Welcome to Gaia! ::

Candace chuckled as Petra actually went ahead and held her, draping an arm around the young woman's shoulders. Ah ha! She noticed that little play on words there! Good on Petra. Such a good girl she was! Candace loved when people played nice with her. And hell, it'd been ages since she was with a woman. A kiss wouldn't hurt, right? Jerry was right there he'd have stopped her by now if he had a problem, right? She'd like to hope so. Candace grinned and turned to guide Petra back until she bumped the edge of the table, putting a hand on either side of her on the edge of the table behind the girl. "This is the season for giving~." Candace sang, though her words were slightly less clear than they'd normally be with the peppermint in her mouth. She heard Robert's voice, lavender eyes darting in his direction just long enough to see he was headed straight for Jerry.

...Well then. He wasn't stopping her. Or Petra. He was encouraging it? Hm...oh! This could make up for not getting him much of a present as she had wished she could've! Yes. That was it. Clearly this would be her present to Robert. Or something. Candace chuckled and leaned in close. "C'mere, sunshine." She said in a low tone just loud enough for the boys nearby to hear. Candace reached a hand up to gently hold Petra's chin with her thumb and index finger and pull her close, giving her a soft, sweet kiss.

There, see? That wasn't so bad.

...Wait..no! Nonono! Robert's kiss had been more intense! She had to do better than him! She had to beat him! If Santa saw her doing this he'd approve, right? He'd approve her giving her goddamn all? She couldn't disappoint Santa! No! Nooooo! And she'd promised! She swore she'd give Petra some candy!

So it was without much warning she leaned in for another kiss, one more intense than the first. She moved her other arm so it curled behind Petra's neck and held her close, certainly giving the kiss her best attentions.

What the JACK are you DOING?! Atropos screeched in her head. Candace ignored her. She'd made a promise, damnit. She was sharing the candy Petra had given her!

"I do, as you are very festive for Christmas and your welcome," Tori replied as the JOY sorta did the talking, but she wouldn't have minded even if she didn't have a JOY addled brain. She just wanted this party to be different to all that she had ever gone to. "That you do, but that is good and if you had I just might have to try and catch you," she replied as she took the arm that he offered her.

She was a little confused and a little curious to what he had to say that he would be find if she wasn't his date, so Tori listened carefully to what he had to say. "Congratulations!!" She replied as it sank in that he was now a Mist Hunter. "Oh..." she said she might be a little sad about it but she was still happy for him. "I will total still be your date. But congrats on your promotion even if you are a Mist Hunter now, make sure you come and visit every now and then. Also my door is always open for you too for hanging out or what," Tori said. Before is her first true friend and best too and she might a little sad that he wasn't Lifer any more for like ten seconds, as it was Aklin that they were still on the same team. "Your my best friend and were still on the same team no mater what division were in. But lets go and have some fun at the Gala," she added with a smile on her face as she was content to let Before escort her to the Gala.

Tedan couldn't help but laugh at that. "Yea, I guess you're right about that, but usually most people drink this stuff a little slower." Still, just to prove he wasn't some kind of wuss, he downed the rest of his own glass all in one go. Then he set that one down and quickly picked up another, along with a random cupcake of some kind.

"These are pretty good too," he murmured.

Jude listened to Jerry spin his little tale about Hanukah and found it enjoyable though he'd heard a variation of it during a school event for whatever reason. He couldn't remember he'd slept since then. Still Jerry made it interesting with his ... special brand of Jerry-ness. Jude could approve of it.

His attention turned briefly toward the action between Candace and who he remembered as being Petra and ...

...Okay.

Even on Joy Jude was prudish and he just ... looked away politely. He heard someone talking to Harrison behind him and ...

He failed at snowman guard duty he supposed. Wah-wah-waaaaah.

Oh god.

