Feed The Rich While Poor Men Starve [Penny/Open]

[Jon Brooke]

The sounds of carpentry sounded oddly loud against the silence of the prisons. It was creepy and Jon's imagination was having a whale of a time freaking him out. He hated it down here. And he wasn't even in prison. He was "fixing" the prison. His Lord's manservant fetched him that morning and took Jon to Lord Mannering, who commissioned him with some work; sorting out the wood work in the castle prison. Apparently the previous person (the Scarlett name may have been dropped) who'd done it didn't do the best job they could.

Jon was sold at Scarlett, anything to prove that he was better than that no good suck up. There were probably many people who disagreed with him taking this job, he was making life harder for the good people - namely Robin Hood - but he was also keeping the real criminals in. "Think about it," He'd told his brother, "If that twig for a brain Scarlett boy can figure a way out, then so can anyone else." And the money was good. Very good. More than anyone else could afford to pay him. This was a job from the Gods.

And his Lord Mannering certainly thought he was God, if his grand home was anything to go by. Finest bit of woodwork Jon had seen though, nothing to do with the fact that he'd help make the place. But even so, some of his decoratives were made from good wood. It was a nice house. Jon had trouble taking in all the details, he'd never seen such splendour. Maybe if his Lord liked his work on the prisons he could get Jon more work. Maybe then he'd be able to make his own home up so nicely.

So there may be moral issues to consider. But those who have morals don't eat. Jon was fair fond of eating. It meant he could live to do the things he actually enjoyed in life, not just the functioning side of things. How could he enjoy flirting if he was a dead zombie and the girls thought he was just after their brains? He didn't want brains. He couldn't imagine they'd taste too nice.

Thinking of eating brains was reminding Jon how hungry he was. He'd been down here all morning without any food. And no drink! Come to think of it, his throat was insanely dry too. Was it too much for the castle workers to make sure he didn't die part way through the job? That wouldn't be entirely productive on their part, because they'd have to find a new carpenter with his level of skill. The closest thing was the Scarlett brat, and he wasn't as good and lost somewhere in Sherwood.

But he was still hungry and thirsty. Maybe he should go pester the kitchen staff. No. He didn't want to blow this chance. If he did a good job he may never have to worry about income again. The castle was always in need of little fix-it jobs, and who knew what the Sheriff would need in the future. Jon wasn't particularly a fan of the Sheriff, but if he gave him work, then Jon may find it in his heart to forgive the man.

(ooc: >.< Jon is going secretly evil XD)

[penelopeandrews]

The cheerful sound of a lightly whistled tune wafted from the kitchens and into the outlying corridors. In even happier spirits then she normally possessed, Penny was busy tidying up a table in preparation for making one of her favorite dishes, blackberry pie. The very thought of the warm berries melting in her mouth between layers of heavenly pastry made her mouth water but, of course, this pie wasn’t for her. Certainly her father’s infirmity had much to do with the turn of events. Normally she’d be at home, picking the berries and eating half of them on the journey back. Most of the fun was in rummaging through the bushes for the ripest and most deeply darkened of the black bobbles and hunting for them was certainly one of her favorite events. But now she was required to be present in the kitchens from well before the first light of dawn to well after its setting. It was one of the duties of being in the castle’s kitchens and though she would have preferred to spend her time with her mother and father she took a great pleasure in her work.

As Penny gathered her ingredients and began the pie she thought about the events that had brought her here. She’d always had a fondness for cooking and seemed to have a natural aptitude for it so when a family friend found her a position in the kitchens Penny jumped at the chance to do what she loved. Granted, there weren’t may other options open to a woman who had to make enough to support her parents and herself but Penny felt blessed by the opportunity, even if it meant working for someone she disliked as much as the current Sheriff. Strangely enough, it was never that she hated him completely as a person. She respected his intelligence and cunning but he was devious and he used his natural abilities to oppress the people of Nottingham. Each choice he made sent another family onto the streets, begging for the food they could not get themselves. It tore at her heart every time she thought of the people not so far outside the walls of the kitchen who were starving while she was surrounded by food.

Walking to the large fireplace, she placed the completed pie on a shelf over the fire where she knew it would take some time to cook fully. The thoughts of the last few moments had made the familiar guilt rise again and she hated the thought of sticking around the kitchens waiting for the sweet smell of the blackberries to begin filling the kitchen. It was made ever more painful knowing the already well-fed nobility would soon be eating the creation while others were more deserving and starving. Walking over to a neat wooden shelf across the room she gathered several small rolls and hid them within her pockets. Though Penny knew it wasn’t completely unnoticeable she’d yet to be stopped carrying food about. Besides, she’d be expected to carry several small rolls to some of the prisoners the Sheriff deemed worthy of having food given to. It could easily be explained away if she was stopped but the fear of being caught red handed barely crossed her mind. It was only morally right to take food to those who needed it and she knew her heart would break if she did nothing.

