The Winter Here's Cold, And Bitter... [Private To Saph]

Hugging her knees close to her chest, Taylor sat with her back leaning against the cold bedframe. Draped over her was a fluffy blanket, even if she didn't really need the warmth it provided. The cold was second nature to her, being a child of Khione. Still, that didn't mean that she was used to the cold train of thoughts her mind contained, those that spoke of nothing but pain.

Dammit, Taylor, she thought to herself, exasperated. When are you ever going to get your act together?

Suddenly, a soft knock echoed in the empty room and Taylor immediately scrambled out of the bed, leaving the tangled blanket curled up against the mattress. Running a hand through her unruly auburn hair, she quickly snuck a glance at one of the mirrors in the room and frowned. It was easy to tell that she wasn't in a good state. Though she was as pale as always, there was no mistaking the pair of bloodshot eyes that stood out from the rest of her appearance. Self-consciously smoothing out the ends of her jersey, Taylor sighed before finally opening the door.

The sight of Buffy pulled out a half-hearted smile from the ashen-faced girl. "Thanks, Buffy," she said gratefully. It was easy to see how her voice didn't contain her usual excitement. "I probably would've starved to death without you. Oh and, er, please pardon how I look like a sorry excuse of a human being at the moment." Taylor gave out a hollow laugh. It suited her. She felt hollow; she felt so out of life. Like a ghost.

Taylor was still smiling, albeit a little forced, when she took the food and water from her sister's grasp. She appreciated Buffy's words of comfort, she really did, but these situations had never been her forte, not even if she was doing the comforting (it'd probably end up in a worse state for both parties). All she could do was force back a smile, and that didn't even look convincing. How utterly pathetic.

Not wanting the awkward silence to take over, Taylor just went with the first things that came to her mind. "Yeah, maybe. It's been what, three days?" She sighed. Will she ever get better? The thought was disturbing her, in all honesty. Taylor wasn't a pessimist. But then, she wasn't a lot of things before this whole mess started. "Guess I just have to... Gods, I don't know anymore."

Taylor's eyes squeezed shut, reopening them after a few moments. The magnitude of her problems hit her like a wave once again and it was all she could do not to break down. Instead, she held herself together and looked back up at Buffy. Should she tell her? She had only told one person, and things didn't end well between them. Should she risk it with one of her half-sisters? They weren't especially close or anything, but then, Buffy had been bringing her food. That ought to count for something, right? Besides, if she didn't let all these things out, she feared she would explode.

"Do you want to come in?" Taylor asked tentatively, taking a small step back. It was the most subtle invitation she could come up with, and she hoped Buffy would get her drift. After all, 'would you like to listen to me rant about how stupid my life is?' sounded really bad in her head. Buffy hadn't really asked about her condition and for that, Taylor was grateful. Although, it did leave her a little confused. Was Buffy holding her curiosity back for the sake of being polite, or was she just not interested in the topic in general? Taylor was about to find out.

Taylor bit her lip as Buffy walked past. Was this the right decision? Was she really going to tell Buffy about all that? Usually she went with her instincts, but her decision-making skills hadn't been the best recently. After all, look where that got her. Still, maybe some company would do her good. She had spent a fair amount of time alone and perhaps it was time for her to mingle with another human being. Taylor decided to just let this be a normal conversation, something to keep her mind off things. She needed distractions. Badly.

"Hey, it's fine. Been a while since I last talked to someone and I'd appreciate the extra company," Taylor reassured Buffy as she walked over, cringing a little at the state of her bed. "I mean, I just spent the last few days with these things," she added, holding the blanket up for emphasis. After tucking it under her pillows, Taylor plopped down on the bed, gesturing for Buffy to do the same.

"Thanks again," Taylor said as she saw the chicken sandwich clearly for the first time. She set the tortilla chips beside her, making sure that it was in Buffy's reach in case she wanted to eat too. "Feel free." She took a bite of sandwich and chewed on it slowly as she attempted to gather her thoughts. I've been cooped up too long, a small part of her mind complained. I think I've forgotten how to start a conversation. A few moments later, Taylor finally spoke.

"So... what's new in the outside world?"