@**/~^.... ....^~/**@
#@**/~^... ...^~/**@#
@#@**/~^.. ..^~/**@#@
#@#@**/~^. .^~/**@#@#
@#@**/~^.. ..^~/**@#@
#@**/~^... * 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. ......^~/*
**/~^..... .....^~/**
@**/~^.... ....^~/**@
#@**/~^... ...^~/**@#
@#@**/~^.. ..^~/**@#@
#@#@**/~^. .^~/**@#@#
@#@**/~^.. ..^~/**@#@