Owner	Pose
John Stewart	It was clear the Savage Lands were a hotbed right now, with the Brood being active for the first time in years. Thought extinct for a while (clearly they are not, now) their reappearance on EARTH of all places is extremely concerning... and who better to check in about the latest goings on with that than the Queen of the Savage Lands? Surely she has some information on the situation. As John lands nearby the 'entry' to this place, his ring is brought up in front of himself, and the ring flits a Green field around himself as he Wills his clothing back into a civilian configuration. A grey shirt with a set of jungle khakis and combat boots keeps his outfit simply, his black skin ripples with the muscles of a man toned and keeping in shape as he looks around and knocks on some wood, announcing himself. Sure, he could just walk in... but that might be viewed as disrespectful, and there's no need to ruffle feathers here.
Shanna Plunder	THe Homestead is a welcoming place. For some. It's ragingly hostile for others. So it's best not to take ones safety for granted here. For those welcomed, the Homestead offers a welcoming and peaceful retreat. The Queen; a statuesque blonde of perfected measurements, stands at the center. One hand rests lightly on the the shoulders of a rather large Bangel tiger. The other is stirring a pot that is cooking over an open fire. The wind blows just enough to keep the Homestead cool, and to make the pale tendrils of her hair dance in it.
John Stewart	The smoke is quick to be seen and smelt, and he makes no secret of his approach as combat boots walk through the debris of the Savage Land at his feet. His still glowing green eyes flit around, observant for potential dangers (marking him clearly as being an active Green Lantern) but otherwise, the black man does nothing but slow walk over to where Shanna is... and stops a respectful distance away, those green glowing eyes taking in her form briefly before going to her eyes. "Good evening." John offers as he gives a smile, "I'm John Stewart, one of the Green Lanterns for this sector. Are you Shanna Plunder, by chance?" His hands are out of pocket, and that Power Ring is clear as day as he greets the woman.
Shanna Plunder	Before the woman can respond, a dark skinned youth steps between her and the Green Lantern. Things have been odd in the Savage Lands of late and some aren't taking it well. There is little more than a tilt of her chin and the youth head dips before scurrying along. "Approach and be warmed by the fire, John Steward," she tells him. Her words are lilted, but there is a base of New York to them as well. "Dinner is nearly ready. Surely you will not pass up an invitation to dine with me?" She holds her head in such a way as to be looking at him from an angle that is both challenging and flirty.
John Stewart	The youth gets little more than a wary glance before his eyes flit back to Shanna, "I didn't want to impose as a guest." John replies, moving towards the cooking pot and moving to sit cross legged. Clearly used to survival scenarios, he appears to be naturally at home with this scenario as much as Shanna is, "I'd never pass up a chance to dine with a beautiful woman." He shoots back in his own flirty tone, before he looks to her eyes, "What are we having?" John asks, the casualness evident in his tone.
Shanna Plunder	Shanna continues to stir the pot in slow motions. "Stew," she answers with a mysterious tone. Stew could mean .. anything, really. "There is a protein. Vegetables. Potatoes." She doesn't mention what the protein is, but hey, this is the Savage Lands. What could it possibly be? Leaning over the pot, she closes her eyes and inhales. "Yes, I think it's finished." Collecting a set of bowls, she portions out servings for them both. A hunk of bread is added to both bowls before she joins him. The tiger lays down, providing a backstop for the Queen to lean against. The bowl is set down near him and then she settles in with her own.
John Stewart	Sure, the ring will monitor him for poisons, but there's a trust given as he doesn't scan the stew out of caution, and instead he takes the bowl and looks to the tiger briefly, before looking to Shanna, the green from an active power ring leaving his eyes to the brown of his normal eyes as he starts to eat, chew, and shallow. "You know this jungle well, then?" His eyes look back to her own... before he briefly drinks her in with his eyes as she sits near him. He makes no effort to hide that clear ogling before he looks back to her eyes.
Shanna Plunder	"Like a mother," Shanna answers softly as she stirs her stew, letting it cool a little. She can feel his gaze on her, but she doesn't look up at him. Yet. "It is home and has been for some time. Your cities of concrete and metal feel foreign to me now. I would much rather be surrounded by all of this. Why else would we fight so hard for its protection?" When she looks up, she catches that gaze and she only smiles softly. "There is a wildness to everything that draws in the air here that makes it both welcoming and challenging."
