$*\~^..... .....^~\*$
*\~^...... ......^~\*
$*\~^..... .....^~\*$
#$*\~^.... ....^~\*$#
##$*\~^... ...^~\*$##
###$*\~^.. . ..^~\*$###
####$*\~^. . .^~\*$####
###$*\~^.. . ^. ..^~\*$###
##$*\~^... gull call. . . ^ ...^~\*$##
#$*\~^.... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ....^~\*$#
$*\~^..... .....^~\*$
*\~^...... the seagull is a metaphysics trick; a ......^~\*
$*\~^..... world-builder's shortcut, to define a .....^~\*$
#$*\~^.... section of reality and imply its size: ....^~\*$#
##$*\~^... place a flock of birds at the edge and ...^~\*$##
###$*\~^.. make their calls tesselate over the ..^~\*$###
####$*\~^. entire volume .^~\*$####
###$*\~^.. ..^~\*$###
##$*\~^... a seagull can be defined by as little ...^~\*$##
#$*\~^.... as five vertices; six triangles. (i ....^~\*$#
$*\~^..... would recommend handling in swarms of .....^~\*$
*\~^...... at least a dozen birds.) ......^~\*
$*\~^..... .....^~\*$
#$*\~^.... ....^~\*$#
##$*\~^... ...^~\*$##
###$*\~^.. ..^~\*$###
####$*\~^. .^~\*$####