It isn't until Garrot sits down on the floor of his room that he realizes his fists were so tight that his claws were starting to draw blood. He's glad he retreated to somewhere farther away, because the look on Zafika's face would only make him feel worse. But he needs to calm down before he deals with any of this, so he takes one deep breath, then another, and closes his eyes. His monastic verses of choice come to mind, he remembers the sounds of the waves lapping against the shore and the birds chirping in the trees, and the chimes. Soon he's centering his thoughts on the serenity of the world and the fluidity of the self, and his breathing gets deeper, gets calmer. So when he hears Zafika's call minutes later, his eyes are slow to open. "Alright, I'll be down in a minute," he shouts back- Garrot doesn't meditate as much as he used to and it shows.
But he takes a few more breaths before returning to his feet and moving a little box from his closet to his jacket pocket. Circumstances were supposed to be better, but desperate times call for overt measures. Then he goes over the events with a clearer mind. Zafika was startled and reacted poorly and apologized. Being half-petrified was a new and horrible experience, so Garrot reacted poorly and didn't apologize at all. He got angry, he was threatening and not in some blowhard, chest-puffing kind of way. That table is broken and they're on opposite ends of a house instead of hanging out, eating dinner, and being friends.
Garrot starts to walk down the stairs, still breathing deep as he remembers what the monks told him when he first arrived, broken and terrified. This moment only defines them if they let their perceptions of their world remain attached to it. They just need reasons to let it fade into the past. So his footfalls take him to the couch, and he sits at the end farthest from Zafika. He's more relaxed than before, and he's facing them, looking at them, and his arms and legs are as open as the tone in his voice.
"I'm sorry, Zafika. About everything that happened. I was trying so hard to give you a normal dinner and a fun night that I forgot how to treat you." He sighs, trying not to keep himself from getting too visibly bummed out. "I wasn't actually mad about the eyes," especially since it was a relatable accident, "I was terrified because my body thought it was petrified and I freaked out and took it out on you." He closes his eyes for a moment, and then there's a little sniffle. None of this is going how Garrot wanted it to, and he hates it!
"I, uh... I actually had a gift for you that'd help, if you still want it." But then there's a sharp inhale. "I should've given it to you as soon as you got here, I'm really sorry!" And then he starts fishing around in his pocket for that box. Garrot can always put it back if they don't trust him.
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But he takes a few more breaths before returning to his feet and moving a little box from his closet to his jacket pocket. Circumstances were supposed to be better, but desperate times call for overt measures. Then he goes over the events with a clearer mind. Zafika was startled and reacted poorly and apologized. Being half-petrified was a new and horrible experience, so Garrot reacted poorly and didn't apologize at all. He got angry, he was threatening and not in some blowhard, chest-puffing kind of way. That table is broken and they're on opposite ends of a house instead of hanging out, eating dinner, and being friends.
Garrot starts to walk down the stairs, still breathing deep as he remembers what the monks told him when he first arrived, broken and terrified. This moment only defines them if they let their perceptions of their world remain attached to it. They just need reasons to let it fade into the past. So his footfalls take him to the couch, and he sits at the end farthest from Zafika. He's more relaxed than before, and he's facing them, looking at them, and his arms and legs are as open as the tone in his voice.
"I'm sorry, Zafika. About everything that happened. I was trying so hard to give you a normal dinner and a fun night that I forgot how to treat you." He sighs, trying not to keep himself from getting too visibly bummed out. "I wasn't actually mad about the eyes," especially since it was a relatable accident, "I was terrified because my body thought it was petrified and I freaked out and took it out on you." He closes his eyes for a moment, and then there's a little sniffle. None of this is going how Garrot wanted it to, and he hates it!
"I, uh... I actually had a gift for you that'd help, if you still want it." But then there's a sharp inhale. "I should've given it to you as soon as you got here, I'm really sorry!" And then he starts fishing around in his pocket for that box. Garrot can always put it back if they don't trust him.