John Stewart	"I'm can feel at home everywhere I go, not just cities. There's a beauty in constructed cities, as well as these untamed jungles." John points out as he continues to eat, "I originally came here on patrol after hearing about a Brood attack, but it /has/ been a while since I've actually relaxed outside of my condo." He raises a brow to her, "you find the uncertainty thrilling?"
Shanna Plunder	"What uncertainty do you speak of?" Shanna asks with a raising of one brow as she looks at him. The spoon stops stirring so it can fill with a bite of the meaty stew. Bring it to her mouth, she enjoys the bite. And then another. After, she steps the bowl in her lap and relaxes her back against the hulking warmth of the tiger behind her. Breaking up a bit of bread, she dips it in the stew and pops it into her mouth.
John Stewart	"Of this place. It is, as most people would say, untamed. There's no order to it, except that which the apex predators would impose on their own from the food chain." John explains, "there are many reasons people could like that, but you carry yourself with that air of challenge, as if you thrill in that uncertainty of safety." For himself, he's a slow eater, seeming to savor the taste in no rush.
Shanna Plunder	Shanna's laugh is almost musical when it comes. "Untamed by whose standard?" she asks. "There is much about the Savage Lands that is for certain. You are not from here, nor do you call it home, so I would not expect you to see all the ... certainty that blooms here."
John Stewart	"I am not." John concedes without heat, "and I don't have your perspective. From mine from traveling the universe as I have, this place is very wild, ungroomed. That isn't a bad thing, it just is." John looks to her with amusement and a slight twinkle in his eyes, "always nice when you like your home, though, as you do." Another bite is eaten at the end.
Shanna Plunder	"From your eyes I can see it as you do. Once I saw it that way as well. But now, now that I've let it grow into me, I see it with a clarity that is breathtaking. From the growth of its trees, the savage nature of its beasts. Even the water that courses its way down the river has its own savagery. It cuts through the land to make a path for itself. It cares not what might be in its way. No trees or hills or beasts or man will change its course once set. Man could try, mind you, to damn up the river, but with time, the river will take itself back and continue on its chosen path. Do your cities not work in the same way?" Shanna asks with a bit of a teasing smile for she already knows the answer.
John Stewart	"It's a matter of perspective. Survival of the fittest can have it's benefits." John glances down over her briefly, before he looks back to her eyes, "you, for example. I have no desire to change this place as it is. I originally came here to see what could be done about the invading Brood, and now I find myself just as interested in your company." Another bite.
Shanna Plunder	The snarl that rises into the air is not, regardless of the sound of it, from the tiger at the Queen's back, but from the Queen herself. Turning her head away from John, she spits on the ground. Several others that linger around, having their own dinner, follow suit. It's not very lady like, but it's very much in keeping with the tribesmen that call these lands home.
John Stewart	He freezes in place at the display. Not out of fear, but out of a curiosity of tribal customs as he glances over those around them, before he looks to Shanna, "I'm not sure what just happened. Would you mind explaining?" John asks.
Shanna Plunder	Shanna looks up and again, that brow perks up. "Sometimes one cannot voice their ... anger or their distaste at something so evil. So instead, you spit. This is a universal thing so I am surprised you do not know it?" The grin she flashes is pure feral beast. And then she calmly returns to eating her stew and bread.
John Stewart	"I've seen some /very/ surprising customs over the years. I didn't want to assume either way." John clarifies, "yeah, I fought the Brood before when they originally came to this planet. I had thought they were gone from the universe, but I suppose a creature as insanely adaptive as they are would survive a potential genocide." John smiles, a slight amusement to it as he eats some more, "you sound like you are familiar with them. Are you open to discussing their movements here with me?"
Shanna Plunder	Shanna waves a hand as she eats, indicating he should go on. Dipping the head of her bread into her stew, she soaks it through and then cups her hand, along with several chunks of meat, and offers it behind her to the very large cat at her back. With incredible delicacy, the large cat opens its maw and uses only that sandpapery tongue to lap up the offering. It makes the woman smile and then she simply returns to eating.
John Stewart	"There was a large battle with a swarm and one of their large warforms here recently. I've been patrolling around for them since." John offers.
Shanna Plunder	Shanna nods around a mouthful of stew. Once she's chewed and swallowed it down, she says, "We have all been on high alert and running double our normal patrols for much the same reason."