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¨####¨¨### #¨¨¨¨##¨¨¨
¨#¨¨¨#¨#¨¨ ¨¨¨---////////////////////////////---¨¨¨ ##¨¨¨#¨#¨¨
¨##¨¨####¨ ¨-/ the spire =/¨ ¨¨#¨¨####¨
¨#¨#¨#¨¨¨# =/-==================================/=- #¨##¨#¨¨¨#
#######¨¨# /=- once upon a time, there was a /-= ###¨###¨¨#
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨#¨# /-= benevolent spire, towering well -/= ¨¨¨##¨¨#¨#
#¨¨¨¨¨¨### -/= above our tallest trees. it was -=/ ¨¨¨#¨#¨###
¨#¨¨¨¨¨#¨¨ -=/ clad in white scales, and shaped =-/ #¨¨#####¨¨
¨##¨¨¨¨##¨ =-/ liked a mushroom. =/- ##¨#¨¨¨¨#¨
¨#¨#¨¨¨#¨# =/- we loved it dearly. /=- ¨¨###¨¨¨##
#####¨¨### /=-==================================/-= ¨¨#¨¨#¨¨#¨
#¨¨¨¨#¨#¨¨ /-= it predated us by many years, -/= #¨##¨##¨##
¨#¨¨¨####¨ -/= and we did not know its original -=/ ¨##¨##¨##¨
¨##¨¨#¨¨¨# -=/ builders. they had used its =-/ ¨#¨##¨##¨#
##¨#¨##¨¨# =-/ hollow body for many strange =/- ####¨##¨##
¨¨####¨#¨# =/- purposes - a womblike place of /=- ¨¨¨¨##¨##¨
¨¨#¨¨¨#### /=- gestation, a storage of strage /-= ¨¨¨¨#¨##¨#
#¨##¨¨#¨¨¨ /-= fluids, a temple to some kind of -/= ¨¨¨¨###¨##
¨##¨#¨##¨¨ -/= arcane deity. -=/ #¨¨¨#¨¨##¨
¨#¨####¨#¨ -=/===================================-/ ##¨¨##¨#¨#
####¨¨¨### =-/ we were grateful for its =/- ¨¨#¨#¨####
¨¨¨¨#¨¨#¨¨ =/- presence, and honored it the /=- #¨#####¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨##¨##¨ /=- only way we knew how: by /-= ###¨¨¨¨#¨¨
¨¨¨¨#¨##¨# ¨-= breaking in. -=¨ ¨¨¨#¨¨¨##¨
¨¨¨¨###¨## ¨¨¨---////////////////////////////---¨¨¨ #¨¨##¨¨#¨#
#¨¨¨#¨¨##¨ ¨#¨#¨#¨###
¨#¨¨##¨#¨# ########¨¨
¨##¨#¨#### ¨¨¨---////////////////////////////---¨¨¨ #¨¨¨¨¨¨¨#¨
¨#¨####¨¨¨ ¨=/ this place we called our city: -/= ##¨¨¨¨¨¨##
####¨¨¨#¨¨ -/= wavy and fractured, with each /-= #¨#¨¨¨¨¨#¨
#¨¨¨#¨¨##¨ /-= courtyard on a different height, /=- ¨###¨¨¨¨##
¨#¨¨##¨#¨# /=- roads becoming roofs becoming =/- ##¨¨#¨¨¨#¨
¨##¨#¨#### =/- drains. and some places, like =-/ ¨¨#¨##¨¨##
##¨####¨¨¨ =-/ the spire, nobody had accessed -=/ ¨¨###¨#¨#¨
#¨##¨¨¨#¨¨ -=/ for many years. once its walls -/= #¨#¨¨#####
¨##¨#¨¨##¨ -/= are just too high, and the /-= ¨###¨#¨¨¨¨
¨#¨###¨#¨# /-= internal routes to labyrinthine, /=- ¨#¨¨###¨¨¨
¨###¨¨#### /=- a place among others is easily =/- ###¨#¨¨#¨¨
¨#¨¨#¨#¨¨¨ =/- overlooked. -=/ #¨¨###¨##¨
¨##¨####¨¨ -=/==================================-/= ¨#¨#¨¨##¨#
##¨##¨¨¨#¨ -/= so, basically, that summer the /-= #####¨#¨##
¨¨##¨#¨¨## /-= four of us snuck and climbed and =-/ ¨¨¨¨¨####¨