Placing a few additional rolls and a pitcher of water on a small tray, Penny left the kitchen and headed toward the ever-repugnant prison. She didn’t have to go far before she heard strange sounds echoing through the corridors. Penny winced as she continued on, knowing the Sheriff would expect someone to deliver food even if torture were taking place. As she rounded the corner, however, a pleasant sight met her eyes. Not torture today, thank God, but carpentry. She watched the young man work for a few moments before approaching. He appeared tired and from the state of the prison it wasn’t surprising. To say it was in disrepair would be an understatement and from the silence that occurred when he stopped working, he was working alone.

“You look tired,” Penny said, a compassionate smile showing the overflowing empathy in her heart. The youth undoubtedly would find little joy in not only working in the prison but also for the Sheriff. “Would you like some bread?” The small roll was in her hand before he had even accepted.

((ooc: Haha, is he still going secretly evil if I secretly know about it? ))

[Jon Brooke]

Inbetween his whacking, Jon heard other sounds. At first he thought it was just echoes - the prisons were oddly empty today, no pesky peasants at all. Except him. He wasn't pesky though, he was doing what the Sheriff wanted. It took him a while to figure out that the additional sound was footsteps. He was confused. Was Sir Guy or Lord Mannering coming to check on him? Jon doubted it. If anyone was going to check on him it would be the jailer. So it was a pleasant surprise to see one of the kitchen maids in the dank prison corridors.

He set down his hammer and got to his feet. Jon brushed his knees off quickly, he had a mixture of sawdust and whatever other nasties lived on the prison floors. Just thinking about it was making Jon's stomach uneasy, not a good thing when one could smell bread. He gave the maid a charming smile. "'Tis tiring work, making a prison. But someone's gotta do it." There was something about this woman which made her instantly likeable. Maybe it was the fact that she was being friendly. Or it could just be the bread. It was hard to tell. Though Jon was sure he'd like this woman, with or without the bread.

He took the offered roll. "Thanks." He took a greedy bite, boy was he hungry! And boy was this bread good! He had to mind his manners, otherwise he'd be taking another bite before he finished the first. "This is good!" He said in the oppotunity between mouthfuls and then quickly polished off the rest of the roll.

((ooc: urm.... you can know, but Penny can't? Then it can be a secret P: and sorry about amenosity >.<))

[penelopeandrews]

Penny watched as the young man ceased his work and lifted himself from the ground. The thought of sitting on the floor that was path to hundreds of rats and who knows what else turned her stomach. If being behind bars was not enough punishment for the prison’s inhabitants, the conditions in which they were kept was torture in itself. Her eyes instinctively turned to a large rattrap situated on the floor only a few feet away. It’s emptiness spoke to the cleverness of the rodent inhabitants of the castle and she knew it only too well. They were the same rodents who she chased from her kitchen every day and who ran to the safety of the prison, where Penny hardly dared to go if she had not been summoned to do so.

Despite the prison’s dank and dark atmosphere it was good to see a smiling face and it put her at ease in what was always an upsetting experience. If anyone needed to be kept in a prison Penny felt they should still be treated with dignity but dignity had far abandoned this place. “I am glad to see someone here. I have never seen anyone attend to it since the Scarletts. Oh but that was years ago,” she said, truly glad that someone was taking an interest in the conditions of the prison. In the back of her mind she suspected that the youth’s master had other intentions in mind. It was well known where the Scarlett loyalties lay and it certainly wasn’t with the master of the castle.

“Glad to be of service,” Penny replied cheerfully, pleased to know she’d fed at least one person who needed it. If times hadn’t been so difficult she might have laughed at how quickly he had finished the treat but she chose to take it as a complement instead. Shifting the tray to one arm, she brushed aside the few stray auburn hairs that had fallen onto her cheek. “Will it taken long,” the women asked, noticing an unhinged door not far away. Most everything was falling apart and yet she wondered if there were things unseen that needed repair, perhaps created purposely by its original crafter. “Oh…I’m Penny,” she said with a friendly smile. It would never have occurred to her that revealing her name might be unwise, particularly after sharing food that was not hers to give. But Penny was trusting and believed the best in people, even if others felt they didn’t deserve it.


