test your might, tag: iago

[Aurelio Jiménez]

October 14th
Before Dawn

---

fire in the sky

It felt as though the closer he got to Hart, the stronger the sense of rich wholeness welled within him. At the present Aurelio couldn't figure out why the decision to come back was so long in the making, because everything prior to today now seemed entirely foolish. Now that he was breathing the Californian air once again, he realized just how much he missed the city and everything about it. Upon arrival, the first thing he did was run out into the dusk, hoping to pick up his old trails. Camouflaged within the twilight, he was able to move about as a jaguar freely, without risk of getting spotted...so to speak. And to Rey's pleasure, he found that most of the city remained unchanged, save for the apparent pollution problem they seemed to be having. But that was no matter, as he was able to enjoy himself without swimming. The beast was larger than most of its kind...much larger. As a matter of fact, where it not for his coat, a zoologist might've thought him a small tiger due to his sheer mass. In spite of his size, however, the creature skulked across the forest floor like a phantom, making only a nearly imperceptible amount of noise. The woods - usually alive with the sounds of small animals stirring to begin their day - was eerily hushed in the presence of this new predator, not unlike the devote stillness one found during a Sunday mass. The jaguar reveled in the silence, and took it as the forest's sign of respect. He loved it so much, in fact, that the evidence of an appropriated sacrifice stained his muzzle a rusty brown, causing his tongue to dart out of the side of his mouth to lick his jowls contentedly as he continued his exploration. Too focused on his personal elation an enjoyment, Rey didn't bother to take in the intricacies of his environment. Instead, he concentrated on the familiar sights and scents, not bothering to notice any fellow predators that might be present. It was easy to take his position at the top of the food chain for granted, and unconsciously ignored the signs of marked territory as a result. The desire for further sustenance was also strong, as a single gopher was only enough to agitate his hunger. So when an idle breeze wafted the scent of a frightened rabbit across Aurelio's path, he stopped in his tracks and narrowed his eyes toward the direction of the aroma. Not wanting to give away his intent, he mastered the significant urge to growl greedily. Instead, his claws dug into the moist earth as his eyes slice through the morning darkness...searching for his next meal. There was the slightest rustling of undergrowth, then the jaguar tore into a sprint, hoping ambush its prey. Desperate for escape, the rabbit flew out of its burrow and darted in a random direction. The small creature, however, had no hope. Aurelio's powerful jaw closed about its ears and crushed its skull with ease. During the kerfuffle, however, some instinctual part of Rey noticed an extra scent on the breeze, an unusual smell that made his hackles shudder. With his fresh kill still dangling limply from his mouth, he barred his teeth and snarled menacingly. He was curious, however, so the warning was half-hearted at best. Peering into the darkness, he silently challenged his guest, wanting him to show himself.

cassie at atf.

[Iago Holt]

Had Iago been human, he would no doubt have been pacing back and forth across his living-room most of the last few days, like an anxious first-time father waiting outside the delivery room. As he was instead Lycan, he was instead crossing the Pack's hunting grounds in a space-devouring lope, his superhumanly acute senses attuned to any sign of an invader. Everyone handles anxiety in their own way, after all.

Granted, patrolling the Pack's territory was likely what he would have been doing anyway, but his investigation of the recent Pack-related murders had turned up a dilemma that he'd been rattling back and forth between the horns of for days now. This was not a situation he was accustomed to; not a situation that was supposed to arise. It seemed the Pack had a traitor in its midst, one who had not only killed innocent bystanders, but had done so in a way that pointed to them both collectively and individually. And, if his suspicions about the responsible party were accurate, he had done so for essentially political purposes. Challenge was the way of the Pack, yes, to the death if need be, but it was overt challenge, not deceptive strikes from the shadows. It was distasteful enough to deal with when the deceivers were outside the Pack, but Iago had reason to suspect that in this case the coward responsible was his own Beta, and that left more than just a bad taste in his mouth, it left him metaphorically gagging on it.