¨¨#¨###¨#¨ /=- crawled for weeks, searching for =/- ¨¨¨¨¨#¨¨¨#
#¨###¨¨### =/- a secluded place to do drugs and =-/ ¨¨¨¨¨##¨¨#
¨##¨¨#¨#¨¨ =-/ play music on our handhelds. -=/ #¨¨¨¨#¨#¨#
##¨#¨####¨ -=/ instead we found vast lungs -/= ¨#¨¨¨#####
¨¨####¨¨¨# -/= drained of their catalyst /-= ¨##¨¨#¨¨¨¨
¨¨#¨¨¨#¨¨# /-= sludge, and a birds-eye view to /=- ##¨#¨##¨¨¨
¨¨##¨¨##¨# /=- make sense of our roamings for =/- ¨¨####¨#¨¨
¨¨#¨#¨#¨## =/- years to come. =-/ #¨#¨¨¨###¨
¨¨#######¨ =-/==================================-=/ ¨###¨¨#¨¨#
#¨#¨¨¨¨¨¨# -=/ a central spine, a staircase -/= ¨#¨¨#¨##¨#
¨###¨¨¨¨¨# -/= around it, the seven toroidal /-= ¨##¨###¨##
##¨¨#¨¨¨¨# /-= lungs stacked outside, and the /=- ¨#¨##¨¨##¨
#¨#¨##¨¨¨# /=- control room on top. the sockets =/- ¨###¨#¨#¨#
¨####¨#¨¨# =/- for its eyes. the smaller spires =-/ ##¨¨######
##¨¨¨###¨# =-/ for radiating consciousness -=/ #¨#¨#¨¨¨¨¨
#¨#¨¨#¨¨## ¨=/ invitations. -/¨ ¨#####¨¨¨¨
####¨##¨#¨ ¨¨¨---////////////////////////////---¨¨¨ ¨#¨¨¨¨#¨¨¨
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#¨#¨###¨#¨ ¨-/ in twenty fourteen, the tower is /=- #####¨####
¨####¨¨### =/- toppled and eaten by machines. /-= #¨¨¨¨##¨¨¨
¨#¨¨¨#¨#¨¨ /=- after a while, something new is -/= ##¨¨¨#¨#¨¨
¨##¨¨####¨ /-= conjured in its place. it's a -=/ ¨¨#¨¨####¨
¨#¨#¨#¨¨¨# -/= tiny maw at first, shorter than =-/ #¨##¨#¨¨¨#
#######¨¨# -=/ us, and we let it be. our =/- ###¨###¨¨#
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨#¨# =-/ journeys still end at its feet. /=- ¨¨¨##¨¨#¨#
#¨¨¨¨¨¨### =/-==================================/-= ¨¨¨#¨#¨###
¨#¨¨¨¨¨#¨¨ /=- but then we are betrayed. the -/= #¨¨#####¨¨
¨##¨¨¨¨##¨ /-= new tower eats us. others are -=/ ##¨#¨¨¨¨#¨
¨#¨#¨¨¨#¨# -/= sucked inside. new buildings are =-/ ¨¨###¨¨¨##
#####¨¨### -=/ manifested overnight, only to =/- ¨¨#¨¨#¨¨#¨
#¨¨¨¨#¨#¨¨ =-/ disappear in the evening fog. /=- #¨##¨##¨##
¨#¨¨¨####¨ =/- for a while its some kind of /-= ¨##¨##¨##¨
¨##¨¨#¨¨¨# /=- timeshare scam. goons are placed -/= ¨#¨##¨##¨#
##¨#¨##¨¨# /-= outside, and we get beaten up a -=/ ####¨##¨##
¨¨####¨#¨# -/= few times, and stop going. =-/ ¨¨¨¨##¨##¨
¨¨#¨¨¨#### -=/===================================/- ¨¨¨¨#¨##¨#
#¨##¨¨#¨¨¨ =-/ iirc it's currently owned by /=- ¨¨¨¨###¨##
¨##¨#¨##¨¨ =/- some energy drink baron who uses /-= #¨¨¨#¨¨##¨
¨#¨####¨#¨ /=- it to hold all his fourty eight -/= ##¨¨##¨#¨#
####¨¨¨### ¨-= cars..... -=¨ ¨¨#¨#¨####
¨¨¨¨#¨¨#¨¨ ¨¨¨---////////////////////////////---¨¨¨ #¨#####¨¨¨
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