........., ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ,.........
.......... £ 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). ~~~~~~~~~ %*~,......
.......,~* ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ *~,.......