All of which left Iago both irritable and distracted, a bad combination. He didn't notice the jaguar's trail until he was practically on top of it, and the sound of crunching bone and the smell of blood and brains brought his attention around to it. When it did, there were several oddities that entered his awareness at once: a jaguar in northern California being not least among them, and the magical sensitivity he'd received as a blessing from his stepmothers gave him a warning even more blatant that this was no ordinary creature.

Of course, neither was Iago.

He "spoke" into the silence with his mind. : you trespass on the Pack's grounds without invitation and hunt our rightful prey without permission : he announced, the irritation and anger he was feeling over the situation with the Pack spilling over into the transmission.

[Aurelio Jiménez]

fire in the sky

This werewolf was smaller than Aurelio was accustomed to. Admittedly, he'd only ever met one other being of its kind, but he simply assumed they were all large and unsightly human hybrids. The black beast's transformation was so complete, however, that it might have fooled Rey entirely - were it not for his distinctive scent. Still rumbling low in his gullet, the jaguar considered his opponent, slowly circling him whilst remaining distant. By the way it was staring, he was obviously trying to communicate with Rey somehow, but the unwitting intruder had no way to glean his meaning. For all he knew, the brute was issuing threats and malice in some sort of canine manner. Granted, that's exactly what Aurelio hoped for, as a fight with a worthy opponent was the only thing that could make his homecoming perfect. If he recalled correctly, that other wolf in Arizona was just as ill-disposed, it was the one trait both beasts shared as far as he could see. For whatever reason, Rey's presence tended to agitate other predators. As he lowered his center of gravity, his long tail flicked an undulated unperturbedly while he weighed his options. No move was made to back out of the clearing; instead he casually spat the rabbit's corpse onto the ground, and provokingly stretched his jowls across his yellowed teeth. The resulting roar that issued from the jaguar sent birds flying in all directions, but a very human glint of delight in his eyes contradicted his outward hostility. Gradually, the bellows tapered into bellicose spits and snarls, and he hunkered down into a threatening stalk. Though precise comprehension between the two hunters was impossible, it didn't take a genius to understand that the wolf didn't want competition within his territory. It was equally obvious that the jaguar, through his snarls and sneers, didn't care that he was infringing. The air was charged with his adversary's ire, but he merely breathed it in, pleased by the unexpected sequence of events. Taking another encroaching step forward, Rey pressed into the wolf's personal space. His jaws snapped the air savagely, but deliberately missed the wolf by inches. By now he was merely goading the beast into attacking first whilst anticipating retaliation. Aurelio's career in the cage was as a human, naturally, and brawling in his present form was an extremely rare privilege for obvious reasons. The anticipation of finally getting to test out his feline sinews was nearly too much, but he mastered his eagerness nonetheless. Jumping the gun was a rookie mistake, especially when dealing with an unknown threat such as this. There were a lot of unanswered mysteries about this challenger, so it was best to err on the side of caution. With his concentration narrowing on the test at hand, his continuous grows lowered to a faint grumble while his muscles tensed for whatever was coming his way. His amber eyes made contact with the pair belonging to the wolf, and he stared into them point blank…directly challenging the creature to make his move.

cassie at atf.

[Iago Holt]

Iago had no idea whether the cat had understood his words or not; there was wide variation in telepathic receptivity even among Lycans, still more so between disparate species of magical creatures. Ultimately, it didn't really matter. The basic stances of territorial aggression and defense did not depend on syntax, and it was clear that the cat understood the essence of Iago's challenge. Understood it, and escalated it. Well and good, he thought. While he wasn't ordinarily the sort to fight just for the sake of fighting, he had to admit that a simple, uncomplicated territorial battle was entirely welcome right now, as a way of clearing his mind of the clutter that always came of contemplating Pack politics. As always, Iago found enemies far easier to deal with than allies.

