......^~/† ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ †/~^......
.......^~/ % 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). ~~~~~~~~~ %†/~^.....
....^~/†%§ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ §%†/~^....