*sm_save 0 | false | Start of Camp
You make your way back to the camp in the direction Oferi pointed. By the time you reach it, you're quite exhausted from carrying the armload of firewood Oferi encumbered you with. The muscles in your arms give out at the very moment you stoop to place the load of wood down, Sticks and branches of various sizes clatter to the ground.

The pile of wood you intended to set in the middle of the camp is less of a stack and more of a strewn mess. You start to gather it together again.

*IF art
	Art frowns at you. "We'll just light the middle of it and watch the whole camp burn to bits, shall we?"

	*IF ghinty
		"Sounds like fun to me!" Ghinty says, holding miniature fireballs up in her palms.

		"Bah! Don't you ever quit clowning, greenskin?" Art asks.

		"You give up stinking and I'll give up clowning. Waddaya say?"

		Art grunts and walks away.

		"We all have our vices!" Ghinty shouts after him, laughing, as she juggles her little spheres of fire.

*IF lish
	Lish smiles and shakes her head. She starts rounding up the wayward wood.

*IF tekoa
	Tekoa helps by kicking sticks and smaller branches toward the center of the camp while filing her nails.

	*IF wyverna
		Wyverna says, "Your attention to personal hygiene is all-to-gezzer commendable, Miss Tekoa."

		The buxom woman shrugs. "Just don't want to scratch any sensitive bits tonight."

		Wyverna laughs. "Ah, I see! You will please keep your moaning to a minimum, ah-no?"

		Tekoa blows on her fingernails and splays them out to get a good look at them. She says, "Didn't say they were going to be [i]my[/i] sensitive bits, sweetheart." She looks at Wyverna with a grin. "And I really don't think it's going to be [i]my[/i] moaning."

		Wyverna bites her lip as her eyebrows go up.

*IF kerwain
	With an air of affected humility, Kerwain sets aside his sword and shield to help gather the firewood.

*IF finnur
	Gesturing with delicate movements of his hands, Finnur causes the scattered timber to roll and tumble together into neat stacks of its own accord.

	*IF art
		"That's cheatin'," Art says.

		"Such can be said of any gift," Finnur replies, "and any curse, as well."

		*IF tekoa
			Tekoa laughs. "Any curse, huh? How is the curse of being naked all the time cheating at anything?"

			Finnur considers the question for a moment. "I suppose it would be considered cheating to those whom have to buy clothes."

			"I'd rather have to buy clothes than have my bum hanging out all the time!" Tekoa says.

			Finnur chuckles. "Tekoa, your bum [i]is[/i] hanging out all the time."

			Tekoa glances at her backside over her shoulder then turns back to Finnur. She shrugs. "Huh. I suppose it is!"

		Art grumbles, "Whatever you say, but it's still cheatin'."

*IF kerwain
	*IF lish
		When Kerwain is stooping over to stack the last bit of wood atop one pile, Lish pushes him over. He goes clattering to the ground on his back. He looks completely flabbergasted.

		Lish promptly sits down on his armored chest and braces her elbows on her knees and her head in her hands.

		"What... what are you doing?" Kerwain asks.

		"Staking my claim," Lish says. She grins at Kerwain and raises an eyebrow.

		Kerwain swallows and his cheeks flush as red as roses, but he makes no move to dislodge her.

*IF ghinty
	Ghinty has already set fire to a large branch. She holds it aloft, waiting for the moment she can plunge it into the pile of sticks in the middle of the camp.

Oferi returns to the camp, adding another armload of wood to one of the stacks.

*IF ghinty
	"It won't be dark for another half-hour, Ghinty," Oferi says.

	Ghinty nods. "I can wait."

*IF attendwyverna
	"Over 'ere, atten-dand!" Wyverna calls.

	You walk over to her and she holds up her bare foot and wiggles her toes at you.

	"Oh, how my poor feet ache!" she says. "You know how to massage, ah-no? And don't be afraid to really grind zose thumbs in!"

	*FAKE_CHOICE
		#Massage Wyverna's feet
			You take Wyverna's dainty foot in your hand and work your thumbs under her heel. She moans appreciatively.

			*IF (romancing="Wyverna")
				"Ah, Gottess!" She smiles up at you. "You have a magnificent touch, atten-dand. We will see where else you might touch me tonight, ah-no?"

				You open your mouth to explain that you were thinking the same thing but she holds up a finger to silence you.

				"I know," she says, still smiling. "And yes, we will."

			*IF not(romancing="none") and not(romancing="wyverna")
				"Ah, zat is very nice." She smiles. "I know you are interested in... speaking to someone else tonight. Zat is perfectly fine — after you have seen to your duties."

			*IF (romancing="none")
				"Ah, zat is very nice." She sighs and shrugs. "It is too bad you do not care for company tonight. But I am perfectly happy as long as you see to your duties."

		#Refuse the task
			*SET wyvernaleft true
			Wyverna drops her foot and glowers at you.