He danced lightly away from the cat's snap, ignored an opening for a retaliatory bite that he suspected was a deliberate trap, positioned himself strategically. This was his territory, after all, and he spent the bulk of his days patrolling it. He knew it more intimately than most people knew their spouses. Not that there was an obviously defensible position in this particular region, but the spot he maneuvered himself into as they circled one another had certain subtle advantages: the soil was firmly packed, reducing the chance of an ill-timed slip, and the way the surrounding rocks, trees and undergrowth were arranged provided him with marginally superior mobility. Small advantages, to be sure, but often victory was a matter of accumulating small advantages and avoiding unnecessary risks: not dramatic, to be sure, but effective. His opponent, by contrast, seemed to favor the dramatic, growling and snarling and yowling like a dyspeptic housecat. It left Iago wondering where the creature had learned to fight; its strutting, sneering style seemed more at home in a public performance. The Pack's previous Captain had had a similar style in his public challenges, Iago remembered, and it had come as no real surprise to him when he overstepped himself.

Of course, that didn't mean this creature had necessarily overstepped himself. Indeed, to judge from the cautious way the cat refrained from making the first move, instead luring Iago to do so, the Captain thought it likely that the posturing was simply a psychological gambit, intended to lead his opponents to underestimate him. Not that Iago was likely to do that; too many years of experience and too many unexpected reversals had taught him the value of caution. Engaging fully without knowing his opponent's capabilities was simply foolhardy.

Indeed, a certain amount of turnabout seemed called for, so as he moved, ignoring the intruder's posturing, Iago favored his right hind paw. Not blatantly, but he avoided leaning his weight on it just enough to give the impression of an old wound not fully healed, and, accordingly, an impression of hidden weakness which could be exploited by a sufficiently bold attack. Whether the ploy worked or not, it would provide Iago with some gain; if the jaguar took the bait, he would have a shot at its unprotected flank, and if it didn't he would have confirmation that it was more tactically savvy than it let on.

[Aurelio Jiménez]

fire in the sky

Aurelio's disgruntled playmate was proving to be disobligingly patient. Although he goaded and taunted, the wolf merely disregarded the bait. As a result, the jaguar's own tolerance began to fray in agitation. He had no desire to stand here dancing all day, he wanted the nitty-gritty, he wanted to eat something, and then he wanted to move on. Aurelio's impatience caused him to stalk the creature as it backed away, strategically positioning itself. If he wasn't sure before, now Rey knew he wasn't dealing a run-of-the-mill wolf. It became apparent that, without knowing what the other was capable of; neither creature was prepared to attack first. Within his periphery, Rey noted how the wolf appeared to limp slightly as it moved to more stable ground. The cat's sparking eyes pinched in suspicion as he recognized the act for what it was. If his adversary wanted to win this scrimmage, lying most certainly wasn't the way to do it. Annoyed by the wolf's ruse and caution, his growls suddenly took a more threatening timbre. In spite of his distaste for such things, the deceitful attempt was rather illuminating, as it gave him the sense that what this beast lacked in size, it made up for in wiliness. The deception might've worked on someone else, but in Rey's case, lies were as revealing as forthright candor. Not wanting to cause any real damage that might end the fight before it truly began, Rey called the wolf's bluff by rearing unto his hind legs and feinting to his opponent's right, as though he were going to strike at the 'weaker' leg. At the last moment, however, his opposite paw flashed out and batted the wolf's left side. Aurelio hoped the were's guise would end up working against it, using the distorted placement of its weight (however minimal) to his advantage. With luck, it would be knocked off balance and stumble...rendered vulnerable. Following his own momentum, Rey fell back onto his forepaws and promptly lunged for his rival. His powerful jaws opened wide, revealing long yellowed teeth, and he aimed a crushing grip for the canine's throat in the hope of getting it into a submission hold. The cat's footfalls were light, however, just in case his previous attack was unsuccessful, and he needed to dodge any potential retaliation.

cassie at atf.

[Iago Holt]

Iago did not show his satisfaction when the intruder reared up and went after his supposedly injured leg, he merely reacted, leaping quickly out of the way of the attack and spinning to bring his jaws down on where he anticipated an unprotected flank... and where he found nothing at all. An unexpected blow struck him then, emphasizing what he ought to have already concluded: the attack against his rear paw had been a feint, and he had fallen for it.

