[i]April 15th[/i]

You're sitting at the edge of the pond on one of the corners of the property.
Pink and white blooms have fallen from the trees and float across the surface of the water.
Sitting in the sun, it's [i]almost[/i] warm enough to be comfortable—until the breeze blows in your direction.

[i]Cheep-cheep-cheep![/i]

In the palm of your hand you hold a tiny yellow gosling.
Grayish-brown feathers peak through the yellow down, foretelling the more sophisticated and muted coloring of the adult Toulouse goose.

The farm is overrun with babies these days.
It's been three weeks since your chicks have hatched, and in the intervening time you've acquired ducklings, goslings, and kids to go with them.

Most of the goslings are somewhat wary of you, but not Augustus.
He sticks to you like glue every time you make your way to the coop.

The newly-built cedar structure looks more like a house in miniature, part of the reason you chose this design.
Matching flower boxes sit in the windows, and colorful blooms and wild ivy grow both up and down.
On the inside, chest-tall shelves line the walls and hang over the nests sitting on the floor.
Sunlight floods in through the windows and glass roof.

*page_break

"Gotch-yourself a friend there," Alex says as ${a_they} throws ${a_them}self on ground beside you.

"Gus has good taste," you answer.
The cattails rustle in the wind, and you close your eyes and allow yourself to feel the sun against your face.
You set the gosling down on the ground beside you, but he crawls back into your lap with another [i]cheep-cheep-cheep[/i].

"You oughta be careful," your friend warns you.

"What are you talking about?"

"You're never gonna be able to sell those things to the butcher if you get too attached."

Your heart clenches a bit at the thought, and you realize the truth of ${a_their} words.
"We won't be butchering any geese until next year," you argue and push the thought out of your mind.
*fake_choice
  #Continue to pet the gosling.  I can't help it.
    You brush the top of Gus' head, and his eyes close and head droops.
    
    Alex shakes ${a_their} head.
    "You're going to regret getting so close."

    "What's the big deal if [i]one[/i] goose gets a reprieve from the executioner's block?"

    "Is it going to be just [i]one[/i] though?"

    You sigh and look out at the pond.
    The other goslings are swimming close to the bank.
    They are undeniably adorable, but none of [i]them[/i] have shown any interest in sitting in your lap.
  #Put the gosling down again.
    You set Gus down on the ground again and try to push him toward the others, but he won't have it.
    His little cheeps increase in pitch and number until your heart can't take it anymore, and you let him back in your lap.

    Alex shakes ${a_their} head at you.

    "What would you have me do?" you ask.
    "Throw him bodily into the pond?"

    "That might just be a good idea."

    "He'd just come running back to me."

    "Just don't get too attached to the others, alright?"

    You huff.
    "I'll try my best."

*page_break

*set meet_f true

"Hey there!"

You lean back and bend upside-down to see who greeted you.
Charlie, her hair billowing out in the wind, and someone you've never seen are walking toward you.
A single glance is enough to identify ${f_them}: ${f_they}'s got the same dirty blond hair as ${f_their} ${b_sib}, Bertie, and
*if ((b_gender = "f") and (f_gender = "f"))
  ${f_they}'s just as tall.
*elseif ((b_gender = "f") and (f_gender = "m"))
  ${f_they}'s even taller.
*elseif ((b_gender = "m") and (f_gender = "f"))
  ${f_they}'s also tall.
*elseif ((b_gender = "m") and (f_gender = "m"))
  ${f_they}'s nearly as tall.
*else
  *bug
It's clear that Charlie got the short end of the stick on height, and you wonder how tall their parents must have been to produce Bertie and Frankie.

$!{f_they} wears ${f_their} hair
*if (f_gender = "f")
  long and loose
*else
  short, 
and as ${f_they} draws closer you notice that ${f_their} eyes, unlike Charlie or Bertie's cool pastels, are a soft brown.

"You must be the elusive Frankie," you say.

Frankie grins.
"Guilty as charged."

"Has Bertie been slandering our good name to keep you away this long?" Alex asks.

Frankie laughs.
*if (b_rom > 1)
  $!{f_they} steals a quick peak at you.
"Bertie might have mentioned a thing or two."