((ooc: It’s okay, I’d never tell Penny. Just giving you a hard time. By the way, feel free to kick me if my posts are too long. We both know I'm too wordy.))

[Jon Brooke]

The rats were the least of Jon's worries whilst he worked on the prison. It was more the years sweat and blood that was turning his stomach. Rats were nothing, Jon quite liked rats - they were just big mice right? - but he was a bit weak stomached when it came to blood. He didn't mind his own, or when he couldn't see it, but other people's blood - just the sight of it made his knees go a bit wobbly. Now he couldn't see the blood on the stone floors, but he knew it was there - that was just as bad. Maybe working for the Sheriff would be a bad idea. Jon shook that idea mentally; so what if he had to deal with a little bit of blood it would be worth it for the money.

Jon fought the jeaousy forming from hearing the name Scarlett. "I can assure you, this is standard of work will be better than anything the Scarletts do." Why was every bit of woodwork done compare to the frigging Scarletts. They were old news! Has-beens! There's even a new carpenter in Locksley, though how good he was was anyone's guess. The Scarletts hadn't even been that good. It's only because they lived in Locksley under Robin's rule that they got noticed. Which was unfair really. Jon had lived under the old Sheriff, but did that do him any favours? No. Things were looking better now he lived under Lord Mannering. At least he was getting decent work.

Jon was wondered if it would be rude to ask for another roll, or a drink - this woman did have a tray with her. He decided to wait until she offered one, but he was finding it hard to keep his eyes off the pitcher. The woman before him was very cheery though, and he found her mood was rubbing off on him - it was better than being angry about the Scarletts. "The prison? Well, I want to spend as little amount of time possible here, it's all a bit creepy. But there'd a lot. Two days at most." Jon was a bit of a scatter brain when we worked. He made a lot of mess, but that was how he worked. He'd probably take less time doing these jobs if he wasn't constantly fighting the mess or tidying it up - but it was how his mind worked. He needed to do small jobs between tasks so he didn't become blind to the mistakes. "I'm Jon." He said, smiling back.

((ooc: words are good P:))

[penelopeandrews]

To say that Penny was surprised by the lad’s reaction to the name Scarlett would have been an understatement. The Scarlett name had been linked with quality work for as long as she could remember and only recently had it become tarnished by their affiliation with Robin Hood. If you wanted any quality work done Scarlett was the name you…well, until recently. Of course, now there were other carpenters filling the vacuum left behind and she was certainly no great judge of the quality of any work but her own. Penny certainly hadn’t meant any offense to the lad beside her and hoped that none had been taken.

“I look forward to seeing things when you’re done. Any improvements you make will be well appreciated, I’m sure,” she said, grateful that someone was actually going to do quality work this time. Certainly the Scarlett name hadn’t benefited from the shoddy craftsmanship displayed so apparently about them. If the lad lived up to his words, he was sure to make a name for himself. Quality work wasn’t overlooked in the castle and quality work here of all places was certain to serve him well in the future.

Penny noticed the youth’s eyes move to the rolls on her tray and then to the pitcher. “You don’t by chance have a cup, do you,” she asked, hopefully. “I’d offer you a drink but I’m afraid the Sheriff doesn’t allow us to bring them down. Those with cups in their cells get water to quench their thirst but those who don’t…” She didn’t dare go on. It was heartless to drive someone mad from thirst. On occasion she’d snuck water to some of the prisoners but it was obvious to the wardens someone was aiding them when they didn’t go made in days. They were given other forms of worse torture then and the entire kitchen staff paid for Penny’s offense. Though it broke her heart it was one of the things she never dared do again.

Her mood lightened substantially when he mentioned the prisons being creepy, she hated to rest her thoughts on the thirst driven mad any longer than she had to. “I can’t say I blame you,” she said with a light laugh. “I don’t think anyone much likes spending any time here. Suppose that’s the point.” Never the less she would wish anyone who had to spend any amount of time here luck. Being down there alone was enough to drive one a little crazy. “Well it is a pleasure to meet you, Jon. Do you think you’ll be scared out of your wits by the end of two days,” she asked, a joking smile on her face. “I’ve heard men get a little stir crazy down here…start hearing things.” Penny jumped suddenly, spilling some of the contents of the pitcher as she felt the tread of small feet upon her thin shoe. Looking down she saw what she feared, the biggest rat she’d seen in months! If it were possible, it was actually bigger than the ones she saw in the kitchen and it wasn’t as if there was much food here. Justice was swift. One moment she’d joked about hearing things and the next a rat attacked her. Penny squirmed uncomfortably as she watched the rat run on its merry way. If there was one thing she could say she hated it was rodents. Particularly rodents of unusual size.

