It's Not What You Know But Who (Susan & Cecil)

Cecil nods. That...that works.
Though I can't say I'll be looking forward to it...

He continues to listen on with a blank expression, nodding along occasionally. Sounded like she was still serious...still, better not to make things any worse. Take no chances.
At least this isn't going to cost me.
The sound of the fish continues on in the background, but it seems to...change, slightly. It's the only warning he gets before the blaring siren assaults his ear, causing him physical pain to match the mental anguish as he tears the phone away.
"What's going on?! Are you-"
The call ends, and he's left to wonder what just happened with a ringing ear.

After a couple of heavy moments in silence, his phone goes off again. The location.
...at least it seemed that it was nothing too dire if she was able to send him that.
Stilll...
...I can't go downstairs like this.

One breath wipes away any trace of his current mood from his face. Another moment lets him shift from a neutral expression to a more positive one. From there, he grabs the already set aside material he'd planned to claim he came up for.
Time to head down.


Cecil comes down smiling, carrying a few DVDs, a couple of games, and his usual music devices. "Sorry about that. Took longer than I expected."
Rydia rapidly wheels around on the ground, scowling. In front of her is a selection of dishes and the means to eat them, laid out on a tablecloth in front of the TV. "Took you long enough! You're lucky I wasn't allowed to start on your share." She gestures him over impatiently, and with a small laugh he happily obliges, setting his stuff aside and sitting himself down. "What even took you so long?"

Across from the both of them, Luneth Erinforth watches his son with an impassive gaze. Unlike his daughter, he wasn't quite so convinced everything was normal...but he knew he couldn't force it out. Let alone in the situation at hand.
But he did have the next best thing.
A devious smirk spreads on the man's face as he starts cracking opner one of the rice containers. "Oh, you know. Couldn't have the family in earshot when talking to his new girlfriend."
With those words, the false smile on Cecil's face cracks instantly, replaced with a look of embarassment and dread as he starts to stutter. "Hey-what - n-no! What are you on about?!"
Luneth only smirks more at Cecil's reaction. There we go.

Food suddenly forgotten, Rydia starts to grin viciously, leering at her older brother. "Ohhh? What's this, brother? Trying to hide your beau from us?"
"It is not like that!"
Rydia's grin is positively catlike at this point. "So there is someone then, ain't there?"
Cecil freezes as he realises his mistake, and Rydia wastes no time jumping on the opening, creating a storm of teasing and hasty denials.
Luneth just grins as he watches. This was more like it.
He helps himself to some of the food, and waits until a little before the teasing starts to get out of hand. He swallows down another forkful of satay, and smirks as he taps as his bowl. "I thought you two were hungry? I'm more than happy to eat all of this if you don't want it."
The squabbling stops in an instant. "NO!"
The pair's attention quickly turns to the food, helping themselves to rice, beef in black bean sauce and chow mein, and it doesn't take long before things settle down again.

Before long, everyone's chatting away, smiling and bickering playfully. Sure, not everything might have been right then. But that didn't mean that right now, they couldn't enjoy themselves.
Save the worries for another day. It was a family night tonight.

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