.....:~^†$ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ $†^~:.....
......:~^† $ 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). ~~~~~~~~~ #@¤$†^~:..
...:~^†$¤@ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ @¤$†^~:...