A Christmas Cocktail

Chapter 7

"So, let's go change the music." Slipping out from behind the bar, he led the way across the room, easily dodging a few randomly swung arms and legs along the way. He didn't have to look behind him to tell that Angel was following closely, he could smell him. The subtle scent of sweet vanilla and tart berries that sank into his senses and only made him crave more. Ignoring the desire to bury his nose in the arachnid's fluff that krept up on him, he focused himself solely on Alastor. When they reached the Overlord, he met those red eyes like he always did. Watching the man's smile grow would have made anyone else's skin crawl, but after so many years with him, it didn't effect Husker the same way. Alastor didn't move to face him better, he didn't even look at those behind Husker. He simply focused on him.

"Ah, Husker my friend, what can I do for you?" The slight static of his voice from the seeming filter placed over it cut in and out briefly on his name. Steeling himself for a different kind of fight, he kept his gaze locked on the man.

"We wanna change the music. It's a bit too... tame for this crowd, don't you think." Only now did Alastor glance at the four behind him. Those blood red eyes narrowed ever so slightly on him as the Overlord grew curious.

"And what would Charlie think of this change?" How in Hell was he supposed to know what Charlie would think? Sure, he saw the woman every day, but it wasn't like he spent hours chatting her up like besties. He resigned himself to a believable lie at best.

"I don't know, she might like it better? It'd definitely give these people more of a reason to stay, don't you think?" Though, he was sure that all depended on what they chose to change it to. If they put on something the group didn't like and couldn't entertain them, the likelihood that they would leave without a second thought was overwhelming. If they put on something that was too much and riled the already hectic party up, they risked destroying all of the hard work Charlie and Vaggie put in. Alastor tapped his chin with a finger in thought as he looked around the motley crew.

"And what exactly did you have in mind, hmm?" Husker weighed the benefits of having Alastor pick as opposed to simply deciding themselves. If Alastor picked, he would most definitely choose the most chaotic choice, because Charlie's feelings were of no consequence to him. While the option of them choosing instead offered a bit more control. Turning around, he leaned in a bit toward Angel for a gauge.

"Swing." The word was simple, but it had him looking at Angel curiously for a second. It somehow seemed fitting while painting the arachnid in a new light. Of course, Husker himself knew how to swing dance; he'd been in his prime when it had been all the rage. Thinking about the timeline for them both, he supposed it made sense, as Angel would have lived when swing was king as well. "If you can." The challenge only made him aware that he hadn't said anything at all, but simply stared at the other man. Turning back around to Alastor, he smiled as best as he could for the deer.

"Swing music. I'm sure you can manage that, right?" To even suggest otherwise was an issuance for the man, and so the smile grew wide and twisted. Anything to ensure that Alastor actually wanted to play the swing music instead of something worse for his own amusement. He knew he was playing a dangerous game with the addition, but he also knew it was likely to work.

"What a marvelous choice, my friend! I'm sure that will definitely liven things up a bit more!" The tension that knotted his gut at simply asking eased ever so slightly. Alastor raised a hand and with one snap of his fingers the soft Christmas music stopped and was replaced by a moment of tuning static. Flattening his ears against the sound, he watched as the group Cherri brought stopped and started looking around the room for the source. Clearly, they were searching for speakers, a radio, something tangible for the sound to emit from, but that wasn't the case here. It was never the case with the Radio Demon around. He'd learned a long time ago that Alastor could make anything a speaker if he felt so inclined; including people.