<div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button"> OOC</div><div class="spoiler_body">:P I honestly wasn't expecting Gioria to be the romantic option in the game, but I am glad that she'll get more screen-time than as a simple potion bot. Gnomes are highly entertaining to play. Though, I'm now glad I didn't go with the original quirk I had planned for her. </div></div><br/>The gnome returns your kisses eagerly, her lips meeting yours and her arms squeezing you gently every time you lean in close. It seems that she, too, is very happy with this new development.<br/><br/>When you mention work, she sighs a little bit, but a look out the window seems to confirm to her that she does, in fact, need to start the day. Reluctantly, she disentangles herself from your lap and stands up, putting her at roughly eye level with you.<br/><br/>"That's fine, I gu-ess, but before you stand..." The gnome reaches up into her long ponytail and begins disentangling one of the tiny chains, and moves around beside you. "Since y-ou gave me your kiss, then it's on-ly fair that I give you something important as well..."<br/><br/>The gnome's fingers move deftly as she pulls out one of your braids and unwinds it, being careful to make sure that her actions don't undo or even mess up the others. A moment later, a short, sharp tug marks the attachment of the chain near your scalp, and the gnome is reversing the process, weaving the chain and its charms carefully into your hair, and then binding the newly adorned braid back with the rest.<br/><br/>"It's got a bit less flair than some of the other chains, but I think it looks pretty..." With that, the gnome flits off to get dressed.<br/><br/>---------------------------------<br/><br/>It's probably about forty-five minutes later before you begin to make your way to the tavern, Gioria humming happily by your side. Stumpy is already there (and probably never left,) but you see no sign of D'Tocka just yet. Still, it's early yet, and she may have chosen to rest out at the farmhouse.<br/><br/>Morning passes quickly, and the occasional towns-person comes in for a bite or a drink or a chat before going on about their day. Promptly at eleven o' clock, Fred arrives and takes up his customary place on the far counter of the bar, and sullenly orders his first beer of the day.<br/><br/>It's well into the noon hour before D'Tocka pushes her way through the door, dragging a dead centipede as big as she is behind her. You note that the creature seems to have been broken and crushed in several places. She spots you immediately, though, and gives you a good-natured smile.<br/><br/>"I had hoped that you might have as hard a time tracking your culprit as I did, but it seems luck wasn't with me that time..." The orc drops the centipede on the ground by the bar and takes a seat, raising her hand to signal for a drink.<br/><br/>"Ah, well. Fair is fair. You win the pot... and now we get to see what this mage wants of us..."