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