There was, mostly, no good way to start a battle. Solitaire understood where lunging was good for a surprise attack, but there was no element of surprise here. He would lose ground simply be beginning, and there was little in which he could do about it. He was at least aware of that fact, knew that it was seen coming before he made a step. Still, he kept his defenses in place as best that he could while had attacked, neck scrunched but not able to be tucked when he went for Sinclair's lower right hindleg, but his shoulders were still rolled forward, ears still pressed down to his head. He did not gain a grip on that leg as he would have liked, only gaining air between his teeth. But that did not stop him from keeping with the momentum, no.

Solitaire had kept going, because he had the drive to do so, the instinct to seek to offbalance first and foremost. His shoulder (left) made contact with Sinclair's right ribcage, and although he did feel the brunt of the hit on himself, Solitaire wasn't going to give up so easily. In the time it took for Sinclair's hindleg to find the ground again -- those precious seconds -- Solitaire was already shifting his head to the side to grab for the male's neck fur. The fur on the right side of Sinclair's neck, since Solitaire wasn't intending to actually wound the male more than the hit from the shoulder (not that it worked so well anyhow). Of course Sinclair went to do the same -- instinct, probably -- and jaws may or may not have clashed at this point.

Or, in Sinclair's grabbing of Solitaire's left forepaw, it might have only given Solitaire a better aim for that bit of neck fur he had tried for. Of course his paw was grazed by Sinclair's teeth, sharp pinpoints of pain setting at the cuts. The words that came next had Solitaire stopping, holding back and shifting his sore shoulder a little to judge the pain. Solitaire grunted softly and shook himself off, stepping away from the other male before settling to his haunches to wait out what might be said of his attempt at a fight beginning.

[ male ] [ six ] [ unmated ] [ imprint; striker ] [ glorall ]