#laurissilva

Those fairies from my little fantasy… Those fairies that I imagined as soon as my father told me that I might find some elves along the way.

Shy but playful. Curious but elusive. They are the dryads of the laurel forest.

No bigger than 6 cm, with wings that make them twice as long. Wings similar to those of a bat. Suitable for humid climates such as these cloud forests, they need to have their skin soaked like an amphibian.

They cover their private parts by putting their head in a laurel leaf. It can be from a laurel tree, a parrot's beak, or any other laurel-type tree. To learn more about the vegetation, I recommend you read a post I will make at another time.

Their culture is based on living for and in the forest, as any fairy would do in their natural environment. It is normal for them to help the animals that live in the forest, but as there is more vegetation than fauna, they have specialised in medicine. They make all kinds of remedies: ointments to treat blows, wounds, concoctions to cure illnesses, to clear the voice. They even make perfumes. Some remedies are magical, using semi-precious stones within reach. But the latter are a secret treasure that they keep among themselves.

They are quite practical and adapted to their environment. The only hygiene they practice is oral hygiene, although sometimes they bathe in pools of crystal-clear water or under small waterfalls for pleasure. Their diet is based on insects, fruits, flowers and some tender leaves. They have hardly any gastronomy; they cook some sweets with a texture similar to Japanese mochis with the nectar of certain flowers and the flour of dry leaves. They use the nectar of flowers such as bicácaro, heather, and wallflower. If they find any of the latter, they also use the nectar of the tejera.

They have an obsession with water, they are prepared for their skin to capture the micro drops of mist and their body to be covered in dew. The more of this they have, the more comfortable they feel. It is even typical for them to entertain themselves with the droplets that cover them by touching them. They do this when they are alone and not even people from their family can see them.

These fairies have a peculiarity. They are either male or female, and they have both male and female sexual organs. Depending on their sex, some organs will be more developed than others.

Their reproduction is sexual hermaphrodite. There are more women than men in notable proportions. In scientific terms (or rather mythological xD) we should speak of pucks (men) and dryads (women) and not men and women.

The puck of the laurel forest often gather together and play traditional sports. Dryads and puck of the laurel forest respect each other and work together. But their relationship is minimal. The puck are a group that is quite misunderstood by the dryads.

Although pucks never develop great musculature, they can become very strong and, above all, agile. However, dryads are also quite agile by nature, but their physical build is much less developed than that of a puck. They share a faster life rhythm than a human, but this species likes to appreciate the slow changes in nature.

In general, they share personality traits that are quite characteristic of dryads and pucks. Such as social inhibition but curiosity and spontaneity in the face of the unknown. In family groups chosen by themselves, they are quite extroverted.

Both pucks and dryads resemble animals in certain ways. For example, one of them is that gender is arguably something that doesn't exist for them. They behave however they want and are respected. Although it is true that there are general behavioral differences between the sexes, and that is why they tend to isolate themselves from each other.