[Once the offer for a cup of tea is enthusiastically accepted, Vergil takes the food from Maruki to free up his hands for getting himself situated with whatever outerwear is more comfortable to temporarily shed or adjust. As Maruki is managing his boots, Vergil closes the door behind him and steps further back into his apartment. For now, the soba is deposited onto the table that serves as a place for Vergil to take his meals. Pressed against the wall just a few steps from the kitchen, the table is small enough to only host two although assumptions that the second chair rarely sees use wouldn't be off the mark.]
[Vergil returns to his kitchen and puts the mug he grabbed earlier away. Rather than simply grabbing a second mug, Vergil opts for teacups. He'd determined he would entertain this man for a few minutes and he meant it. A teacup would mean a bit quicker consumption of the tea and send him on his way sooner than a mug. He places both mugs and saucers on a small tray, alongside a teapot and strainer.]
It's just Vergil, [he first corrects as he opens the tea tin and begins scooping out the leaves for the teapot.] I'm not an instructor. Defeating those with less skill and power than myself is meaningless.
[While it's certainly a mark of arrogance on Vergil's part both in the assumption Maruki could not keep up with him and that it is beneath him to engage with those weaker than himself, there's also something that's deeply pragmatic about it all the same. Vergil truly can't gain much from a sparring match against a weaker and less skilled opponent. His skills don't improve from the fight and there's no pride or satisfaction to be taken in defeating an opponent who won't prove a challenge.]
If you wish to improve, I'm sure there are plenty at the schools that will take that on.
[Unfortunately, Maruki's assurance to Vergil that he could be worthy isn't enough to convince Vergil. The drive to want to improve is admirable, of course. Taking a defeat and using it to motivate oneself towards improvement is the only respectable outcome to Vergil. But could be isn't the same as would be. A lack of confidence is just as much a mark of a lack of skill as anything else. One could possess all the power in the world, but a lack of confidence inhibits their ability to maximize their potential with it because they begin to second guess and hesitate.]
[Vergil simply isn't keen on sparring with someone who lacks confidence any more than he is someone who lacks power.]
[The kettle on the stovetop begins to whistle and Vergil steps over to turn the stove off and place the kettle on another burner.]
Do you take anything with your tea?
[Vergil doesn't, but he's willing to accommodate and add sugar and/or milk to the tray.]
no subject
[Vergil returns to his kitchen and puts the mug he grabbed earlier away. Rather than simply grabbing a second mug, Vergil opts for teacups. He'd determined he would entertain this man for a few minutes and he meant it. A teacup would mean a bit quicker consumption of the tea and send him on his way sooner than a mug. He places both mugs and saucers on a small tray, alongside a teapot and strainer.]
It's just Vergil, [he first corrects as he opens the tea tin and begins scooping out the leaves for the teapot.] I'm not an instructor. Defeating those with less skill and power than myself is meaningless.
[While it's certainly a mark of arrogance on Vergil's part both in the assumption Maruki could not keep up with him and that it is beneath him to engage with those weaker than himself, there's also something that's deeply pragmatic about it all the same. Vergil truly can't gain much from a sparring match against a weaker and less skilled opponent. His skills don't improve from the fight and there's no pride or satisfaction to be taken in defeating an opponent who won't prove a challenge.]
If you wish to improve, I'm sure there are plenty at the schools that will take that on.
[Unfortunately, Maruki's assurance to Vergil that he could be worthy isn't enough to convince Vergil. The drive to want to improve is admirable, of course. Taking a defeat and using it to motivate oneself towards improvement is the only respectable outcome to Vergil. But could be isn't the same as would be. A lack of confidence is just as much a mark of a lack of skill as anything else. One could possess all the power in the world, but a lack of confidence inhibits their ability to maximize their potential with it because they begin to second guess and hesitate.]
[Vergil simply isn't keen on sparring with someone who lacks confidence any more than he is someone who lacks power.]
[The kettle on the stovetop begins to whistle and Vergil steps over to turn the stove off and place the kettle on another burner.]
Do you take anything with your tea?
[Vergil doesn't, but he's willing to accommodate and add sugar and/or milk to the tray.]