			"To shirk your duties is no small thing," she says. She stands up and looks you in the eyes. "But so be it! Our agreement is broken. I hope the consequences of your treachery do not prove beyond your capacity to learn from zam."

			She turns from you and storms off.


*PAGE_BREAK
Everyone mills about the camp, doing various activities to prepare for the night. You sit down on a log at the edge of the encampment, feeling exhausted from walking more today than in many years.

*IF not(romancing="none") and (not(romancing="Oferi") and not(romancing="Wyverna"))
	You see Oferi approach ${romancing} purposefully. There is a discussion between them away from the others, in which ${romancing} glances in your direction several times.

	After a few minutes, they nod to each other and depart, with Oferi heading in your direction.

	"Okay, I've talked to ${romancing} for you," Oferi says. She looks nervous and her cheeks are a little flushed. "It was a... interesting conversation. But you're all set. I mean, ${romancing} is going to come talk to you later. You don't have to, you know, do anything but talk. Just see where that leads. Or whatever. Gods. Why do I feel like I have to talk you through this?" She huffs.

	*FAKE_CHOICE
		#"Thank you for speaking to ${romancing} for me, Oferi. I appreciate your help."
			She blinks several times. "Um, thanks ${name}. I mean— you're welcome."
			*SET dig_oferi %+10

			*IF naive
				*SET arrpee +10
		#"Hey if the whole guard-captain things falls through, you should go into pimping."
			She snorts and shakes her head. "I think I'd go bankrupt indulging in my own inventory." She clears her throat and shrugs. "Or, something."
			*SET dig_oferi %+10

			*IF snarky
				*SET arrpee +10
		#"Are there any rules that say [i]three[/i] people can't... talk?" [i]*wiggle eyebrows*[/i]
			*IF dig_oferi > 70
				Her eyes go wide. "Ah. Um." She looks everywhere but at you and jerks her thumb over her shoulder. "I have to, uh... stuff. Um. Maybe we'll talk later."
				*SET dig_oferi %+20

			*IF dig_oferi < 70
				She snorts. "Nice try, horndog, but I don't like you enough to share."
				*SET dig_oferi %+10

			*IF lively
				*SET arrpee +10
		#"Oh my, just doing your damn job is always such a pain in the ass for you, isn't it?"
			She frowns. "It's not part of my [i]job[/i]. I was being... helpful. I'll try not to make that mistake again."
			*SET dig_oferi %-20

			*IF bitter
				*SET arrpee +10
		#Just shrug

*IF (romancing="Oferi")
	Oferi approaches you purposefully.

	"I'll come by to talk to you in an hour or so — about our... [i]talking[/i]. I mean, we're just going to talk and see where that leads. Or whatever. Gods! Why do I feel like I have to talk you through this?" She huffs.

	*FAKE_CHOICE
		#"Thank you, Oferi. I look forward to talking with you in a while."
			She blinks several times. "Right. Thanks, ${name}. I mean— you're welcome."			
			*SET dig_oferi %+10

			*IF naive
				*SET arrpee +10
		#"Well hurry up, you can see I'm already ready already, you prude."
			She snorts. "Well, keep your pants on. Figuratively speaking, of course."
			*SET dig_oferi %+10

			*IF snarky
				*SET arrpee +10		
		#"Great! Maybe you want to invite some else over, too?" [i]*wiggle eyebrows*[/i]
			*IF dig_oferi > 70
				Her eyes go wide. She laughs. "Well, you're really taking to this quickly, aren't you? Let's, uh, slow down a bit, shall we? I'll be over in a bit — and I mean [i]just[/i] me."
				*SET dig_oferi %+20

			*IF dig_oferi < 70
				She snorts. "Nice try, horndog, but I don't like you enough to share."
				*SET dig_oferi %+10

			*IF lively
				*SET arrpee +10

		#"Oh my, just doing your damn job is always such a pain in the ass for you, isn't it?"
			She scowls. "This is NOT part of my [i]job[/i]. I was being... helpful. And I'm starting to think this was a very bad idea."
			*SET dig_oferi %-20

			*IF bitter
				*SET arrpee +10
		#Just shrug

Oferi turns and leaves you to sit on your log to rest and think.

Nightfall comes swiftly. 
*IF ghinty
	The moment the last flare of sunlight disappears over the horizon, Ghinty ignites a bonfire in the middle of the camp while cackling loudly. She shouts, "I don't need you! I'll make my own sun! AHAHAHAHHA!"

The fire blazing in the center of the encampment throws grand shadows around you — but it radiates no warmth that you can feel.

You reach up and touch the golden choker at your neck that allows you to feel neither hot nor cold. You remember the chill of night from long, long ago. It was like needles on your skin. Sometimes it felt like teeth.

When was the last time you remember a cold night? The end of your last winter before venturing into Tarson's tower. Months before your best friend abandoned you to a life of lonely servitude...
*FINISH