.....^-\$% %$\-^.....
....^-\$%& &%$\-^....
...^-\$%&¶ ¶&%$\-^...
..^-\$%&¶@ @¶&%$\-^..
.^-\$%&¶@# #@¶&%$\-^.
..^-\$%&¶@ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ @¶&%$\-^..
...^-\$%&¶ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ¶&%$\-^...
....^-\$%& \ \ \ \ \ \ \ &%$\-^....
.....^-\$% \ featherbite \ %$\-^.....
......^-\$ \ \ \ \ \ \ $\-^......
.......^-\ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - \-^.......
........^- \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ -^........
.........^ ^.........
.......... virtual popstar with mirr-branded ..........
.......... gloves, reaching out from shadowy data ..........
.......... centeres, with a sly grin. she will ..........
.........^ take your hand if you let her. ^.........
........^- she will not let go. -^........
.......^-\ \-^.......
......^-\$ but before any of this is possible, you $\-^......
.....^-\$% must earn some personal time together %$\-^.....
....^-\$%& with the world's most famous influencer! &%$\-^....
...^-\$%&¶ ¶&%$\-^...
..^-\$%&¶@ ^& &^ @¶&%$\-^..
.^-\$%&¶@# ¶¶¶&&------------------------------&&¶¶¶ #@¶&%$\-^.
..^-\$%&¶@ ^& &^ @¶&%$\-^..
...^-\$%&¶ ¶&%$\-^...
....^-\$%& most people are aware that she's a mirr &%$\-^....
.....^-\$% company product, though their relation %$\-^.....
......^-\$ is somewhat unclear. there is avid $\-^......
.......^-\ speculation into who's her actor, many \-^.......
........^- believing there to me more than one. -^........
.........^ what they don't know is that ^.........
.......... featherbite is an ai. ..........
.......... ..........
.......... years of relentless training, of ..........
.........^ grinding test audiences to dust, and ^.........
........^- here is now this program running on -^........
.......^-\ mirr's supercluster, trained to amass a \-^.......
......^-\$ dedicated and affectable audience. her $\-^......
.....^-\$% appearance, her voice, her %$\-^.....
....^-\$%& mannierisms... are weapons, pointed at &%$\-^....
...^-\$%&¶ the public, instilling addiction, ¶&%$\-^...
..^-\$%&¶@ dependence, and loyalty. @¶&%$\-^..
.^-\$%&¶@# #@¶&%$\-^.
..^-\$%&¶@ ^& &^ @¶&%$\-^..
...^-\$%&¶ ¶¶¶&&------------------------------&&¶¶¶ ¶&%$\-^...
....^-\$%& ^& &^ &%$\-^....
.....^-\$% %$\-^.....
......^-\$ featherbite's social media accounts are $\-^......
.......^-\ constantly pushing for donations, \-^.......
........^- recommending her to friends, or other -^........
.........^ contributions. at the center of this is ^.........
.......... an official fanclub, operating on a ..........
.......... system of reward and punishment. ..........
.......... ..........
.........^ those who play along will be rewarded ^.........
........^- with larger perks, while those who are -^........
.......^-\ uncooperative or try to expose \-^.......
......^-\$ featherbite will be punished. due to $\-^......
.....^-\$% the addictive nature of exposure to %$\-^.....
....^-\$%& featherbite, being denied access at &%$\-^....
...^-\$%&¶ this stage often leads to painful ¶&%$\-^...
..^-\$%&¶@ withdrawal. just the threat of it is @¶&%$\-^..
.^-\$%&¶@# effective. #@¶&%$\-^.
..^-\$%&¶@ @¶&%$\-^..
...^-\$%&¶ ¶&%$\-^...
....^-\$%& &%$\-^....
.....^-\$% %$\-^.....
......^-\$ $\-^......