¨^==:::†#@ ======================================== @#†:::==^¨
¨^=:†%#@##  % 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). ========= #†=¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨^=:†%#@## ======================================== ##@#%†:=^¨