He wasted no time in self-recrimination, though; battle did not allow for such luxuries. Instinct honed by decades of experience warned him of what follow-through to expect, so instead of attempting to regain his balance and thereby expose himself to a real attack, he did the reverse: deliberately pushed himself more strongly in the direction of his own fall, allowing the energy of the jaguar's blow and the momentum of his earlier leap to carry him away from the the creature's lunge, hitting the ground and rolling, steering his trajectory to put a tree tunk between them. Not a significant defense, but hopefully enough to slow his opponent down half a second. In a battle like this, fractions of seconds counted. Even as he dodged and rolled, he knew it would not be enough to avoid the full force of his enemy's attack... at least, not if the cat committed fully to the follow-through. But as he came back up on his paws, it became clear that his opponent had held back from such full committment, presumably out of concern for the possibility that Iago might somehow dodge and counterattack.

Well, that went poorly, the wolf thought. He'd come out of that with a large bruise on his flank and not very much to show for it; not a trade he'd have willingly made. It wasn't altogether without benefit, though; he'd learned something about his opponent, whose tactical skills were clearly superior. So, all right... sneakiness hadn't worked, but now the cat would be expecting sneakiness from him, expecting him to pause and look for an angle. So Iago chose to disrupt those expectations, take a direct approach for once. Without pausing, he continued his momentum by launching himself into a low flat leap away from the intruder, bouncing off the tree trunk, and charging directly at the creature with teeth bared.

[Aurelio Jiménez]

fire in the sky

Despite his soft footfalls, the force of Rey's charge caused him to drop more heavily than he anticipated, due to the absence of the wolf's body in his path. Without his intended cushion to soften his landing, the jaguar slid on the damp earth and momentarily lost his center of gravity. Grunting irritably, paws scrambled to find purchase on the inconveniently loose soil in preparation for any oncoming assault. It was no use, however, the cat was simply too clumsy in this unfamiliar environment, and his recovery/reaction time suffered as a result. Before regaining his balance, Aurelio took a direct hit from his opponent, who seemed to switch tactics for a more head-on approach. Teeth bit into his neck as he was tackled - causing him to roar in surprise -and both canine and feline were sent flying backwards. Unfortunately for Rey, he hadn't watched his back, and therefore hadn't taken note of the downward slope directly behind him. As a result, the blow's intensity set him tumbling gracelessly down the short hill, only to have his momentum stopped forcibly by a tree that grew at the base of the slope. Chuffing slightly, he sprang to his feet with inhuman quickness, in spite of the lack of air in his lungs due to his collision. He felt, rather than saw, however, the dawn creep over the canopy as he steeled himself for another attack. Time must've have sped up double its usual rate, because he hadn't realized that he'd been out all night. The cheap motel he was currently staying in was miles away, and he would have to relocate his clothes before re-entering civilization. Although he was having entirely too much fun, if he wanted to get back to his place today, he would have to leave now or risk being spotted. After a moment of stillness, the cat's bones began to ripple and undulate underneath its skin, and his thick fur spontaneously shredded to reveal smooth and dark skin underneath; freshly made. The change was seamless and invigorating, and the thrum of powerful magic imperceptibly permeated the surrounding air. Now a man, Aurelio began a luxurious stretch as he reacquainted himself with his human appearance. Before he could so much a wiggle his pinky toe, however, a heavy wolf's body slammed into him yet again and pinned him to the tree.

cassie at atf.

[Iago Holt]

The direct approach worked as well as the subtle evasion had failed, and Iago stifled a small growl of satisfaction as his jaws gained purchase on the intruder's neck and both of them rolled and tumbled down the hill behind them, which as Iago recalled included an obstacle approximately four body-lengths downslope. He controlled their tumble accordingly, such that when the inevitable collision occurred the jaguar was between him and the tree; he added his own mass and the strength of his hind legs to that impact, then sprang off to the side and landed in an easy crouch a few meters away. The impact would have been enough to shatter the spine of an ordinary jungle cat, but it quickly became clear that his adversary was no ordinary cat. Not that this was any kind of surprise; that much had been more than obvious for some time. So when the beast's flesh twitched and split, and the jaguar's pelt was replaced by the smooth brown skin of an attractive young man.

