.^~==$&### ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ###&$==~^.
.^~==$&### $ in the end, it's ride or die. join or  ###&$==~^.
....~=$$$& ........  get integrated.  $  .......... &$$$=~....
.^~==$&### .. $$ eventually they lay their eggs, .. ###&$==~^.
.....~==$# . usually in warm, tasty places. it's .  #$==~.....
.^~==$&### .. bird elf custom to let others deal .. ###&$==~^.
.^^~===$&# ................... with the fallout. $$ #&$===~^^.
...~~==$## ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ##$==~~...
.^~==$&### $$$ $ before their juice harvesting .... ###&$==~^.
...^^^^==& .. organs start to cludge, and before .. &==^^^^...
..^~==$&&# . their wings atrophy, and before their. #&&$==~^..
.^~==$&### . tails start to seek the earth... $ $$$ ###&$==~^.
......~=&& $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ &&=~......
.....^~=$# $$$ these elves have no bell power, the^ #$=~^.....
...^~~===& ..... fey bells are called by other .... &===~~^...
.^~==$&### .......................... agitators $$$ ###&$==~^.
.....^=$## $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ ##$=^.....
....^^=$&# $$$ they feed mostly on plant nectar in. #&$=^^....
.^~==$$&&# . their first years, relying on rains to #&&$$==~^.
.^~===$$## ... filter through the vines of the .... ##$$===~^.
.^~==&#### ............................ island. $$$ ####&==~^.
.^~==$&### $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ ###&$==~^.
.^~==$&### $$$$$ $ they have built their largest .. ###&$==~^.
....^~===& . colony in the floating tree outside .. &===~^....
.^~==$&### of venezuela.  any  bird from  any house ###&$==~^.
....^==$## ................is welcome here. $ $$$$$ ##$==^....
.^~===$$&# $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ #&$$===~^.
^~==$&#### $$$$$ there's a desert of fangs to be .. ####&$==~^
.....~===& ........................ cast into $$$$$ &===~.....
....^==$&# ~ the largest gathering of such elves .. #&$==^....
.....^=$## ......... will be in the floating tree ~ ##$=^.....
.....~==&& ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ &&==~.....
....^^~=$# ~~ although you could find a solitary .. #$=~^^....
.^~~=====& .. bird elf hexing you for stepping .... &=====~~^.
.^~==$&### ... out of lane in your own garden, .... ###&$==~^.
.^~==$&### ..... .bird elves flock together ....... ###&$==~^.
.^~==$&### ........................ if they can. ~~ ###&$==~^.
....^~=$$# ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #$$=~^....
.^~==$&### ~~~ they look like dark birds at first ~ ###&$==~^.
.^==$&#### ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ####&$==^.
....^~==&& ~~~~ ~ some practice animal husbandry, . &&==~^....
...^~===&& .... especially monkeys and snakes ..... &&===~^...
.^~==$&### .......... (for fur or scales, ......... ###&$==~^.
.^~==&#### ........... or quality of blood). ~ ~~~~ ####&==~^.
.^~==$&### ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ###&$==~^.
.^~==$&### ~~~~ the floating tree above ........... ###&$==~^.
.....^==$& ......................... venezuela ~~~~ &$==^.....
...~=====& ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ &=====~...
....~~==$& ~~~~~ their claws are long ............. &$==~~....
.^~====$&# and root-like, and trail after them in . #&$====~^.
......~=&# .......................... flight. ~~~~~ #&=~......
..^^~=$&&& ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ &&&$=~^^..
.^~===$&&& ~~~~~~ . various dances performed ...... &&&$===~^.
....^=$&&# ............................... . ~~~~~~ #&&$=^....
.^~==$&### ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ###&$==~^.
....^~==$# ~~~~~~~~~ later they will learn how to . #$==~^....
.^~====&&& .. harvest blood from animals (think ... &&&====~^.
.^~==$&&## ................... mosquito). ~~~~~~~~~ ##&&$==~^.
.^~==$&### ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ###&$==~^.