*if (b_rom > 1)
  *if (style = 1)
    You grin back.
    "Well don't leave us hanging—spill the beans!"
  *else
    Your heart flutters slightly as you wonder what Bertie might have said.
*else
  "Slander and lies!"

"So who've we got here?" Charlie asks as she comes closer to your resting spot on the bank of the pond.
She lowers herself to sit beside you, and Frankie takes a spot on the other side of Alex.

"This here is Augustus."

Charlie strokes the gosling's feathers.
"How many have you got total?"

"A dozen.
They've got the run of the meadows, gardens, and orchard."

"The rest are in the pond," Alex adds, pointing to the far side.

"Aww—they're so cute," Frankie says.
$!{f_they} leans back to get a look at Charlie.
"Why can't [i]we[/i] have geese?"

"Because [i]we[/i] have sheep.
And I don't see you doing any of the farm work, so stuff it."
Frankie crosses ${f_their} arms across ${f_their} chest and huffs.

Alex laughs.
"Do you want to play with them?
Most of them aren't as friendly as Gus, but they'll let you pick 'em up."
Frankie agrees, and the two leave you and Charlie to coo over the pampered gosling in your lap.

*page_break

*if (yr1_01_04_20_c)
  "How's the camper working out?" Charlie asks.

  If you're being honest, your back is starting to ache from sleeping on the lumpy couch, but it's still better than sleeping on the cold floor of the manor.
  *if (gen <= 42)
    You bite back a sarcastic retort, grateful to your generous neighbor.
  "Let's just say I'm looking forward to sleeping in a real bed again."

*else
  "How's camping out in the manor working out?" Charlie asks.

  "We've been lucky enough to avoid another ghost encounter."

"At least it's getting warm out now.
You could [i]actually[/i] camp out if you wanted to."

You glance at her sideways and purse your lips.

"Or not!" 
Charlie giggles.
"Why'd you leave New York for all this—" she gestures around at the natural landscape that surrounds you "—if you didn't want to get a little dirty?"

*fake_choice
  #"But then I wouldn't have met you," I say as I flash her a cheesy grin.
    *set cha %+ 5
    You turn your eyes to Charlie and flash her a cheesy grin.
    "But then I wouldn't have met you!"

    Charlie rolls her eyes at you.
    "However would you have found purpose without [i]me[/i]?" she asks dryly.

    "Exactly!
    I'm so glad we see eye-to-eye."
  #"How [i]dirty[/i] exactly?" I ask with a raised eyebrow.
    *set dir %- 5
    *set gen %- 5
    A smile tugging at your lips, you raise an eyebrow at Charlie.
    "How [i]dirty[/i] exactly?"

    Charlie punches you in the shoulder.
    "You better behave or I'll tell Bertie on you.
    $!{b_they} won't like to hear that you've been flirting with ${b_their} little sister."
    *if (b_rom > 1)
      She looks at you, eyebrow raised.
      *if (style = 1)

        You laugh.
        "Go on, I dare you."
      *else

        You blush slightly.
        It's one thing to pretend-flirt with Charlie.
        It's a whole other thing to be teased about her older ${b_sib}.
    *else

      "What's ${b_they} gonna do?" you laugh.
      "There's nothing ${b_they} can say to me that I haven't already heard from a Southern mommy and daddy with a shotgun."

      Charlie makes a face at you.
      "What [i]do[/i] they do to you in America??"      

      "A little of this, a little of that," you say, waving off the discussion of Southern culture and its idiosyncrasies.
  #"I'm a ${person} of many mysteries," I say theatrically.
    *set dir %- 5
    You turn your nose up and adopt a bad British accent.
    "I'm a ${person} of many mysteries," you say.

    Charlie scoffs.

    "What?" you laugh.
    "Don't want any Broadway here in Talverton?"

    She eyes you up and down.
    "And here I thought I'd been missing out, but if you're the best New York has to offer, I think I'll save my money and stay home."

    You stick your tongue out at her.
  #I laugh.  "You've obviously never been to New York if you think it's cleaner."
    *set gen %+ 5
    You raise your eyebrows at Charlie and laugh at her ignorance.
    "You've obviously never been to New York if you think it's cleaner."

    Charlie looks at you wide-eyed.

    You chuckle at her expression.
    "New York is a toilet with skyscrapers."