Curiosity nagged the Captain, but his purpose was not to satisfy his curiosity; rather, it was to protect the Pack's grounds from intrusion. And whatever his nature or appearance, this man was unquestionably an intruder. So he did not allow the change of form or the stench of magic to slow his attack, merely charged the biped again, slamming him against the same tree with all of his mass and strength. Razor-sharp teeth reached for the young man's throat, though he resolved not to let them close on his opponent or let his bright blood spill on the ground just yet, if he obtained the hold he was hoping for. With superior position, and his opponent having traded the beast's form for this awkward human seeming, Iago could afford to investigate a little. The smell of magic was all over the man, but not in the way of a mage; more like a creature whose magic was intrinsic, a natural part of its existence. More like Iago himself, though not the same... a shifter, he assumed, though the stink of magic was far stronger than what a shifter would normally emit.

Still, whatever his potentials, right now he was human and naked and Iago had him pinned against a tree; if he twitched a muscle in a way Iago didn't like, that would be the end of him. Meanwhile, the man was in possession of vocal cords, which should make explaining what in the seven hells he was doing in the Pack's territory quite a bit easier.

[Aurelio Jiménez]

fire in the sky

The wolf might have thought Aurelio would begin spilling his guts at this point, his words tumbling over one another as he begged for mercy or something equally pusillanimously cliche. His back scraped roughly against the trunk of the tree, and its bark and needles bit into his tender flesh unyieldingly. It would seem he really managed to piss off this guy, he pondered as the beast's jaws threatened to crush his windpipe. A slow smile gradually split across Rey's face in spite of his predicament, as he realized that the only downside of returning to Hart – missing the cage – was obviously a nonissue here. If it were possible, this place was clearly more exciting than Vegas. "I'm not in town five minutes before the freaks start oozing out of the cracks; trying to do me in and shit." He rasped, sounding more pleased than annoyed. He silently wished he'd met these guys when he was still in school, but maybe they weren't around then. The wolf, however, clearly wasn't as amused as he was. "You're fun though…I like you. Come out of there so you can tell me your name." Making no move to change, the brute chocked off Aurelio's laughter with his sharp teeth, so his body shook silently with mirth instead. Big bad wolfy's eyes flashed angrily, and they articulated the threats his canine tongue could not, but they were easily understood all the same. "So, that whole nighttime thing is a myth, eh?" he digressed, as the sun began to peek over the horizon. "Look bro, I know you're pissed or whatever, but I was just messing with you. We can pick this up later if you want, but right now I gotta get home, and I can't go around in my birthday suit now can I? So ease up already." The question was obviously rhetorical, but the wolf still made no motion to release him. "All this for a fucking scrawny-ass rabbit? It's not like I fucked your mother, just take the damn thing and get off me!" The game was steadily becoming less funny, and Aurelio's temper began to rise as a result. All at once, he was tired of feeling the wolf's breath against his neck, and looking at the big black dummy. A string of Spanish curses emanated from his mouth as he raised clenched fists and pushed against the beast's body. In his anger, his skin began to heat up like a red-hot stove coil, hotter and hotter until touching him was impossible. The stench of burnt wood and leaves filled Rey's sensitive nostrils while his back seared the tree trunk, threatening to ignite the entire plant if his temperature continued to rise. "I said," He continued, without the slightest trace of jollity. "…I have somewhere to be!" On the last syllable, his eyes flashed with a warm and flickering light before the wolf's entire form was engulfed in sapphire flames. You just can't be nice to some people, he thought mercilessly as the Were writhed and jolted on the forest floor.

cassie at atf.

