........^=                                          =^........
.......^==                                          ==^.......
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.....^==*$                                          $*==^.....
....^==*$&                                          &$*==^....
...^==*$&#             $ DREAM PALACE $             #&$*==^...
..^==*$&##             ^ ----- ------ ^             ##&$*==^..
.^==*$&###             $ ..... ...... $             ###&$*==^.
..^==*$&##             = ..... ...... =             ##&$*==^..
...^==*$&#             ^ ..... ...... ^             #&$*==^...
....^==*$&             ^ ..... ...... ^             &$*==^....
.....^==*$             . ..... ...... .             $*==^.....
......^==*                                          *==^......
.......^==                                          ==^.......
........^= NOT ACTUALLY A PALACE.  A COTTAGE IN THE =^........
.........^  WOODS (TEMPERATE CLIMATE, RAINS EVERY   ^.........
.......... OTHER  DAY,  SPRINGS   AND  STREAMS  AND ..........
..........   MYSTERIOUS IRON AND STONE ARTIFACTS,   ..........
..........    BIRDLAND-ISH ETERNAL SPRING (LATE     ..........
..........                 SPRING))                 ..........
..........                                          ..........
..........                    =                     ..........
..........                                          ..........
.........^ I WAKE UP EVERY MORNING AT  SIX AM. IT'S ^.........
........^= DARK, AND  THE STARS  ARE  OUT, BUT  THE =^........
.......^== SUN  IS ABOUT TO  RISE.  ITS A LONG DAY, ==^.......
......^==* BEFORE  IT FADES  TO  NIGHT  AGAIN,  AND *==^......
.....^==*$ 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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