.,«\===$##                                          ##$===\«,.
.,«\=$§###                                          ###§$=\«,.
....,,«=$§                                          §$=«,,....
.,«\=$§###                                          ###§$=\«,.
.,«\=$§§§§                                          §§§§$=\«,.
..,,««\$## \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ ##$\««,,..
.,,,,«««=§ «  «  « «  « « «  « « « « « «  « « « « « §=«««,,,,.
....,\\=$§ \    \     \      \      \      \      \ §$=\\,....
....,\\==§ \              featherbite             \ §==\\,....
.,«\=$§### \       \       \       \       \      \ ###§$=\«,.
.,«\=$$$§§ «  « « « « «  « « «  « « «  « «  « « « « §§$$$=\«,.
.,«\=$§### \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ ###§$=\«,.
...,\\$§§#                                          #§§$\\,...
.,«\=$$§##     virtual popstar with mirr-branded    ##§$$=\«,.
.....«\=§# 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 ##$$=«,...
.,«\=§####     system of reward and punishment.     ####§=\«,.
.,«\=$§###                                          ###§$=\«,.
..,«\\\$§§ those who play along  will  be  rewarded §§$\\\«,..
....««\$$# with  larger perks, while those  who are #$$\««....
.,«\=$§###      uncooperative or try to expose      ###§$=\«,.
.,«\=$§### featherbite  will  be  punished.  due to ###§$=\«,.
.,«\=$$$$# the  addictive  nature  of  exposure  to #$$$$=\«,.
.,«\=$§###   featherbite, being denied access at    ###§$=\«,.
.,«\=$$$$# this   stage  often  leads   to  painful #$$$$=\«,.
.,«\=$§### withdrawal.  just  the  threat  of it is ###§$=\«,.
.,«\=§####                effective.                ####§=\«,.
.....,«=§§                                          §§=«,.....
.,««\\$$$#                                          #$$$\\««,.
.,«\=$§###                                          ###§$=\«,.
......,\=§                                          §=\,......
.,««\==$$#                                          #$$==\««,.