((ooc: Too many words may induce stomach aches ))

[Jon Brooke]

People always thought it odd that he hated the Scarletts, but it made sense, didn't it? They were in competition, so it was mandatory for there to be a bit of rivalry. Ok, so the hatred was a little extreme, but over the years the amount of work they'd lost to the bloody Scarletts was insumamountable*. They were good, but not better than Jon. Jon wasn't saying that he was better (well, he was) but they had to be on the same level of quality at least. No, Jon was better. That Scarlett lad always did his work as quick as possible, now Jon does do that but he does take care with the detail too. But he was confusing himself with this line of thought now. He hadn't eaten enough to think his anti-Scarlett thoughts. And he didn't want to appear angry before this very nice young lady.

"Thank you, I won't let you down." He said with a wink. Penny was a very nice young woman indeed. Maybe Jon would get to see her around more when Lord Mannering found him more jobs aroud the castle. It would make working for the Sheriff all the more sweeter, having nice things to look at while he worked. It'd be a good day for Jon; good work, good pay topped off with visits from the lovely Penny. If his hard work didn't get noticed, Jon would have no problems with approaching Lord Mannering for more. If this was what working in the castle was like, Jon could get used to it very easily.

Jon felt a wee bit embarressed that Penny had noticed him eying up the pitcher, but that was what he'd wanted in the end. "Cup?" He asked himself, more than anyone. No he didn't have a cup. But he did have a spare block of wood which could become a cup. He held a finger up to Penny, signifying she should wait a minute. He listened to her concern for those prisoners who weren't allowed cups whilst he looked for the spare bit of wood, deciding Penny was a warm person - which was good. Warm people were better than the cold souls, because well, they're cold. He grabbed the wood, it was smooth so no chances of splinters in his gob, but he had to wonder where the jailer kept the proveledged prisoners mugs. A shudder made Jon decide he didn't want to know.

He came back with the block and the appropriate tools for turning it into a cup. "Can you hang around? I have to make one." He said, waving the tools and soon-to-be-cup. "And the company's appriciated. One could go mad down here." He added, looking over his shoulder warily. Her light laugh was a refreshing sound, it was all tortured cries and scraping wood down there which was all a bit hard on the ears. "Wouldn't be a very good prison, otherwise." He smiled back at Penny, flicking his eyes between her and his work. He would keep looking at her, but he wanted to keep his fingers. Even a carpenter as skilled as he could loose his fingers, just from a case of not looking where he was whittling.

"Oh I'll be barking mad by the end of it. I'll start predicting the future." He joked back. He was about to spook her with some of the "things he'd heard", when she got spooked by something else. He put his work down and went to steady Penny, taking the pitcher and tray from her to put on the table where he worked. He looked down to see what spooked her and saw the fattest rat he'd ever seen. "Blimey! That is one fat rat." He exclaimed. Jon's movement and call was enough to scare the rat off though. Shame really, Jon wanted to nab it, it was a pretty rat - all sleek and black - considering where they'd found it. He looked back up to Penny though, to see if she was all right. "Do you have a habit of playing chairs to rats? Or is this a first?"


*(ooc: Does that make sense or did I make that word up/use it in the wrong context?)

[penelopeandrews]

Penny smiled and held back a chuckle as Jon winked and promised that his work would not let her down. “As long as the castle doesn’t fall down around us, I won’t be let down,” Penny joked. “I’m easily pleased.” It was nice to see someone else so lighthearted and laid back in the castle. The castle itself held a kind of air that Penny couldn’t say she was particularly fond of. There was a sense of confinement and propriety that overwhelmed the space and the relationships within. She could never quite name what it was exactly but outside the castle, the air felt more clean and honest. But there were good people here. Jon seemed a fun spirit with a free smile and she certainly wouldn’t mind seeing more of him around in the castle.

Penny waited, curiosity rising as Jon raised a finger for her to wait and began rummaging through what looked to be spare pieces of wood. While simple cup making did not particularly seem difficult in itself it did seem time consuming and she couldn’t get the idea of splinters in the mouth out of her head. Come to think of it, the idea sounded much like a form of torture the Sheriff’s men were rather fond of. Penny felt a small shiver run down her spine but tried to ignore the feeling of unease. Still, she was curious to see Jon’s creation when he returned with a solid looking block a moment later.

