It was embarrassing the first few minutes, but Alastor had to just swallow his pride.
It's not as if anyone could tell he was off. Though, as he sat in a booth much further than his original spot, which would be smack in the middle of the bar counter, his face practically buried in the novel the local television demon gave him and the looks he'd gotten from the local staff, namely his employees, the princess, and her girlfriend, it was not as discreet as he wanted.
But public opinion, as he'd concluded before, was not his focus right now. He could address all of that much later after tonight. Or at least, he hoped things would be... settled. Angel, who he thought he'd encounter by now, was thankfully in another part of the hotel; or perhaps he was out ditching work yet again. Either way, it was an obstacle removed, as the deer wasn't sure if he'd be able to manage a straight face with the spider's typical advances combined with the book.
Magically, he'd removed the explicit title and artwork from the front. It was a nondescript, light red text, with even redder contents. A necessary sacrifice for knowledge, and from the way it was written, particularly tasteful and professional in wording, Alastor had a feeling it'd be more than worth it. There was certainly truth in the things Vox had told him, and the book affirmed such.
It helped that it was Asmodeus who wrote it.
Reading the shadows in the room as he read, he could feel the other eyeballs in the room roam him, trying to pick him apart. He was surprised that Husk, as Alastor had appeared in the room, didn't just laugh or attempt to approach him. Though, perhaps he'd spoken too soon as he heard steps approach him. Heavier thumps indicated that it was the old cat. His eyes didn't move from cover of the book, the shape of the feline in side of his vision, blurred.
"It's getting near dawn..."
Alastor kept reading.
"When lights close their tired eyes...~"
The Radio Demon's eyes crinkled, but still didn't move.
"I'll soon be with you, my looove~..."
"What?" Alastor's grin sharpened.
"Give you my dawn surprise...~" Husk sang as he leant on the table, getting closer. "I'll be with you daaaarling, soooon.~! I'll be with you when, the, stars, start, faaaaalling~!"
Alastor couldn't resist despite his annoyance. "I've been waiting so long... to be where I'm going... in the sunshine of their, looo-ooooo-ooove.~"
Slamming the book down on the table, he glared at his old friend who wasn't deterred in the slightest, faint guitar in the background; a lovely magical trick Alastor was now regretting teaching them. Their smirk was playful, eyes concentrated. How ironic it was to be on the receiving end of such a look. How annoying.
"It appears the cat has my tongue on this one." Alastor rolled his eyes as he re-opened the book. "I take it you are here to laugh yet again."
Husk glanced over to the other two demons who 'seemed' to leave the area. "Sorta. But I did feel a little bad for laughing."
"I appreciate your sympathy." Alastor sarcastically responded as he turned a page, about halfway through the book now. "Is that why you chose to sing your regrets?"
"Well," Husk's smile dropped. "I just thought you might still want it."
Alastor looked to a particular wall, knowing Charlie and Vaggie were listening. Charlie, of all people, should've known such a thing wouldn't work. She probably did know and knew she couldn't exactly face any sort of consequence.
"And I don't suppose the princess has any sort of useful advice...?"
Somehow, she was surprised, a jolt as she sheepishly stuck her head out, revealing only her eyes. "Weeeeell..."