond Awakening. Listen now at quietplease.org/awakening and at all major podcasting services.

What are they waiting for?

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