And spring arose on the garden fair (Akin, zoph)

Mr. and Mrs. Russo were unsure of what to expect when they came into their house. Cyra, of course, had explained that a girl named Akin was in need of a home and Toby (of all people) had backed her story up.
They followed the children's voices down the hall and into the kitchen, where they were greeted by a small girl about Cyra's age sitting on the counter. M
"Hi-- you must be Akin," Mr. Russo gave a friendly smile and shook her hand. "I'm Tobias Russo, this is my wife--"
"I'm Elizabeth," Mrs. Russo said pointedly, giving her husband a look and reaching forward to shake Akin's hand also.

"Oh it's our pleasure, sweetie-- Cyra's always wanted a sister, you know," Mrs. Russo said, continuing further into the kitchen and taking out a big pot. "We'll have to see about the legalities of the move later, though. I'm going to get a headstart on making dinner. I'm making spaghetti and meat balls by the way-- I hope you don't mind the tomato sauce-- Cyra here is a very picky eater, you know, like this one time--"
Mr. Russo, annoyed at his wife's chattering, interrupted to say that he was going to wash up and left in the direction of the downstairs bathroom. Cyra herded everyone out of the kitchen and into the living room before their mother could tell any embaresing stories.
"So," she said once they were all seated. "Anyone want to play a board game?"

"Wait-- can we play charades?" Rudy said eagerly. He and Cyra were both very good with charades-- Toby's forte being with more strategic games like clue and monopoly.
Cyra gave an exaggerated shrug and a smile. "If everyone's okay with it!"
Toby nodded his assent and gave Akin a questioning look to make sure she didn't mind playing, but Rudy voiced his thought.
"What about you, Akin?" He asked, almost apologetically, as if he was still thinking about their conversation earlier. "Do you like charades?"

"Um, so-- anyone wanna go first?" Cyra asked, looking around the room for an eager face.
"We should set some ground rules first, Cyra-- in case our version of the game is different from Akin's," Toby said, rolling his shoulders as he always did when on the verge of giving a lecture.
Rudy groaned. "Oh, /c'mon/ Toby-- charades is a game! Let's forget rules and get going!"
Toby looked affronted. "Rudy, games literally wouldn't exist without rules."
Rudy considered Toby and shrugged, all signs of irritation gone from his face. "Fair enough."
Toby gave him a look as if he were bothered by how easily Rudy took being proven wrong. He cleared his throat and turned back to the two girls. "How do you usually play it, Akin? Any special rules-- or just one person mimes something and everyone geusses?"

"Okay. No sounds-- everyone agreed?" Toby looked around and at no objection continued.
"Who would like to go first?"
Cyra and Rudy exchanged glances, both annoyed and amused at the formal way Toby directed the game. He'd been taking over games since he was little and he still didn't realize how high-handed he could come across as.

"Oh," Toby said, surprised. "Okay-- I just need a moment to come up with something..."
He sat in thought for a moment, trying to come up with something clever that wasn't embarrassing. And then something he'd learned the other day in science class came to him-- excellent.
Confident with his idea, he stood up, Cyra taking his place on the beige sofa.
"Oh no," Rudy said in mock fear. "He's got that look on his face that means business."
Toby's smiled, but he said nothing. Instead, he pretended to flip back long hair from his shoulder as if he were a girl trying to flirt.
"You're a girl!" Cyra said more than asked. Toby nodded. He stood up straight and mimed pulling an arrow from a bundle on his back, then putting it on a bow. He pulled back on the arrow(or pretended to) and let it fly.

Toby grinned and waved his hands-- as if to say close, but not it.
He thought for a moment then pretended to take something out of his pocket. He pretended to hold a berry to his lips and then take it away suddenly.
Rudy raised his eyebrows. "Okay, now I'm completely lost."
"Wait--" Cyra said excitedly. "A huntress who, uh-- are you blowing a kiss? Wasn't Artemis a pledged virgin, though? But you said yes to Akin-- so are you like a lovesick huntress or--"
But Toby was shaking his head, suppressing a laugh.