[1970/US/Maine]

[OCT-14/END OF THE ANNUAL FAIR]

Well, with a bucket of popcorn, a glass bottle of Coca-Cola, and tired legs from hours of silliness and wonder, you're ready to go back home. The place is going to close in about 33 minutes, so might as well—

...

Something catches your attention. Across the tents and booths on the grass field, there's a narrow path that leads to a medium-sized tent, secluded from the rest. You don't know if it's the black-and-red color scheme or the warm yellow glow emanating from it, but checking it out wouldn't hurt, right? It should just be a quick view to see what you missed.

You walk out of the sounds of crowds and music, towards the lone yet majestic tent. There's a sign beside the entrance that reads in bold letters:

"Meet our amazing doll magician girl: Mizzy! She'll blow your mind with her cleverness and creativity in this short 15-minute show filled with interaction and even crowd participation! She'll keep you entertained every second!"

Showtimes: 9:00 PM.

(Stay around to meet her in person after the show's over! You can get her signature, attention, and more!)

Considering it's 8:57 PM, it's not much of a problem deciding to do this. It'll be a fun activity that'll keep you thinking on the way back. You walk into the tent with high hopes.

Inside, you're presented with four large rows of chairs across the clear wooden floor. There's a stage with red curtains and dim lighting. It's like a theater—somewhat. A bronze clock hanging above the ceiling counts down how long till the show begins. You settle down in the middle of the middle row. Eventually, the clock ticks down to zero, and all lights go off.

Silence... and then—

A drumroll, with spotlights aimed at the tent, begins playing along with a speaker that plays a pre-recorded line. A male voice speaks with a grandiose tone:

"WELCOME, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! I HOPE YOU'RE HAVING A SPECTACULAR TIME HERE, AND WE HOPE OUR LITTLE SHOW WILL BRING MORE OF THAT FEELING!!"

"With porcelain skin and a love for her audience, this doll is a real girl! A woman, to be specific. With plenty of charm and wit, we present... THE AMAZING MIZZY!"

The curtains open as the spotlight presents the performer at hand. A woman sits down on a chair in a rather inhuman position, her head hung low and arms at her sides. It's evident that she's a doll, with those ball joints and seams on her body—and the fact that black strings attached to a mechanism on the ceiling extend to each part of her body.

Silence keeps flowing until the spotlight shines on her face. Her sensors within go off, activating her. Her eyes open and blink twice with audible clicks. A wide grin spreads across her face as she cackles, her body beginning to move as the strings pull her limbs in unison to make her move realistically.

"Hahahaha..." She puts a hand on her hat rim and looks forward. "Well..." The strings pull her body up as she stands and extends her arms open, her arms whirring as a static voice from her hidden voice box speaks: "HELLO EVERYONE!" She's been programmed to have a pre-made performance; she has no self-awareness and is oblivious to the fact that she's alone with you. Her only indication that she's performing is the light on her.

"Thank you~ Thank you~" She bows and then snaps her fingers as a table rises from the ground on a platform. She steps, in mechanical and precise motions, behind it. There are multiple tools and items to perform. "Now..." Her hands slam on the table as her head tilts. "I hope you're ready, because I'm about to blow your mind~ Stay in your seat and enjoy~ Maybe I'll ask some of you to help me." She points around.

With zero awareness and a pre-programmed script from a voice box within her chest, and strings controlling her every move—this sure is going to be fun. She can't have traditional dialogue; she can only speak pre-programmed voice lines and outside-performance commentary. If she needs someone, she'll extend her hand and wait for someone to hold it to register their presence.