Author: Cal Wallace
“So,” Ftk’al said, slithering gently down the steps next to his friend. “You were cancelled.”
“Yeah, man,” said Karl, chewing gum and spitting nothing despite his best efforts. “That’s how it goes out here. Dog eat dog.”
Ftk’al tried to shrug, all tendrils pumping. Karl seemed to understand. He said, “You gotta be careful, these days, what you do or don’t say. I said some dumb shit-”
“About how Taurons aren’t people?”
“Yeah, yeah. I take all that back. Taurons are people just like you and me, and I was wrong, but-”
“But you wish you could go back and remove the hurtful things you said?”
Karl glared at Fkt’al. “You’ve learned a lot from me, following me about and acting human, haven’t you?”
Fkt’al tried to present his tendrils in a smile, but ended up retreating into his shell slightly.
“I apologise for chagrining you, Karl. You are my friend.”
Karl relaxed, patted his friend on the chitin. “It’s okay. Sometimes you say or do something stupid, and all you want is a chance at redemption.”
“Is this Christmas spirit, Karl?”
Karl looked at his many eyed, tentacled and altogether alien friend. “Yeah, man. This is Christmas, It’s not all death and glory and random shit we find odd about each other. Sometimes it’s just a message of love for other beings.”
Fkt’al looked at Karl with all eight of his eye stalks. “I have strong and complex emotional capacity for you, Karl.”
Karl chuckled, and hugged Fkt’al’s carapace. “I love you too, man. Merry Christmas.”
Merry Christmas. I love you.