.:~^†&&¶## ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ##¶&&†^~:.
.:~†&&¶### & 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). ~~~~~~~~~ &&&†~~::..
.:~^†&&¶## ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ##¶&&†^~:.