¨.~^†@¤###                                          ###¤@†^~.¨
¨¨.~^†@¤##                                          ##¤@†^~.¨¨
¨.~^†@¤###                                          ###¤@†^~.¨
¨¨.~^†@¤##                                          ##¤@†^~.¨¨
¨.~^†@¤###                                          ###¤@†^~.¨
¨¨.~^†@¤## ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ##¤@†^~.¨¨
¨.~^†@¤### ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ~  ~ ~  ~  ~ ~ ###¤@†^~.¨
¨¨.~^†@¤## ^    ^     ^      ^      ^      ^      ^ ##¤@†^~.¨¨
¨.~^†@¤### ^              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.                ###¤@†^~.¨
¨¨.~^†@¤##                                          ##¤@†^~.¨¨
¨.~^†@¤###                                          ###¤@†^~.¨
¨¨.~^†@¤##                                          ##¤@†^~.¨¨
¨.~^†@¤###                                          ###¤@†^~.¨
¨¨.~^†@¤##                                          ##¤@†^~.¨¨