[that makes sense. and... and the touch helps. the touch feels like a comfort, like something familiar to her. even if it's just something that light, so light to be almost imperceptible. emerald feels like she's had someone talk her down like this in the past just from that. she breathes out slowly and tries to collect her thoughts.]

[it doesn't come easy, but why would it?]

I don't know. I don't know what you can do. It doesn't... it doesn't hurt as bad now that I told you, I don't think. [she doesn't stop her own thoughts long enough to focus on the pain, or maybe she can't. either way, her words feel woefully inadequate right now at conveying the worry, the fear behind them.]

It's not the kind of thing we would forget, is it? Killing someone?