    She crinkles her nose.
    "I'll keep that in mind the next time I plan a vacation."

You and Charlie continue to chat while Gus snoozes in your lap.
*if (per >= 57)
  Alex and Frankie's movements on the other side of the bank draw your eye.
  If you listen closely, you can just barely hear the sound of your best friend's laughter.

  Alex grips ${a_their} left elbow with the opposite hand, cocking ${a_their} head to the side to look at Frankie who's kneeling down to touch the goslings.
  $!{f_their} smile lights up ${f_their} face, and you can easily imagine the warmth it brings to ${f_their} eyes, though you're too far away to see it.    

  Charlie's giggle interrupts your concentration, and you miss whatever it was she said to you.

  "Hmm?" you ask.

  She shakes her head, wavy hair flying in the wind.
  
*elseif (per <= 43)
  You stroke the gosling's feathers with your thumb.

  "New York or not," you seem to be taking to all this pretty well.
  Do you miss anything about the city?"

  You look up at her and take in a sharp breath.
  "Yeah, loads.
  There's this spot near the Brooklyn Bridge, up above the expressway.
  You can see the entire tip of Manhattan, view unobstructed.
  If you go real early in the morning, the sunrise bounces off the glass and metal.
  It's beautiful."

  You smile to yourself.
  "I didn't even mean to go there.
  I couldn't sleep one night, got up around four and just started walking.
  There's just... so [i]much[/i] in New York.
  Things I'll never find."

  Your reflective mood has managed to kill the chatter between the two of you, and you subside into a companionable quiet.
  Charlie hums an unknown melody, and you watch the leaves sway in the breeze.
*else
  "So why have you been hiding your ${f_sib} from us all this time?" you ask and gesture vaguely at the two figures on the other side of the bank.

  Charlie rolls her eyes at you.
  *if (b_rom > 1)
    "Bertie was afraid you'd meet Frankie and like ${f_them} better," she answers with a dry tone.

    *if (style = 1)
      You laugh.
      "$!{b_they} was right to be afraid.
      Frankie is obviously the superior specimen."

      *if (c > 0)
        Charlie pokes you in the ribs.
      "I'll be sure to pass that along!"
    *else
      Butterflies flutter around in your stomach, and you avoid eye contact with your interlocutor.

      *if (c > 0)
        She knocks your shoulder with her own.
      "Ah, come on!
      I'm just teasing."
  *else
    "Frankie's the freak in the family, and we only let ${f_them} out on special occasions," Charlie answers with a straight face.

    You beam up at her.
    "Well I've always known that I was special.
    I'm glad you agree."

    Charlie laughs.
    "You're special alright.
    You and Frankie'll get along just fine."

    You raise your eyebrow at her.
    
*page_break [i]SPLASH![/i]

Your head whips around just in time to see Frankie disappear into the pond.
Charlie shoots up from the grass and begins running toward her wayward ${f_sib}, and you follow behind.
A moment later ${f_their} head bobbles above the water. 
  
By the time the two of you reach ${f_them}, Alex is already helping ${f_them} climb out of the pond.
Soaked to the skin and teeth chattering, ${f_they} grins anyway.

"Are you alright?!" Charlie asks.

"Never better!"
$!{f_their} grin falters for a minute.
"Guess I won't be making it to the store with you, though."

*choice
  #"Come on, let's get you back to the house and warmed up," I say to Frankie.
    *set a +1
    *set f +1
    You give Frankie's shoulder a good-natured slap.
    "Come on, let's get you back to the house and warmed up."

    "I'll leave you to it," Charlie says, and the three of you head back toward the manor as Charlie makes for her truck.

    "How'd you manage to fall in?" you ask Frankie.

    $!{f_they} shrugs.
    "Trying to get too close to the goslings I guess."

    "Did you succeed?"

    $!{f_they} laughs.
    "Not really.
    They scattered to the winds when I lost my footing."

    *page_break [i]Back at the manor...[/i]

    Early in the days of construction, the crew had rigged a makeshift break room.
    Apparently making it through the day without a continuous supply of coffee was a no-go.
    You lead Frankie to this awkward little alcove.

    "Coffee?" you ask.

    "Got any tea?"

    You poke around the tins and boxes until you find a few packets of Earl Grey.
    Holding it up to your drenched guest, you ask, "Will this do?"

