..~=====*¤ ¤*=====~..
..~=**¤@## ##@¤**=~..
......==*@ @*==......
.......=*¤ ¤*=.......
....~***¤@ @¤***~....
.......~*¤ * 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. ###@**=~..
..~=**¤@@@ @@@¤**=~..
..~~~***¤@ @¤***~~~..
..~=**¤@## ##@¤**=~..
..~=****¤# #¤****=~..
..~=**¤@## ##@¤**=~..
..~=**¤@## ##@¤**=~..