[Iago Holt]

The truth was, Iago didn't particularly expect the intruder to be frightened. He'd learned over the years not to expect things like that, it just obscured his planning. What he did expect was that it would either start talking, or shortly therafter lose the ability to. Which he did, albeit more playfully than Iago would have preferred. Or, well, than he typically preferred, anyway; the truth was that the cat-man's insouciance rather amused him. Had Aurelio been a member of the Pack, Iago would have felt obligated to adopt a more serious attitude; that was his obligation as Captain, after all. But as he was an outsider, Iago had no obligations with respect to him.

That was refreshing, actually. Iago didn't interact with people outside the Pack very often, after all, and the few cases when he did tended to be with their enemies. He wasn't exactly sure who or what this jaguar creature was, or where he came from, but it was pretty clear from the way he reacted to Iago gaining the upper hand that he wasn't a threat... not right now, anyway. Of course, that provided no guarantee about the future, but given that the Pack was in the middle of what Iago feared was a fight that could destabilize its entire power structure, the Captain was content to leave whatever threat Aurelio might represent in the future to a later day to address. There was little sense in picking more fights than he needed to. On the other hand, that didn't mean he had to let go right away, either. The jaguar was clearly a playful sort, and since becoming Captain Iago had not had very many opportunities to play. He wasn't frightened, which Iago liked, and he kept his head under stress, which the wolf liked still more. He had potential.

Not that Iago intended to show his amusement; the fact remained that Aurelio was an intruder, who had hunted on the Pack's territory without their permission. That was not something the Captain could take lightly, even if he wanted to... which, in truth, he didn't. This Pack did not live together as a Pack ought to, did not hunt together. Most of them spent their days as bipeds, much as their Alpha did. This common hunting ground was among their few unifying influences, and Iago was not about to allow any precedent to be established that would open it up to outside influence. The jaguar might not be afraid, but Iago would at least teach him to respect the Pack's territory.

At least, that was the plan. But suddenly the handsome young man demonstrated abilities that Iago hadn't expected or accounted for, and got past his guard. Azure flames flowed from the creature's flesh and wrapped themselves around his bestial form, seeming to burn their way into his soul. To his surprise, though, he did not burn in the traditional fashion. In fact, when the flames finally subsided, he realized he was entirely unharmed... though not unaffected. What the eldritch flames had burned away was apparently the form of the wolf, transforming him suddenly and painfully into his human form. Afterwards he sat up, somewhat surprised as it became clear the creature wasn't following up on his advantage.

"Your need for clothing is hardly my problem," he said after a moment, his voice creaky with disuse. "And it's not the rabbit, it's the principle. This is our land. You do not hunt here without our permission." He stood up, feeling uncomfortably shaky on two legs, though to any observer he would seem stable enough. "I am Iago, Captain of the Pack. And you?"

[Aurelio Jiménez]

