Her lip curled with annoyance, and his would press together in a thin line. It was some consolation to see her intensity returned, even if he must be on the receiving end of her bladed words. “Very well, but it still exists.” The ranger retorted in an even baritone, calculating eyes sweeping over her visage as his speculation ran amuck. Had he glanced a nerve in that? Or was she obstinate for obstinate’s sake? Intuition inclined him towards the former, but he knew so little of this lioness other than her kinetic energy, her wounded pride, and the way it felt when her talons pierced his flesh. Nothing of her past or goals or even family—although there was that chatty lion who looked a lot like her… come to think of it, he didn’t even know her name. Marius did not voice aloud his questions and remained steadfast in his silence as she examined the pink scarring along his forearm, only to be utterly perplexed by her sudden request. He blinked, and then a stony expression returned to guard his features as his paw returned to the earth. “I will teach you what I know,” He began, eyes narrowing as he would aim to hold her swirling gaze. “but you must first tell me your name. Mine is Marius.” An introduction was necessary, he felt—at this point it seemed nearly clandestine to not know hers, especially as they were on the cusp of an agreement. Then again, the titan was not sure how she would react to his reciprocation, his demand of her, especially when her thoughts were so clearly focused on the fight, her loss, and her potential return to triumph. @Uma | x)

She holds his gaze, restrained anger simmering close beneath her false veneer of equanimity. Either he's trying to piss her off on purpose, or he's a superstitious moron, as her parents had been. A third option occurs to her that he's merely trying to remain humble, but by this point, even that just falls into the first category. It wasn't luck that saw her losing against the red-maned male, it was a decided lack of skill and forethought. Uma doesn't need any excuses, and she sure as hell doesn't need him to play down his capabilities. At least the thought of losing because her opponent is more skilled and experienced than her is a little more digestible than the thought of losing because of nothing more than sheer bad luck. He was the better lion that day-- there is no question about that one. What she wants to know is why?

Despite her less than agreeable disposition so far, he agrees to teach her, and her breath hitches in surprise. Mentally she'd already prepared herself for rejection, just another embarrassment in a long string of unending embarrassments. She knows he's being kinder to her than he needs to be, and strangely feeling humbled by this, the harsh edge seems to go out of her voice. "Uma." She says, casting her eyes downward in... submission? Acknowledgment? Gaining her paws, she steps into a defensive position, those gemstone-esque eyes finding his again. "I know you're a good fighter... even if you try to act like you're not. So, fill me in. I'm tired of getting my ass kicked." A lifetime of anger lies behind that statement, a steady build-up of frustration stemming from way before that fateful moment they clashed in The Pit... and here she is, about to unleash it all over again.

@Marius

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He meets those swirling gemstone eyes passively as they lift again to his; the surprise of the almost submissive way she conceded her name schooled out of his expression before she had the opportunity to bear witness to it. Then, her point returns, and the titan is good on his word. “In our engagement, you had the advantage of starting, of setting the stage for our fight. Next time use that more cleverly. Also, I am older and for now, that served me the advantage between the two of us. As well did my size. I used these elements against you, as best I could manage.” He explained, and claret eyes would hold her tri-colored swirl. “I admit luck did not play much of a role in our engagement, but to deny its influence altogether is to do yourself a disservice.” He paused, unwilling to linger overmuch on a topic they disagreed upon, but he wouldn’t bulldoze over her if she wanted to interject. Then he would continue. “You are a bit young, so you will come into your prime soon enough which will help, but for now, use must your opponents’ weaknesses against them.” He held out his leg again, briefly, to showcase again the pink scarring. “If you fight me, go for my leg. If I were in perfect health, leverage my other vulnerabilities against me. Eyes, throat, belly. Require flexibility in any counterattack I make.” He begins to list, and then pauses. “And be aware of your vulnerabilities to; eyes, throat, belly – you are exposed here too. Keep your chin down and claws out at all times. You can narrow your eyes too, pin your ears.” He sighs after a breath; putting into words something so physical was like describing art to one who could not see it. Especially when most of those motions came so naturally, he had to really stop and consider what it was like when he fought. “I think, above all else, practice will be your best tool moving forward.” He says after a moment; most of what he described were instinctual, and it was important they remain so. Sometimes the body moves faster than the mind, after all. Unaccustomed to saying so much, the titan falls silent—his gaze searching her expression for a reaction and he awaited her verdict on his first efforts at tutelage. @Uma

