........-\ \-........
.......-\* *\-.......
......-\*% %*\-......
.....-\*%# #%*\-.....
....-\*%## ##%*\-....
...-\*%### % 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. ####%*\-..
...-\*%### ###%*\-...
....-\*%## ##%*\-....
.....-\*%# #%*\-.....
......-\*% %*\-......
.......-\* *\-.......
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