#@#&$§=~,. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ .,~=§$&#@#
#@#&$§=~,.  $ 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 ............. ...,~=§&&@
#@#&$§=~,. and root-like, and trail after them in . .,~=§$&#@#
#@#&$§=~,. .......................... flight. ~~~~~ .,~=§$&#@#
@##&$§=~,. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ .,~=§$&##@
@@#&$§=~,. ~~~~~~ . various dances performed ...... .,~=§$&#@@
#@#&$§=~,. ............................... . ~~~~~~ .,~=§$&#@#
&&&§§==~,. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ .,~==§§&&&
##@#&$§=,. ~~~~~~~~~ later they will learn how to . .,=§$&#@##
##@#&$§~,. .. harvest blood from animals (think ... .,~§$&#@##
#@#&$§=~,. ................... mosquito). ~~~~~~~~~ .,~=§$&#@#
&$====,... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ...,====$&