...^~\%%¤# #¤%%\~^...
....^~\%%¤ ¤%%\~^....
.....^~\%% %%\~^.....
......^~\% %\~^......
.......^~\ \~^.......
......^~\% \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ %\~^......
.....^~\%% ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ %%\~^.....
....^~\%%¤ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ ¤%%\~^....
...^~\%%¤# \ 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. \~^.......
......^~\% %\~^......
.....^~\%% %%\~^.....
....^~\%%¤ ¤%%\~^....
...^~\%%¤# #¤%%\~^...
..^~\%%¤## ##¤%%\~^..