Written by Jonathan Wojcik

   It's a common misconception that the Furler does not swap advanced gels with red, black or even sub-giraffe zoners, but this unfair myth is nothing but a product of distorted Shambler perception, just another case of their words being considerably less reliable than their olfaction patterns.

   Truth is, the Furler is simply the most timid and sensitive organelle of the Seething. It would gladly swap endogels and exogels alike with a zoner who can meet its needs, but many mistakenly approach it as they would a Folder, a mistake that can even prove quasifatal if the Furler is incubating. While a Folder can't wait to be rid of them, a Furler can be almost suicidally protective of its immature cysts, destabilizing its reflection into raw, caustic Seethestuff and easily shaving a few zones from your range if it catches you off-guard.

So, how exactly can you demonstrate your intentions to such an unpredictable organelle?

   When your exospine first synchronizes vibration with the Furler, you should find its parabody hanging between the second and purpleth layers of the Seething, its salivary fan groping for its favorite source of potassium, the exospines of infant grey-zoners. This is why most grey-zoners stop roaming in their early development, and never reawaken; their neonatal exospines probe the zones aimlessly, almost unconsciously, with little to no defense against Furlers, Folders, pupating Chalkgnarls or even the idiot Gull, if you can believe it.

   Fortunately, a mature exospine is resistent to the Furler's solvents, and if you've anchored a branch in the green zone, the Furler should know that you have already differentiated it from a Folder. It will relax its husk, and the outer lips of its ventral cavity should begin to undulate.

Taking care not to avoid the salivary fan, gently entwine your branches with the Furler's probes. You won't see them, but your exospine will taste their musk and do most of the work on its own. Just relax, and let the Furler choose the gel layers it needs. Trust the Furler. It will only take what it intends to replace.

   You will know the exchange is complete when you feel yourself being pulled back into the green. The Furler will remember your vibrations, and be considerably more receptive to subsequent exchanges. You may even notice a new pulse in your germ funnel; this is the Furler's protein coil, an inexhaustible source of cysts and the Furler's most intimate gift. Just remember not to name it, or it may reverse the nature of your relationship.