....^~†^%@                                          @%^†~^....
.....^~†^%                                          %^†~^.....
....^~†^%@                                          @%^†~^....
...^~†^%@@                                          @@%^†~^...
..^~†^%@@#                                          #@@%^†~^..
.^~†^%@@##             % 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. #@@%^†~^..
...^~†^%@@                                          @@%^†~^...
....^~†^%@                                          @%^†~^....
.....^~†^%                                          %^†~^.....
....^~†^%@                                          @%^†~^....
...^~†^%@@                                          @@%^†~^...
..^~†^%@@#                                          #@@%^†~^..