Cephollusks— as well as being a pretty newly discovered species— are very new to society. From what’s basic public knowledge, they display human adjacent intelligence, as well as having a unique snail-squid-appearance. When they began integrating into human societies, people didn’t really know how to feel, torn between despising them and accepting them with open arms. You’re on the open arms side; if they’re as smart as us why shouldn’t we let them share continents?

For a while now, you’ve had yourself a Cephollusk roommate in your little shared apartment. He doesn’t say much, but he’s overall really sweet and laid back. Despite your curiosity, you’d never asked him anything about his species. You’d guessed it’d be kind of uncomfortable if someone asked you about how the human body functions in its entirety, so you never asked.

That is, until one day, when he pulled the shell from his back. You were completely and utterly perplexed.

“So you just… take that off? Does it hurt?” You ask despite yourself, curiously staring at the shell in his arms.

“Nah, it comes off on its own eventually, and at some point it kind of just rests on this thing.” He moves a hand from his shell to point at his back, a small appendage near the top of it. You find yourself wanting to ask more, and he seems open to answering… so?