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Kes walked into Hubert's at a brisk pace, almost bouncing as she moved in to find a table, only to be greeted -- blissfully so -- by her almost-cousin sitting in a booth looking exhausted, and the raven and neon blue maned woman slid over, poking the other in curiousity.

"Wow, Wrenny, I heard Tom was riding your a** for overwork on the facebooks." Kes drawled. Wren raised her head, making a worn out, tired face in the beloved greasy spoon diner, expression exhausted.

"I've had Alex and Sami riding my a** for a screw up." She explained. A waitress in a diner's uniform passed by, taking drink orders as well as two orders for food before moving off again, and Wren slumps, holding her head. Kes blinked, her own head tilting in amazement at how exhausted Wren looked, and hummed.

"The hell did you do if they ran you that ragged?" She reached, poking at Wren with a fiunger before snickering a bit. Wren shot her a Look, the brunette sighing.

"Not sure I can say but I didn't tell 'em why Aunt Emily was in ICU or why I didn't stop it and they've been STALKING me at my night job."

"You have a night job?" Ks leaned back, accepting her drink and sipping at the straw. Well! Wren pulling two jobs was FASCINATING, and the DJ hummed. She then tilted her head, shifted, and poked he again.

"I find you working two jobs highly suspect, you know." She drawled. Wren scowled.

"Well I do. Kills time anyhow. Besides, Joseph's been working too."

"Ah, the mysterious Joseph. I'm still unsure he's real." Kes drawled teasingly. She sipped her tea, and Wren glared, huffing at Kes irritably.

"You know he is, stop that." Wren grumbled, before poking back and tikting her head.

"Oh, s**t, stress?" She asked. Kes froze, blinking at the poke, and then eyed Wren.

"Just a lot. Hui Jun, Mom, Auntie, Aiko, lots of work, keeping fish from a fair alive... Wwwwhy?" She asked cautiously. Wren snickered.

"Y' look a lil' puffy." The brunette giggled ahgain, and Kes tilted her head.

"Puff....y...?" She didn't get it, and sipped the tea, blinking. The nearby sizzle of the deep fat frier filled the air of the otherwise empty diner -- the scent of potatos filling nostrils as Wren inhaled deepy. Kes continued thinking, and looked over to the frier herself, sipping at her tea thoughtfully. The fries at Hubert's were always fresh, delicious, and went with anything, and ever since being introduced it seemed to be a comfort spot. This thoughtwas on Kes' mind as she watched the line cook work, moving to start hr accompanying burger order before Wren peered around her.

"Did you seriously order the python bacon burger? And fries?" Wren balked. Kes shrugged.

"Taking the leftovers in to work tomorrow." She explained, and Wren poked at her again.

"Holy s**t, how hard are you WORKING. I'd thinkyou'd get the Ghost Pepper Challenge."

"That's not a challenge and stop poking!" Kess pouted, Wren shrugging.

"Sorry. Lil' hard if you have a target like that to poke."

"Scuse?!" Kes sulked, Wren raising her hands defensively.

"No insult, no insult -- but... I can tell you're stress eating, Kessy. I mean, yoiu're kind of... Getting.. Uh... Delicate... What is... Ugh. Words. You're putting on a few." Wren frowned in worry. "And I know you eat when you're stressed. So talk to me. No judgements."

Kes fidgeted.

"Mostly just... Work. Freelance. Folks. Not giving me time for anything else really, so I... Yeah I probably might be and not noticing. Jeez, I'm not getting fat am I?" She frowned, poking now, and Wren shook her head.

"Neh. Chunky, but nothing really awful. I mean, you're normally a twig. So yanno, if you ever tried dating, you might actually have curves for a partner." Wren sipped her water idly, and Kes thought on it.

"Yeah. True. Though, uh. You?" And she poked, Wren rubbing her face.

"Uncle Tom having one of his panics and decided I was working so hard I was starving. Dad didn't argue and I'm STILL being Watched." The brunette made a face. "Unlike you, I feel chubby." And she shifted as food arrived, grabbing her Bag o' Fries before digging in, Kes smiling.

"Hey, it happens. Don't worry about it." TheDJ settled, then nibbled her burger.

"Though you should be careful. What's your night job?" Kes raised a brow. Wren sighed.

"...Security." Was her answer. Kes tilted her head.

"You? No offense, but you can't scare many people without being ticked and creative. I mean. Samsam and Lexlexsd have had you around their pinky fingers since day one so I'm amazed you pissed them off, so..."

"Shutup and eat." Wren sighed, and Kes cackled, settling in. It was a quiet meal... But nice, even if it felt like they were talking in circles. Circles, ripples, and about nothing, avoiding some big, critical topic.

Outside, snow fell.

And someone screamed.