.-~†%%&&## ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ##&&%%†~-.
...--††%%#  % 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). ~~~~~~~~~ &%%%††~~-.
.-~†%%%%## ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ##%%%%†~-.