.##..#.#.. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #..##..#.#
..#.##.#.#  & 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). ~~~~~~~~~ #.#.#.##.#
.##..#.#.. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #.#.#..#.#