Specs2 var Optimization
This PR, which really starts at dccb2b869a6c094f5213d6b780625f8c5166d217, addresses a comment @armanbilge made in #608. I thought it best to move that conversation to a separate PR because I'm not entirely sure why this code was originally implemented with three vars when I think even originally it could have been one.
I'm semi-impartial either way. This isn't a contended var, so we don't have to reason about atomicity across multiple writes, meaning this is a code organization thing. It was more clear to me as multiple vars, but if it's more clear to anyone else as a single var, then let's go for it!
This was something @armanbilge requested. @armanbilge what do you think?