The flush which touched Petra's cheeks was more than just the glass of liquor she'd downed, just enough that it was quite obvious it was not from embarrassment. She felt the table against the small of her back as she took the steps back that Candace had encouraged her to, any place there was contact feeling electric. The hands placed on either side of her on that table only brought them closer together, and she had to force herself to lean back a little and away from her, something she found herself, surprisingly, not really wanting to do. It was Christmas, right? Naturally she wanted to be close to other people, to share in their love and compassion. She couldn't have agreed more with what Candy had said, it was the season for giving, but it was the way that she said it that kept Petra from replying, that slightly sing-song tone. Instead, she merely nodded, leaning in a little closer to close the distance she had created in leaning back a little, sliding her hands to rest them on the other girl's hips, fingertips pressed to the small of her back.

And then Candace practically purred the nickname Robert used for her, and if she hadn't been ready before (note: she had,) she certainly was now. Leaning in, she tilted her head just a little as the fingers touched her chin, guiding her, lingering there against her lips for half a breath before it was over. The moon-trainee let out a slow, heavy exhale as if she'd been holding her breath, reaching back with one hand to place it behind her on the table as well, bracing herself. For a second, she just breathed, reaching up with the other to run her fingers through her hair (was it hot in here?) before suddenly the lips were back against hers, harder this time, far more insistent than before. Surprise lit in her expression, eyes growing wide before she recovered, sliding them closed and reaching both hands up to run them through Candace's short hair.

And suddenly she had a piece of mint candy in her mouth.

This hadn't been like kissing Jerry or Madison AT ALL.

What happened on the Island definitely stayed on the Island, but this was going to take a special pact. What happened in the Gala stayed in the Gala. Except it wouldn't, because unbeknownst to her, embarrassing christmas photos would apparently be surfacing later on.

Tori's smile got bigger as it wasn't the JOY doing that smile it was herself doing it as she felt all warm that it met a lot to him. He lived through her nervous habit of spouting random information that she didn't like that she did and he even wanted to hear more after she did it. She had found him fun and fun to be around, so different to what he old life had been. "OOOoooo, that looks like fun!" she answered just as brightly too as she was going to be the best best friend she could be, she thought to herself. Going over with Before to get there picture taken.

Well then! That was actually rather unexpected! To be honest Candace had actually assumed that Petra, despite having played so delightfully with her, would have put a definite end to it once it had gone as far as actually...well...kissing. Especially that second one! But no, she'd enjoyed it. Welcome to the dark side, Petra. No cookies, but have a peppermint. Candace was hardly one to do anything half-assed. Give it your all or don't even bother, right? Apparently it applied even to something like this.

Candace didn't notice Jerry approaching until she heard Robert calling for him, drawing back away from Petra enough to glance the boys' way with a raised brow. She rubbed her lips together and hummed thoughtfully. Jerry wasn't mad? Really? That was..

...Maybe..?

She looked around the room until her eyes found H again. Maybe he...? No. It was one thing to do this with Petra, another woman and Jerry's friend's fiancee; it would be an entirely different matter if she just walked up and gave H the attention she was happily ready to just throw at him right now. She was riled up, not overly so but...enough.

Robert approached them and Candace's gaze fell on the blonde again, grinning and stepping back away from Petra with her hands raised innocently. "You kissed my boyfriend~." She replied simply as he referred to Jerry as 'aisle three' in need of clean up. She pouted her lips and cooed, stepping up to the man to slip her arms around his middle and nuzzle her face into his cheek. "Aww, Jerrbear. Is everything okay? I did good, right? You look happy. Happy is good. Santa would be proud, right? I made someone happy! Ohhh, baby! We should eat something. Yes. I want cookies. NO! Cake! I want cake. Since Petra took my candy~." She grinned at the girl and playfully stuck her tongue out at her, hugging Jerry tightly with a happy little sigh.

"I'll see you later, darlin'." Candace chirped, though she meant nothing behind it. It was a small island. Of course she'd see Petra later. She brushed her nose against Jerry's unscarred cheek. "Let's go get something to eat. I'm famished."

As hot as that scene might have been, when Petra laid her lips on his, he stopped to reclaim his territory. Candace had looked like a good kisser - but no one was going to beat him in that department. He bent down, tugged Petra's face up towards him, and kissed her deep enough to scour every remnant of Candace from her person. When he felt he'd thoroughly laid claim to Petra once more, he pulled away, and bit the peppermint candy he'd just stolen from her in half.

He really hoped Candace didn't have AIDs or something.

"Let's go take our picture, sunshine."