,,,,,==$## ##$==,,,,,
,:==$@#### ####@$==:,
,,,:==$$$# #$$$==:,,,
,:==$@#### ####@$==:,
,:=====$## ##$=====:,
,:==$$@@## @ DREAM PALACE @ ##@@$$==:,
,,,,,==$$# : ----- ------ : #$$==,,,,,
,:==$@#### @ ..... ...... @ ####@$==:,
,,,,::=@@# = ..... ...... = #@@=::,,,,
,:==$@#### : ..... ...... : ####@$==:,
,,,,,=$@## : ..... ...... : ##@$=,,,,,
,:==$$$@@# , ..... ...... , #@@$$$==:,
,:::===@## ##@===:::,
,:==$@#### ####@$==:,
,:==$@#### NOT ACTUALLY A PALACE. A COTTAGE IN THE ####@$==:,
,,,:=$@### WOODS (TEMPERATE CLIMATE, RAINS EVERY ###@$=:,,,
,:==$@#### OTHER DAY, SPRINGS AND STREAMS AND ####@$==:,
,:==$@#### MYSTERIOUS IRON AND STONE ARTIFACTS, ####@$==:,
,:==$@#### BIRDLAND-ISH ETERNAL SPRING (LATE ####@$==:,
,:==$@#### SPRING)) ####@$==:,
,:==$@#### ####@$==:,
,:==$@#### = ####@$==:,
,:==$@#### ####@$==:,
,,,,,,=$## I WAKE UP EVERY MORNING AT SIX AM. IT'S ##$=,,,,,,
,,,,:::=$# DARK, AND THE STARS ARE OUT, BUT THE #$=:::,,,,
,,:====@@# SUN IS ABOUT TO RISE. ITS A LONG DAY, #@@====:,,
,:==$@#### BEFORE IT FADES TO NIGHT AGAIN, AND ####@$==:,
,:==$@#### THEN IT STAYS SO UNTIL I FALL ASLEEP. ####@$==:,
,,,,,:=$## IT DOESN'T RISE UNLESS I'VE HAD MY ##$=:,,,,,
,,,,,,:=$# DREAMS. #$=:,,,,,,
,,,,,=$$## ##$$=,,,,,
,,,,,:==$# $ #$==:,,,,,
,,,:====@# #@====:,,,
,:==$@#### IN THIS COTTAGE THERE'S A LOT OF RADIO ####@$==:,
,,,,=$$$## EQUIPMENT, SOUND STUFF, SYNTHS, TAPE ##$$$=,,,,
,:==$@#### PLAYERS. PEN AND PAPER, BOOKS, CAMERAS, ####@$==:,
,:==@##### MIRRORS, PRISMS, AND VARIOUS THINGS TO #####@==:,
,:====$$## DO ART WITH. THE FRIDGE IS FILLED WITH ##$$====:,
,,,,,:=$@# DIFFERET FOODS, ALL OF THEM INTRIGUING, #@$=:,,,,,
,:==$@@@## SLIGHTLY WEIRD. ##@@@$==:,
,:==$@#### ####@$==:,
,:==$@#### # ####@$==:,
,,,====@## ##@====,,,
,:====$### I HAVE FRIENDS - THERE'S A CAT, AND A ###$====:,
,:==$@@### DOG (WHO IS RIDICOLOUSLY LARGE AND ###@@$==:,
,:==$@#### WANTS TO BE THE BIG SPOON). I LISTEN TO ####@$==:,
,,,::=@@@# THE SHORTWAVE RADIO, AND TRANSMIT A BIT #@@@=::,,,
,,,::===@# MYSELF, SONGS AND POETRY, AND FOUND #@===::,,,
,:==$$$$## SOUNDS FROM THE FOREST. THE OTHERS TELL ##$$$$==:,
,,,:==$@@# OF THEIR LIVES, PLAY THE GUITAR FOR ME, #@@$==:,,,
,:=$@##### AND TELL TALES OF THE OLD WORLD. I #####@$=:,
,,,,:===@# CONSIDER THEM FRIENDS AS WELL. #@===:,,,,
,:==$@#### ####@$==:,
,:==$@#### # ####@$==:,
,:==$@#### ####@$==:,
,,,::==$$# MOST IMPORTANTLY, THERE'S A TWO SQUARE #$$==::,,,
,:==$@#### METER AREA ON THE FLOOR WHERE I CAN ####@$==:,
,:==$@#### "SAVE" THINGS. WHATEVER I PUT IN HERE ####@$==:,
,,:::==$$# WILL NOT BE AFFECTED BY THE NIGHTLY #$$==:::,,
,,,====@## RESET. EVERYTHING ELSE, HOWEVER, IS ##@====,,,
,:==$@#### COMPLETELY RESET OVERNIGHT: SYNTH ####@$==:,
,:==$@#### PATCHES REMOVED, FOOD UNEATEN, WOUNDS ####@$==:,
,,,,,,=$## HEALED, AND WHEREVER AND WHENEVER I'D ##$=,,,,,,
,,,,,,=$@# FALL ASLEEP I'D ALWAYS WAKE UP FULLY #@$=,,,,,,
,:==$@#### RESTED IN MY BED. SOMETIMES THERE'S ####@$==:,
,:==$@#### ACCIDENTS WHERE I LOSE STUFF BY ####@$==:,
,:==$@#### FORGETTING TO PUT THEM IN THE SQUARE. ####@$==:,
,:==$@@### ###@@$==:,
,:==$@#### , ####@$==:,
,:==$@#### ####@$==:,
,,,,,:=@## AT NIGHT, I HAVE DEMI-LUCID DREAMS ##@=:,,,,,
,:==$@#### WHERE THE SPIRITS OF THE FOREST AROUND ####@$==:,
,,,::=$@## THE COTTAGE TRIES TO COMMUNICATE. HERE, ##@$=::,,,
,,,::=$@@# IT'S NOT ENDLESS BUT CONNECTED TO A #@@$=::,,,
,,:=====$# LARGE SPRAWLING CITY, WHERE MY RADIO #$=====:,,
,,,,,:=$@# FRIENDS LIVE. WE GO EXPLORING TOGETHER #@$=:,,,,,
,:==$@#### - THINGS ARE DEEP AND DARK - BUT UNLIKE ####@$==:,
,,,,:=$$## ME, THEY NEVER REMEMBER DURING THE DAY. ##$$=:,,,,
,:==$@#### THIS IS A MYSTERY WE OFTEN DISCUSS. ####@$==:,
,:==$@#### ####@$==:,
,:====$@@# #@@$====:,
,:==$@#### ####@$==:,
,:==$@#### ####@$==:,
,:==$@#### ####@$==:,
,:==$@@@## ##@@@$==:,