fire in the sky

With the wolf finally out of his personal space, Rey's irritability subsided just as quickly as it had ebbed. His skin cooling, he stretched catlike and yawned. On his neck were several rows of pinprick teeth marks where Iago had gotten rough, and angry bruises were already forming on his back. Bruises and cramps were nothing, however, as he'd grown used to receiving them long ago. With supreme indifference, he strolled passed the impromptu bonfire and made his way back up the hillside in the vain attempt to beat the sun. When he heard the flames die down, however, Aurelio stopped to get a good look at the man behind of the wolf. Physically, this Iago person was unimposing, though he had a ferocious aura about him. He was of average height, but his build was clearly stronger than most his size. The coarse hair on his chest was as dark as his wolf's fur, and atop his head it was wild and in disarray. Rey stared at him openly, memorizing the man's scent as his brow furrowed. "Are all you wolfy type so...furry ?" He asked, turning once again to be on his way. "My family had a toy poodle at one point, and he was terrified of razors…so I guess all dogs fear being shaved or what?" He taunted, turning his back and smirking to himself. Aurelio wasn't usually quite this obnoxious to people he just met, but Iago – with all his 'pack rules' and gruff demeanor – seemed like he needed to lighten up. Giving no outward sign of doing so, Rey listened to the Were's imperial decrees and gleaned whatever information he could. There were more werewolves in the area, organized ones at that. The beast he met those few years prior was alone, so he assumed all behaved the same – but apparently not. If there were loads of wolves in Hart, being more cooperative with the 'Captain' (whatever that meant) might make his life easier in the end. Although, maybe everyone within the pack didn't walk around with a couple rods up their asses like this guy. All the same, he wasn't quite ready to give up his fun. "It will be your problem if you get in my face again." He boldly replied as he crested the hill. After quickly picking up his scent, he began to backtrack toward the northeast. "I am Zod, General of the Kryptonian Council, kneel before me." Again he smirked. "And you'll find that your dinky laws don't apply to me." He countered, sounding both officious and dismissive as he began to return the way he came. He walked as though he was the Emperor and he'd just received his new clothes, not caring if anyone saw...unless it got him arrested anyway. "Next, you'll be wanting me to bring the 'Pack' offerings and taxes n'shit, whatever dude...the sooner you relax, the sooner you can get back chasing your tail." "Now then, I'm starved. You know any good diners around here? I'm in the mood for bacon…lots and lots of bacon, or is that pack territory too?"

cassie at atf.

[Iago Holt]

One consequence of Iago's decidedly non-human lifestyle was that he was mostly ignorant of cultural references. He'd seen a couple of movies when he was younger, back when his adoptive mothers were trying to convince him to be more human, but he hadn't seen the point of them. So he didn't begin to understand most of the intruder's comments. What was a "Kryptonian Council", for example? He understood that the man was being ironic, of course, that was obvious from his tone and his posture. Specifics, on the other paw, were beyond him. On a third paw, though, he didn't really care; the important thing was that Zod was leaving. If he needed to provide himself with an ego-stroking smokescreen to cover his withdrawal, that was fine with Iago; the only respect he needed from outsiders was the respect they demonstrated by leaving the Pack undisturbed. As long as he continued to do that, the shifter could be as insulting as he wished.

This was something he spent a lot of time trying to drill into the younger Pack members, actually, who in Iago's experience were altogether too likely to confuse such gestures with actual challenges where something was genuinely at stake. Within the Pack itself, yes, the forms of respect were important; Iago would not have tolerated that sort of attitude from, say, Xander or Wilkes. But Zod was not of the Pack; his arrogant posturing didn't put their hierarchy at risk. And he was no longer challenging the boundaries of their hunting grounds. As long as he remained outside the Pack's territory, within the domain of the Kryptonian Council or whatever, the man was entirely correct: Pack Law did not apply to him. Iago was aware that human groups didn't always work this way, that demands for (as the other man had described it) "offerings and taxes" from relative outsiders were common. For example, he'd heard the Alpha grousing more than once about the need to pay taxes to Washington to keep his establishment running. Iago wasn't exactly sure where Washington was; listening to conversations Iago sometimes got the impression it was the largely forested area to the north that he knew reasonably well, and sometimes got the impression it was much further away to the east. Either way, though, it was not local, and yet humans seemed to find it natural that they should pay tribute to this distant authority.

So much the worse for humans, to Iago's way of thinking.

All of that said, it was rare for Iago to interact with much of anyone outside the Pack, and right now tensions within the Pack were uncomfortably high, and Iago was not entirely oblivious to the benefits of new company. Besides, he was curious as to what manner of creature this was, and what that magical fire had been. It wasn't an effect he'd encountered previously. So he remained within conversational distance as the young man withdrew. "I liked you better as a cat," he replied after the man's inane chatter had died down somewhat. "Why do you monkeys talk so much? There's a diner a few miles that way," he added, pointing towards his uncle's establishment. "They insist on clothes. If you tell the owner Iago sent you, he'll likely find something suitable for you." It wasn't uncommon for Pack members to find themselves impractically naked around Fergus' roadhouse, after all.