#$$\=~¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨~=\$$#
$$\=~¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨~=\$$
$\=~¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨~=\$
\=~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~=\
=~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~=
~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨             $ 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. ¨¨¨¨~=\$$#
$$\=~¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨~=\$$
$\=~¨¨¨¨¨¨                    ¨                     ¨¨¨¨¨¨~=\$
\=~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~=\
=~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ at  night,  i  have  demi-lucid   dreams ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~=
~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ where  the spirits  of the forest around ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ the cottage tries to communicate.  here, ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ it's  not  endless  but connected  to  a ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ large  sprawling  city,  where my  radio ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ friends live. we go  exploring  together ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ - things are deep and dark  - but unlike ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ me, they never remember during the  day. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~
=~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ this  is  a  mystery  we often  discuss. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~=
\=~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~=\
$\=~¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨~=\$
$$\=~¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨~=\$$
#$$\=~¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨~=\$$#
##$$\=~¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨~=\$$##
###$$\=~¨¨                                          ¨¨~=\$$###