Though Uma typically tends to be more tactical in a fight, she'll be the first to admit cleverness wasn't exactly spared a second thought when she fought Marius. Any semblance of a battle plan would have been violently expelled by the all-encompassing anger that seems to have taken hostage her every faculty of late, urging her to rage and rip, anything to empty the fury that has set up permanent residence in her bones. Ears cupped forward, she pays utmost attention, eager to hear his opinions on where she fell short. She's following along well enough until he drops another mention of luck. A groan threatens to surface, but she tamps it down, her eyes already starting to gloss over in accordance with a suppressed eyeroll. "Fine. I'll accept it." She hears herself saying reluctantly. "Only because this is a teaching environment." After all, Marius is only doing what she asked of him. She'll likely never be on board with the idea of luck or some kind of higher kind of destiny, but dismissing him outright would be counterproductive at this point. That's not to say she isn't miffed, but he did kick her ass, so he must be onto something here.

She takes stock of his leg, considering the wound. She hadn't particularly considered tackling another lion the way one might tackle an outsized herbivore-- by going for the weak spots. Of course, up until now, she's never run into any lion bigger than her, either, so she's never had to rely on anything but brute strength. Then he mentions keeping in mind her vulnerabilities, and she bristles at the thought of admitting to the mere notion that she even has such a thing as vulnerabilities. She does a good job of hiding it, though, giving a heavy, noncommittal grunt instead. "Hmmm. Practice, huh?" Discussing things in theory is all good and well, but there's only one way to find out if this is actually going to work. "Let me try..." She demands, quite brusquely, but then again, Uma has never asked for anything, let alone nicely. Her chin is tucked against her chest, ears rotating flat against her head. Remembering his advice to protect her belly, she lowers her front a trifle lower to the ground, bracing herself. She regards him through squinted eyes, made ever more small and predatory. "Ready."

@Marius // :")

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Uma’s magnanimous allowance of his instruction surprised a short laugh to rumble from his chest; it had been unexpected, he had assumed she would push back, or perhaps even say nothing. “Very well, I’ll take what I can get.” He commented with a half-smile, his expression momentarily lit with an easy geniality that was much unlike his typical impassive veneer. Claret gaze considers the warrioress as she digests his explanation, his features relaxing back into a not-quite-so-stony mask as before. Marius is finally not terribly surprised by her when she suggests their practice begin now, and he raises himself from his seat as she shifts into her defenses. He used those moments to push aside some of the vines and brambles that cluttered their small space; the thicket was not generous with their makeshift arena, but it will have to do. After all, not every fight was promised to occur in the pit. When he turns back to her, she is prepared for their engagement; ears slicked back, chin tucked, chest lowered protectively—and he adjusts his posture as well. He crouches, matching her defenses by tucking his chin and folding his ears back into the crimson of his mane. But he does not lower his chest as she and his jaws part somewhat, a glint of teeth flashing as he did so. He then lunges towards her, and attempts the maneuver of seeking to wrap his right forelimb across her shoulders while aiming to close his jaws around the scruff of her neck. @Uma

Her ears perk at the sound of laughter, a genuine, roiling laugh that had seemingly come forth out of nowhere. Up until now, she had considered him something of a gargoyle-- stony, admittedly a little frightful, and with a stare unending like red desert sands, seemingly piercing through her soul and right into her innermost thoughts. To see him laughing is to see a statue come to life, and even though she tries to resist, she realizes she's starting to take natural liking to the big asshole. If laughter was anything more than a forgotten concept to Uma, she might even have found it within herself to laugh along with the male, but as things stood, she merely continues regard him levelly... and is that perhaps a grimace of a smile?

Whatever it was, it's effaced from her countenance as Marius comes thundering towards her. She was expecting it, of course, even asked for it, but she hasn't forgotten the sting of his tooth and claw. Involuntarily she gives a pained wince when his right forelimb slams down onto her shoulder, jaws aiming for her neck. She is all too painfully familiar with this predicament, and not keen on letting it play out as before, she snaps her head up, meeting tooth with tooth as she tries to tear into his sensitive nose. Remembering his advice, she seeks to follow up with a cuff, aiming her extended claws at his nose-- her chosen area of attack.

