Snail girls ftw wooooo. Another lovely piece from Sinematyc on Instagram linked here https://www.instagram.com/sinematyc/?hl=en

Lucy was quite difficult to do. Had to blend tentacles, shells, and slimyness. But I think we did a good job all things considered. Important note is she is like Camilla. The size of a house naturally but shrunk down to an average height by magic to live inside. And her tentacles are retractable. This is Manis "mom" as well by technicality. She's also a big gamer/weeb. And is trying to be vegetarian. Though if she has any cravings (AKA if I want any vore art) she can't be held responsible. Anyway. It's story time!

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Lucy never really disliked humans perse. But she also didn't really care for them at first. Most of her early encounters with humans were fools claiming they would "slay the beast in yonder cave" before getting stuck on her slimy tentacles before watching in horror as she simply opened her mouth and dropped them in. Swallowing them whole. The easy snacks were appreciated even if the attempts on her life weren't. And her meals always had some kind of shiny trinkets. But it was a rather dull life. Until one day. A scholar was wandering the area. Nose deep in a book. And too preoccupied with it to really notice his surroundings. Walking right into her cave and getting stuck on some of her stray slime. Panicking as he realized where he was.

Meanwhile Lucy was just waking up from a nap. The panicked cries for help waking her up. Rubbing the sleep out of her eyes and crawling over. Fully prepared for another boring, if not delicious~ breakfast in bed. But as she was opening her mouth and bending down to gobble him up. She realized he looked different from all the others who had come to slay her. And he was holding something. A book she believed it was called. Books had always been a fascinating thing of human culture. Supposedly a way to see other worlds. She didn't really understand it. And she didn't know how to read.

"What are you doing in here?"

She asked the scholar. Curious about why someone who clearly wasn't equipped for slaughter had come into her cave. Meanwhile the scholar was feeling a mixture of fear and confusion. The beast could talk?! And she stopped herself from eating him. It was probably best to answer her question.

"W-well I'm but a humble scholar. I-I didn't mean to intrude on your home. I was just reading and not paying attention to where I was going"

Lucy stared down at him. She supposed if she could look into other worlds. But more than that. She was somewhat surprised he was apologizing to her. No human had ever done that before. She looked at the book he was holding once more. And back to him. He seemed smarter than most humans. And didn't appear to hold any ill will towards her. Maybe he would be willing to teach her?

"Books. They let you see into other worlds right? That sounds... Nice. I don't suppose you'd be willing to teach me would you?"

The scholar was shocked to put it lightly. This monster. Who had eaten hundreds of people. And quite nearly ate him. Was asking for a favor.

"You've devoured hundreds of my fellow men. Spread fear throughout my countryside! And yet you ask a boon?"

Lucy rolls her eyes at the comment. Finding it silly as she readjusts herself. Humans were definitely hypocrites. But they could learn. Or at least she hoped.

"If you were attacked by a bull you would kill and eat it too. And yet you also have them till your fields. Why should I be any different when most of your kind shows me hostility. Besides. I'm not asking you to do it for free."

The scholar had no rebuttal of course. He knew she was right. Even if humans were smarter than a bull. Aggression had no right to be rewarded. But wait. What did she mean by not for free. As he thought about that one of her tentacles came out of her shell. Grabbing a small pile of gold dropped by old adventurers and warriors. More than enough to turn a peasant into a king

"You humans like this stuff right? Most everyone who comes in here had a few pieces before I... Well doesn't matter. Every day you come back to teach me to read. I'll let you have a bit. Once I've learned. I'll pay you for any books you bring... But I'm no fool human. Bring any more warriors and you'll watch me eat them before I eat you."

Despite that last comment. Teaching her to read couldn't be too bad right? And that gold could pay off his debts and help out his college. It also stopped her from eating him right now. All in all. It was an offer he couldn't refuse.

"Very well. I accept. But I'd rather not be called human all the time. Call me Simon."

"Lucy~ this is going to be fun~"

And so it began. What started as a simple business deal quickly grew into a friendship between the two. And Lucy was learning to read quite rapidly. Every once in awhile a knight would try to interrupt. Though to Lucy the word knight had little meaning other than snack. The first few times it happened Simon was appalled. But overtime he did grow to see how almost all of Lucy's human interactions didn't exactly paint his fellow man as being worth much more than a snack in her eyes. And to his own surprise. He continued to come back even after Lucy had learned. Even without a book he found himself wanting to talk to her. Meanwhile Lucy was becoming a total bookworm. Humans had so many interesting stories to spin. And she wanted to read them all.

Months turned into years as human society developed. And Simon grew old. One day reaching a point where he could no longer walk out of bed. It was a tale as old as time for long life species who interacted with humans. But Lucy was strong. She had learned a bit of magic to become smaller so she could sneak around the human world. And though it took a few close calls and a handful of shrunken snacks to get there. She managed to visit Simon one last time.

Nowadays her obsession with books has developed into a passion for anime, manga, and video games. And she's found she quite enjoys woodworking. She's been trying to go vegetarian. But she also won't say no if a rude human tries to do anything smart. But she never really forgot Simon. The man who gave her something to live for~