Penny nodded when he asked if she could stay. “Hard to say no to someone brandishing tools,” she said with a laugh. While the food baking in the kitchen was not forgotten it still had plenty of time to go before being ready and she was in no rush when such entertainment as woodworking was to be had. To be honest, she could have used the company just as much as the carpenter. “I wouldn’t put it past the original designer to make it for such a purpose.” Being down here was enough to make anyone go mad. Sometimes she could have sworn she heard voices about her, though she would be walking through an empty corridor. Needless to say it scared the wits out of her. “So I suppose this is a good prison then,” she said with a laugh as he looked back over his shoulder to her.

Penny watched with interest as Jon worked away at the block with a skilled hand. The young man had obvious talent from the way his fingers moved deftly about his work. She respected his talent without fully understanding it. The woman felt a sense of embarssment at jumping at the sight of the large disease infested rodent but she found she couldn't help it. “I admit, they aren’t usually quite that large,” she said, eyeing the rat at it ran out of sight. “And I usually have a broom about. Thank you.” Penny smiled, grateful that Jon had been quick enough to save the food from ruin. “If you start predicting the future, be sure to warn when the rats are thinking of passing by. They’ve certainly got the feel for the dungeons by the looks of it but I can’t imagine what they find. There isn’t much food here.”

[Jon Brooke]

A smile crossed over Jon's face too - he liked making girls smile. He was such a terrible flirt, but it was fun. Where was the harm in a little bit of flirting? It was just a different kind of friendliness. "It'll take more than me tinkering down here to knock down this big lump of rock." He said it in a light manner, but it was very true. This castle would probably survive a lot of hacking and whacking before it even lost a few bricks. It took Jon by surprise that he could be this light-hearted with someone who worked in this castle. Maybe they weren't all mind-dead drones who turned all off personality as to cope with the immoral place they worked. He really would have to get more work in the castle from Lord Mannering is all the girls here was as nice and talkative as Penny. Plus, he could see Penny again.

Jon was very good at what he did, so there would be no splinters in his mouth when he would drink. Plus, he'd gone for the least splintery bit of wood he could find. So all he had to do was scoop out a bit of the middle. Jon decided he wasn't going to finish the cup right here right now, but at least make it deep enough to drink from. He could finish it at a later point when he wouldn't be holding Penny up. Though she didn't appear to mind. Jon chuckled too. "I'll bear that in mind next time I want something from my ma." He gave her a cheeky grin before holding one of the tools between his teeth. It was a terrible habit, one of these days he was going to cut open his face or something, but it was easier to keep the tools there than risk loosing it amongst the junk on his table. And it made it easier for him to use the needed tool, rather than juggle more tools than he was using.

Prisons were very good at driving people mad. Though, if he were to be completely honest, Jon was finding it wasn't so bad - especially now Penny was here. Yes, he'd been shaking when he first came down, but after a while you just sort of get used to it. He was still a little scared - big noises freaked him out - but it was mostly ok. Jon reasoned it was because he wasn't behind the bars awaiting torture or death. Which was a relief and a half. He stopped working for a second so he could hold the tool, enabling him to talk. "Well, what's a prison if it doesn't make you crazy. And if you're in this prison it's likely the last time you'll be spending your life alive. May as well go crazy for the hell of it." It's what he'd do. Start calling the apocalypse or something. "And it'll be a better structured one when I'm done." He smirked, feeling slightly smug about his handiwork being better than that bloody Scarlett's.

Rather than half eating his tools again, Jon put the tool in his pocket. He hadn't quite accounted for the fact that he'd be talking again. Which was stupid, seen as how he had company he was enjoying. He worked on his cup as Penny talked - with the exception when he rescued the food and sent the rat scuttling. He looked up occasionally, when he was certian he wouldn't take the tops of his fingers off, and saw embarresment on Penny's face. It was cute, but Jon hung his head over his work to hide the smile it had created. "He was rather large. Maybe it lives in the flour cupboard." He laughed. "Brooms, the wonder tool. And you're welcome, it was no trouble to save such a fair maiden." He put on an extravegant voice - playing the fool and well, flirting again. The stupid act sometimes worked on the village girls, somehow he doubted it would make Penny laugh though. "It's the least I can do." He said with a large smile on his. "Maybe the eat the bones of the those lucky souls who die down here before anyone else can get to them." Gross he knew, but he was a boy! It was part of his genetic make up to be gross.