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Winter Apples (10) : Whereas most trees have already lost their leaves and stand barren in the winter months, these trees are still a lively green and don't seem affected at all. The most interesting thing about these trees isn't their color--it's the sudden fruit that has appeared on them. A few days after the first snowfall, little apples began to grow--small, bright red. They range in size from berries to plums--but taste like the sweetest apple you've ever sampled. They're all over the city, and the harvest is bountiful; more appear after every snowfall. There's just one catch--eat too many, or eat the wrong one--and you're out cold. Every apple risks drowsiness, fatigue, and even unconsciousness that can last for a few hours up to a day. If you're looking for a sweet treat and a good nap, you've come to the right place. Just make sure you're somewhere comfortable first.

Feronia just wanted a few more of those apples and had kept an eye out for any of the trees that had branches low enough for him to reach and grab some from. Something about picking them up off the ground seemed like a bad idea, something he knew from back home. Even though it was winter, and he was certain no bugs would be in the downed apples, it was better safe than sorry.

Heading out this time while powered up, anxious after the run-in with the monster and Lovas, he cautiously poked his head out of the forest, which led back to Anti's cabin. Ahead, he saw not one but a small group of the out-of-season trees. Even if the prospect of going out alone did make him fret more, he wanted to get more of those sweet apples. Nothing from back home had ever tasted so sweet, and he couldn't stop thinking about the taste, even if that one man he'd saved from the puddle had told him the fruit wasn't to be trusted.

Taking a deep breath, he stepped out from the forest's coverage and crossed the small patch of grass between trees to stand under the nearest apple tree. Looking up, he couldn't see too many that he could reach, but after a moment, he thought he felt someone close by.

His ears drooped slightly as he looked around, unsure of who this new person might be and hoping it wasn't that feral and violent Lovas.

"H-hello?"

Looking between the senshi and the apples, Feronia tilted his head slightly in confusion. "Fall asleep? But I've had these before with no issue. I wanted to get some more to make another dessert."

Sure, he had taken a nap after eating it, but such things happened when he ate too much or had been out wandering all day. There were so many things within the bounds of the trees to look at while lying low as he'd been told to do by Arakahn.

To prove his point, he jumped up and snatched one as best as he could, which caused more to fall as the branch snapped back up once the one he had grabbed pulled free from it. Wiping it with his sleeve, he took a cautious nibble and smiled, just as sweet as the others.

"Fruits here are so sweet compared to back home... It's amazing how bountiful the crops are here without seeing anyone tending to them." Something that he was still getting used to, even if Antisana had confirmed that things just grew when you planted them here. At least when things were planted in the right season.

"Are you allergic to them, maybe?" Muddling through the word allergic as he still wasn't used to how it sounded or the exact meaning of it. He had an idea of it from what he'd heard from Antisana, but otherwise it still felt odd to hear that some things made certain people sick while not effecting others.

Listening as they explained things, he could see the reason for concern, but at the same time, as he chewed thoughtfully on the apple he had, he didn't feel tired like they'd mentioned. Still, the ones that had fallen alongside the one he was eating were next on his list to be picked up. Even if he didn't eat anymore while away from home, just in case, he was planning on making something else out of them.

"My world had plants and food, but sometimes the harvest wasn't as great, even with all the work I put in to help with ceremonies. Things are so sweet, or crisper and fresher than they seemed back home. I don't really understand how yet, but maybe it's whatever is in the soil?"

There were all sorts of things it could be, and once he figured out what to do back home, then maybe he could bring some of the knowledge from here back to start things back up. Though something had started to linger in the back of his mind, even if he wasn't acknowledging it just yet.

"I'll be careful then, just this one now and then a pie or pastry out of the rest of these when I'm back home." Smiling softly as he hurried around and picked up the rest of the fallen apples, he held them in his shirt as he went.

"If I see anyone else sleeping because of them, I'll let you know! Oh, I'm Feronia by the way! Hopefully we'll meet again?" With a little bit of a wave, at least as much of one as he could offer while trying not to lose all the apples he'd grabbed, he started to wander back towards the trees in the direction of home. He'd be making a few trips as long as these trees were around, that he was sure of.