This... wasn't an unexpected reaction, but it wasn't the ideal one. Hadn't the hole in Harpuia's chest been enough to drive the point home that distancing and internalizing and trying to tough it out on his own weren't going to work as coping methods?

Still... lead a horse to water, etc. Just handing out orders wasn't going to change a thing if Zero didn't have any obligation to bow to them. Even if he did, knowing his stubbornness, he would probably still disregard them completely. Fine then. Harpuia had no rank to pull these days anyway. He could no longer call himself "sage," but the sentiment behind the title lingered all the same: Harpuia valued intellect, but that also made him especially short with those who refused to learn from mistakes. "Isn't asking for help easier than--"

He stopped himself short, yanking the reins in on his temper. If Zero wanted to sulk, then Harpuia would not stoop to that level. He revised the remark to a flat "Cope with it however you please, then. I've got shopping to do."