[she's quiet. she's quiet for what feels like too long. having the warm touch of someone who actually cares about her is helping Emerald to focus a little more, to come down off the edge of anger and frustration and it's helping her... sort of, maybe come to terms with what the actual issue is. she doesn't say anything for a while, letting Chandra talk and listening to her words and letting her own breathing normalize.]

[and hitch. and she realizes that if she spends too much time listening without saying anything, it's all going to shatter around her like the mirror she walked into this world through. there's a choice to make. there's always a choice to make. and she can say what she's thinking about saying to Chandra but not to Mercury because... why? because she doesn't have anything to prove? because she can't hide anything from Chandra even if she wanted to?]

[maybe because it's already obvious and she's just putting words to it.]

I don't know what to do without her. I don't want to go back if all I have waiting for me is Salem. I'd rather be here forever if I don't have Cinder anymore.