    "Perfect."

    You turn on the hotplate and wait for your water to boil.

    *if (per >= 57)
      You keep your back to Alex and Frankie and listen to them speak to each other in low tones.
      Not low enough that you can't hear, but low enough that you're content to observe rather than participate.
      You smile at the fast friendship between the two and hope that Alex has found a tie to the community other than you.
    *elseif (per <= 43)
      You turn around and join the conversation between Alex and Frankie.
      
      "So you're the teacher, huh?"

      Frankie flashes you a bright grin.
      "Guilty as charged.
      Again."

      "What age group?"

      "Eight year olds mostly, but sometimes a bit younger or older."

      You're something of a teacher, yourself, though undergraduate students are pretty different from third-graders.
      At least you hope.
    *else
      You turn back around and try to join the conversation between Alex and Frankie, but they don't seem to notice you.
      You clear your throat.
      "So you're a teacher?" you ask Frankie.

      $!{f_they} laughs awkwardly and rubs the back of ${f_their} neck.
      "Yeah, third grade usually."

      "I love kids," Alex adds.

      Frankie beams at ${a_them}.

    The whistle of the kettle draws your attention back to the task before you, and you leave Alex and Frankie to their own devices while you rifle through the cabinets in search of a cup.
    Once you've located one, you pour the boiling water into it and let the tea steep before handing it over to Frankie.

    "Thanks," ${f_they} says.

    The three of you draw up chairs at the little round table in the corner and begin trading stories until Frankie's shivers subside.
    As time drifts by, the sun trails across the sky until it's directly and uncomfortably in your face.

    You glance down at your phone, prompting the others to do the same.

    "Whoa!" Frankie says.
    "It's a lot later than I expected.
    I better get home, or I'll have to go to bed without dinner."

    "I'll show you out," Alex volunteers.

    "Thanks!"
    Frankie grins at ${a_them} before turning to you.
    "And thanks for the tea!"

    "It was our pleasure," you
    *if (per >= 57)
      say with a glance at Alex.
    *else
      say.
    "I hope you won't stay away so long this time."

    *if (per >= 57)
      $!{f_they} looks over at your friend.
    "I promise not to be a stranger!"

    Alex guides ${f_them} away, and you turn your attention to the dishes and reflect on your new acquaintance.
      
  #"I can go with you if you want some company," I offer to Charlie.
    *set c +1
    You turn back to Charlie.
    "I can go with you if you want some company."

    She smiles at you.
    "Thanks.
    And you won't drip pond water all over the upholstery."

    "You can hold down the fort?" you ask Alex.

    "Yeah, no problem.
    I'll take ${f_them} back to the manor and get something warm in ${f_them}."

    "Sounds good.
    I'll be back in a bit then."

    You and Charlie head out to her truck, and Alex and Frankie retreat in the opposite direction.

    *page_break [i]At the store...[/i]

    "So what are we looking for?" you call out to Charlie on the other side of the aisle.

    *if (yr1_03_14_20_1 = 2)
      "Dried seaweed!" she calls back.

      *if (per >= 57)
        You smile to yourself.
      "That should be in the international aisle I think."
    *else
      "Cake mix!" she calls back.
  
      "That should be in the baking aisle then."

    The two of you head to aisle five and begin your search.
    Your mouth nearly begins to water at all the ingredients before you as you remember the wealth of flavors and cuisines available to you back home.
    Without a kitchen of your own, you've been surviving on mostly junk food for the last several months, interspersed with dinner invitations from your friends and neighbors.
    What you wouldn't give for delivery!

    "Here it is!" Charlie says.
    She grabs it and tosses it into her basket.
  
    *page_break

    *if (yr1_03_14_20_1 = 2)
      "Making something special?" you
      *if (per >= 57)
        ask with a sly grin.
      *else
        ask.

      Charlie's cheeks redden slightly.
      "N-No, just trying out a new recipe is all."
      
    *else
      "So baking a cake, huh?" you ask.

      "Yep!"

      "Special occasion?"

      Charlie's cheeks redden slightly.
      "Just wanted something sweet."

    You raise a skeptical eyebrow at her, but she doesn't feel the need to elaborate, and the two of you make your way to the checkout.
    Before you know it, you're on your way home to Alex.

*finish