«^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^«
^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨             * 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. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^
«^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^«
=«^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^«=
§=«^¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨^«=§