Chazaqiel liked Christmas. He wasn't sure if that made him a bad demon or not. But look, he just couldn't help himself. It was just so cheery, all those decorations and the lights, and you know those had to be a little bit evil, what with all that electricity expended on festive lighting and the amount of trash generated, and people tended to forget when they were adorning their live Christmas trees just how serious the problem of deforestation was. So that had to be alright. And it couldn't be a si- virtue to look forward to the present giving, or to like those sweet-tasting little mince pies or occasionally have to resist the urge to don a white robe and start a-carolling.
No, Chazaqiel was quite sure he was in the clear here. Though just to be on the safe side he had decided not to mentioned the bit about the carolling to his cohorts in evilness.
He had arrived at the party precisely on the hour of its stated starting time, looking astoundingly unselfconscious for a man who was wearing a bulky, bright red and green knitted sweater, festively depicting the face of a slightly cross-eyed reindeer. He'd politely waved off a proffered wine glass,* helping himself instead to a non-alcoholic and sickly sweet eggnog which he sipped with every sign of enjoyment. And then he'd sat himself down and patiently waited for everyone else to arrive.
It was perhaps an hour into the evening, following an impassioned conversation with the WUPS weatherman on the subject of high pressure systems, that Chazaqiel noticed the man lingering in the corner. He seemed to be the only one that had, Chaz realised, for the fellow stood alone in the shadows, noticeably separate from the various huddles of people - most of whom were far too engrossed in their own conversations to spare much attention for the lone stranger.
Perhaps it was curiosity that drew him to the man, perhaps it was sympathy (though he'd fervently deny any allegations of the latter if pressed by his comrades; he might be stupid but he possessed a very acute survival instinct) - but whatever the case, Chazaqiel wandered across the join him.
"Hello!" he said cheerfully. "Nice party, isn't it?"
* Chaz didn't drink a lot of alcohol. The last time he'd gotten properly drunk he'd gone and pledged allegiance to Satan.