Word Count → 296 :: even though technically the thread where she got the shells is more than a week away from this one, you could say some of the mussels in the shells are still alive and can be eaten? Ata wouldn't know how to open them or realize that they could be used as food, she'd just pick them up because shiny. Most of them look like this: blue mussel shell
Ataxia's lips started to twitch into a nervous smile, but she stopped herself before it appeared. Her fear was more obvious that she wanted it to be. Of all people, her mother was the most likely to notice it, but it seemed like everyone could see through her attempts to hide herself. She wanted to be strong, emotionless and able to spin lies like a spider could spin web. She was not there, not yet.
"Just thinking about the future," she said, which was not entirely a lie. "I have some shells for you." She pushed the basket toward her mother. Inside was a collection of shells of different shapes and sizes - one or two were large spiraling things that wrapped around themselves, while the majority were oval and in various shades of blue. Some shells were opened, some were not. It hadn't occurred to the girl to try opening them; she just picked it up, cleaned it off and placed it in the basket in whichever way she found it.
There was a pause as the hybrid considered her next words. All sorts of possibilities swirled in her mind. "I was thinking another sacrifice might be appropriate..." she looked away briefly, "since so much has happened recently. It might help for the coming battles." Her tail twitched behind her. "I also thought I might become the Segna. I like the power scarification gives me, and sharing it with the Family seems... appropriate." In actuality, she wanted to cleanse Salsola of its wolf blood. She, of course, couldn't say that. "I think it's time I undergo the Cotona ritual."
All that information at once was probably too much, but Ataxia thought it would distract her when the next bit of news came. "Also, I'm moving out."
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