Yeah he will 'talk' to Rita

Seth pushed the door open with a slow creak, the sound cutting through the heated voices in the hallway, where Rita's cheeks burned a deep crimson as she thrust a thick finger inches from Lina's face. Lina held her ground, arms locked tight across her chest, her long red hair falling in messy strands over her shoulders from their wild session earlier. The air felt heavy, charged with the leftover tension from the shouting match he'd overheard while dressing.

"Hey, easy there," Seth murmured, his tone low and even as he moved between them, resting a gentle hand on Lina's tense shoulder to steady her. He glanced at her flushed expression, then back to Rita, trying to diffuse the standoff before it escalated further. "I'll handle this with Rita. Alone. It'll be fine—just hang back for a bit, okay?"

Rita let out a heavy huff, her breath coming in short bursts as she folded her thick arms over her ample chest, the motion making her baggy flannel shirt bunch up around the rolls of her stomach. Strands of her bright blue-dyed hair poked out in wild, uneven spikes, wilted slightly from the building's sticky humidity that clung to everything this time of year.

"Fine," she snapped, her voice gravelly and edged with irritation, eyes narrowing at Lina one last time. "But you and I are going to your apartment to hash this out alone, boy. No way I'm letting this drama play out in the hall for every nosy neighbour to rubberneck."

Lina's mouth snapped open, ready to fire back, her green eyes sparking with defiance as she shifted her weight, one hand planting on her hip. "You can't just—"

Seth cut in quick, squeezing Lina's hand firmly but softly, pulling her attention to him with a reassuring nod. He leaned closer, his words just for her, voice dropping to a whisper. "Seriously, it's okay. Stay put here—I'll get this sorted fast. No need to make it worse."

She held his gaze for a beat, lips pressing into a thin line, then exhaled sharply and shot Rita one more scorching glare over his shoulder. With a **** nod, she turned on her heel, her gym shorts riding up slightly on her toned thighs as she stepped back into her apartment, the door shutting with a firm click that echoed down the corridor.

Seth started down the hall first, keys jingling in his hand as he walked the short distance to his unit, Rita's heavy footsteps thudding behind him like punctuation marks on the scuffed carpet. Each step she took seemed to vibrate through the floor, her wide stance making her shadow loom large against the peeling wallpaper.

He unlocked his door without a word, pushing it wide, and she barreled past him inside, planting her feet solidly just beyond the threshold, her bulk filling the frame and blocking any easy exit.

She wheeled on him then, hands dropping to her hips, her squared shoulders broadening her already imposing presence under the dim bulb flickering overhead.

"Alright, spill it," she demanded, her words coming out sharp and clipped, jaw set hard. "You better have a damn good reason for me not to kick you to the curb right now. Month-to-month lease means I can end this whenever I want, and I sure as hell don't approve of whatever mess you're dragging my niece into."

Seth let her words hang for a second, his eyes scanning her mid-forties build as she ranted—overweight and chubby, with fat settling in soft layers over her stomach and arms, pushing against the seams of her flannel shirt in uneven bulges. S

he stood with legs apart in that aggressive bitch stance, shoulders rolled forward, all capped by her cropped, uneven bright blue hair that looked even more garish and unkempt up close, her plain features twisted into an unattractive scowl under the harsh light spilling in from the hall.

A small smirk tugged at his lips, his hand slipping casually into his pocket, fingers closing around the remote's familiar shape. "Oh, I can think of a few reasons," he said evenly, drawing it out slowly, aiming it right at her centre, and pressing the button with a distinct click.