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¨#¨¨¨¨¨##¨ ==: 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. :=¨ ¨###¨#####
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#¨#¨###¨¨# ¨== 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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#¨#¨###¨## ==: 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 =:= ¨##¨#¨###¨
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