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.....~=†%*             * 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))                 ..........
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.........~ 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.             ~.........
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.......... 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. ..........
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.......~=†                                          †=~.......
......~=†% 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. ¤*%†=~....
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