#¤%%~~::.. ..::~~%%¤#
¤%%%%%=~:. .:~=%%%%%¤
#%%~~:.... ....:~~%%#
¤%%~...... ......~%%¤
###¤%%=~:. .:~=%%¤###
#¤¤¤%%=~:. % 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. .:~=%%¤###
#%%%=:.... ....:=%%%#
¤%=~...... ......~=%¤
###¤%%=~:. .:~=%%¤###
#¤¤%%%=~:. .:~=%%%¤¤#
#¤¤%=:.... ....:=%¤¤#
¤%=::..... .....::=%¤