@Marius

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Her wince was noted as his forelimb came down across her shoulders and despite himself, his enthusiasm was tempered by its presence. The weight he would’ve leant the limb lessened, and his claws eased slightly back—not gone, but no longer aiming to rake her white and flaxen fur. Distracted and off-guard as he was, the titan was unprepared for her offense of his poor nose and felt both fang and claw tear into the delicate flesh of his nose and muzzle. He reciprocated with a guttural snarl as he would shake his head away, the delicate flesh of striped cheek now available should she wish to continue – but it was better than to have his nostrils torn from his face. Claws had extended in full once more as he would then give a mighty push with his hind legs, seeking to angle his weight and momentum from his chest and into her body. To push off her off balance, to force her away; his own skull was still turned away from hers, his forelimb still seeking to remain wrapped across her shoulders. He leveraged his tail for balance, kept his ears pinned, and eyes narrowed, bleeding muzzle wrinkled in a residual snarl. As much as it pained him to be on the receiving end of her brutality, he had to admit that she learned quick. @Uma

She can feel the weight of his forelimb lifting, paw easing slightly back. His claws are retracted, momentarily relieving her of the sharp, stabbing pain in her shoulder and granting her a moment of clarity. He's holding back. Fleetingly she remembers his words about his size serving him the advantage, but now, he has handed her an advantage of her own. Whatever the reason, Uma is not holding back, as evidenced when her paw rakes his cheek , the need to prove herself worthy of being taught growing ever stronger. The other digs his claws back into her shoulder accordingly, and she can feel herself being pushed backwards with one mighty heave.

Sinews flexing, she digs her claws into soil, paws scuffling as she attempts to remain rooted in place. She pushes back, jaws snapping at his cheek in a bid to keep him on the offense. All the better for when she tries use his advice against him and use her advantage cleverly. She steps back, hoping the sudden lack of resistance might send him toppling. If he does, she'll bring up her forelimbs, attempting to loop them around his neck as she throws herself back onto her shoulders. Tensing her whole body to accomodate the other's weight, she'll then try to use their combined momentum to send him toppling over her, seeking to push him along with her hindlegs and slam him into the ground in a half-arc. Hopefully, their lock on each other will send them into a tight roll, with Uma intending to come out on top, given she's lucky and manages to pin him beneath her forepaws.

@Marius

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The ranger had gambled his own balance to offset hers—pushing forth with his hind legs and angling into her with his chest and forelimbs. Her ploy was certainly not anticipated; he had assumed she might continue to go after his face, vulnerable and bleeding as it currently was, settled in a stony snarl with crimson eyes narrowed and striped skin wrinkled. Yet, she did not, and Marius did not realize what her game was until it was too late to correct it. His weight shifted forward, into her as he expected but as he would attempt to pull his forelimb down from her shoulders to correct his footing, her limbs had snaked around his neck. Locked together as they were, the titan rolled forward and over – tucking his head close to her neck and forelimbs pulling tight against her, his jaws attempting a firm bite around the calico fur, one far too gentle to break skin. It was an effort to control the uncontrollable, to regain some of his earlier impetus in this spar. Yet she would end up his better—he on his back, her forepaws pressed into the crimson fur of his chest. His efforts to gain hold of her skin were relinquished as he laid his head back against the earth and stared up at the lioness with an illegible glint in his claret gaze. “Yield,” He finally says, forelimbs relaxing so that silver paws would ease any pressure they may have managed against her pale fur. She had won. @Uma

She registers a painful pinch, hardly enough to break skin, and then her opponent slams into the ground, swallowed by the surrounding thicket. As she's staring down at him, she can feel her eyebrows lift in surprise, a split-second reaction that's gone as quickly as it appeared. If she wasn't certain before, she's certain now-- he's not using his full strength. A mistake, if she ever saw one. Never short on pent-up anger to release, Uma goes full-out all the time, regardless of who her opponent is. Obviously, she has a lot to learn about employing actual battle tactics, but she doesn't need some kind of special, soft treatment-- at least, she thinks so. If he's going to give her an inch, she's going to take advantage of it, mercilessly and without scruple. He'd instructed as much, hadn't he? Paws press down into his chest a little harder, ears flicking forward at his uttered surrender. Finally, she eases the pressure, paws lifting off his chest as she takes a step backwards. Out of some sense of respect, she gives him the slightest nudge to assist him to his paws, but her expression reveals little as her eyes return to his once more, knowingly. "You were holding back." Her gaze holds his, patiently awaiting elaboration with quiet, controlled intensity.

@Marius

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