#zafrina

«You sure about this, Carlisle?» Zafrina asked one last time.

Carlisle only smiled brightly back at her, as he was wont to do. «Sure and ready,» he chirped.

She couldn’t help shaking her head at him.

The golden-eyed blond was charming, there was no denying that. Of all the vampires Zafrina, Senna, and Kachiri had run into over the years, he was easily one of their favorites. He was easy-going, good-natured, and had been delighted to learn their language, and teach them his in turn. The months he’d spent with them since they first stumbled upon him feeding on a llama had been  great fun.

It didn’t hurt to be accompanied by a strong-looking male, either, as stragglers did sometimes pass through the area. Even if on the one occasion that a straggler had come along, Carlisle had earnestly tried to make small talk and form a new bond of friendship rather than look intimidating. 

Of course, with Zafrina’s gift they could take care of themselves, but- she preferred not to give away the ace up her sleeve to strangers unless she had to.

Carlisle had his odd little vices, his refusal to drink human blood and insistence upon butchering wildlife even when it made him so very weak was not something Zafrina thought they could have tolerated in just any guest, but he was so earnest about it that they did not have it in themselves to condemn him for it.

Yes, Carlisle was earnest.

He was clever, too.

The moment Zafrina had confided in him her gift, he had lit up and professed his admiration for her extraordinary talent. He had gushed about it the entire day, peppering her with questions, remembering himself and asking if she wanted him to back off, only to vibrate with unasked questions. She’d regretted telling him, at first.

Still, she had answered his questions, sometimes demonstrated her talent when words couldn’t quite cover her talent.

Carlisle had been just as thrilled every time.

Then a contemplative glint had appeared in his eyes.

«Have you tested the boundaries of your gift?» he’d asked her.

Zafrina had asked him what he meant.

«Well- you said, that if you concentrate on me and think to yourself, ‘tree’, then I’ll see a tree. And you don’t visualize it more specifically than that, you’re just imparting the recipe, so to say, of what it is I’m going to see. What I’m wondering, is- who fills in the blanks?»

Zafrina had tilted her head at him. «My gift does.»

«Yes,» Carlisle had agreed with a gesture, «but how? Does your mind fill in the blanks, so that I’m seeing what your subconsciousness associates with ‘tree’, or do you let my mind do it? Or is it the gift that somehow- pulls on the Platonic idea of a tree?»

Then he’d hurried to explain to her that a wise man came up with the concept of immaculate versions of every material thing, an immaterial ideal that the reality can resemble but never look up to, and the Western humans had based their religion on that.

She’d shown him a tree.

Carlisle had pulled his lips together as he’d concentrated on that tree. «It’s- such a tree,» he’d said after a long pause.

«Yes,» Zafrina had agreed, biting back amusement.

Kachiri and Senna, who had come to watch, had looked amused as well.

«No, no, I mean- I can’t tell if I’m looking at a tree that is my own idea of a tree, or someone else’s. The more I look at it- no, I don’t think this is the way to test it,» Carlisle said, looking very bothered. «I can’t observe when I’m inside the hallucination, not when the point of your gift is playing a trick on my mind. But Senna and Kachiri can’t very well observe me hallucinating either, not without sharing in it- oh, this is frustrating.»

Zafrina had laughed at him, and clapped him on the shoulder. «I’ve given you something to trouble yourself with, haven’t I.»

Carlisle had looked miffed, like a child denied fruit.

«We were wanting to play a game when you two were done,» Kachiri had called out, and held up a leather ball.

(They played a lot of games when Carlisle visited: being even in numbers was rare, and they took full advantage.)

«You may choose which one,» she’d continued, twirling the ball on one finger and passing it to Senna with a broad smile.

Carlisle had agreed readily, but before they could leave to find the open field they used for such pastimes, he’d given Zafrina a concerned look.

«I hope my interest isn’t imposing on you,» he’d told her quietly. «Truly, if you are only humoring me, you must let me know.»

«You would be disappointed,» Zafrina pointed out.

«You could cheer me up again by sharing a meal with me,» Carlisle had replied without missing a bit.

Zafrina had stopped walking, and given the shrubbery ahead an unimpressed glare.

«It was worth a shot,» Carlisle had said airily.

Then he’d sobered. «Don’t concern yourself with me, Zafrina, truly I mean it. If my questions bother you, tell me so and I’ll stop.»

Zafrina had looked at him. «I won’t deny you’ve been asking a great many questions over the past few days.»

Carlisle had cringed. «Duly noted,» he’d said. «I apologize for getting ahead of myself, then.»

Zafrina supposed that could have been it.

She hadn’t been lying, Carlisle was- well, he was earnest. Sometimes too much so.

However, he was clever.