..=*%%#### ####%%*=..
..=*%%%%%# #%%%%%*=..
..=*%%#### ####%%*=..
..====%%## ##%%====..
..=*%%#### ####%%*=..
.....=%### % 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. #%%***==..
..*%%##### #####%%*..
..=*%%%### ###%%%*=..
.....==*%# #%*==.....
....=**%## ##%**=....
..=*%%#### ####%%*=..
..=*%%#### ####%%*=..