A slight chill in the air swept up and down the hilltop streets of Oak Town, causing the residents to bundle up or shiver from the cold. One resident was certainly not as bundled up as some of the other passersby among the town. In fact, rather than bundled up, he was completely in the nude. He strode down the street with a rhythmic jaunt, dancing and playing air instruments to himself and seemingly having a great time, albeit likely insane, to anyone who might have glanced in his direction.In truth, while he might have been having a bit of fun, he was most certainly making these movements and humming songs to himself in an effort to get his mind off of the biting cold. His nether regions had shrunken considerably due to the frigidity of the environment, and his toes were starting to feel a bit numb as he walked down the near frozen pavement. While North might have acted like it, he certainly had no great immunity to colder temperatures and going out on days like today put a serious strain on his principles as a nudist. Truthfully, North would normally never go out on a day like today unless it was absolutely necessary. Unfortunately, he'd spent up nearly all his savings on a botched trip to Crocus, so regardless of the cold he had been forced to leave the comfort of his small flat and make the trek up the hill to the Phantom Lord Guild where he could hopefully find some work that wouldn't be too difficult.

After a few more minutes of dancing along through the cold, North made it to the guild where he spotted the request board. It was looking a little bare, but there were still a few sheets of parchment tacked up to the wall. North skipped over to look at the requests, happy to be out of the cold at least for now. As he skimmed through the sheets that were left, he spotted one that seemed too perfect. Someone was looking to have some illegal mushrooms gathered from the nearby woods, which North couldn't help but think was right up his alley. He folded up the sheet of paper and stuck it into his curly locks before heading back out into the cold. After exiting the guild, North broke into a full sprint to head down the hill. He strained every muscle in his body as he pushed forward, the cold wind stinging his eyes as he ran. North might have looked a bit strange to anyone who might have been passing by as he bolted through the streets, but he didn't mind. He was merely hoping to work up a bit of a sweat and dispel some of the discomfort he was feeling due to the low temperatures.

WC:475/1000

As North crossed the front gates of Oak Town he took in a deep breath of air. The forests surrounding the area were not far off and could be seen some meters away. North quickly trekked out to the treeline with a spring in his step and started his search for the mushrooms. He was familiar with the variety he was looking for due to his own personal interest in the fungi that grew in Fiore. Due to the shade from the heavy canopy of trees, very little light pierced through the dense foliage and as North trudged deeper into the forest it grew darker and darker. The gloom was actually advantageous however, as it would make the glowing green of the mushrooms much easier to spot.

North found several varieties of mushrooms as he combed through the underbrush looking for his target. Some were edible, and he had himself a couple of snacks as he went along. Others were poisonous and he was sure to avoid those, but noted them and considered what types of spells might be concocted through their use. There was always room for a new idea in the realm of fungus magic, and North was always eager to add more unique and fun weapons to his arsenal. North had to stop his mind from wandering as he walked however, not wanting to miss out on what he was out here for in the first place. The sun was starting to set and it would be getting even colder very quickly, which would only make the time spent out here even more uncomfortable. North picked up his pace and started searching more vigorously than he had before, leaving no stump unturned, no stone left unchecked, and digging through pile after pile of fallen leaves. Still, he could find no sign that any of the mushrooms would be found anywhere near here. At one point he thought he had found what he was looking for, but it was merely a mushroom in the same family. North was starting to grow increasingly frustrated and it wouldn't be long before he thought he might give up. He figured he'd give it another half hour or so, and then head home for a good night sleep.

As soon as he had decided to give up however, as is often the case, North found just what he was looking for. They were tall and gray, with little green dots and they matched his memory and the description perfectly. North grabbed them up and held them carefully in one palm while wiping the cold sweat off of his brow with his right hand. "Phew, that was a tad harder than I thought it'd be." North said to himself, feeling the cold air gently caress his skin. The only thing left to do now was head back and return these mushrooms to Stefan so that he would do whatever black market dealers do with illegal goods. North didn't much care what the end results were as long as he got paid though. He hurried along back in the direction from which he'd came and reached the front gates of Oak before too long. From there, it was a short fifteen minute walk up to Stefan's shop, and it being Oak Town, North had no reason to hide any of the goods until he reached it. After a short and pleasant exchange with Stefan, aside from the old man desperately trying to maintain eye contact so his gaze wouldn't wander to North's nether regions, the younger mage was paid and was off to the next adventure.


1088/1000