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Having gotten off his shift at eight ball early, Daire makes his way over to the Community Center where he still volunteers regularly, helping out wherever he's needed and whenever he's needed — whether that's helping to take in donations and set them away, or move things around, or set up the rooms for classes, or discussions, meetings, what have you. He comes in and makes his way first toward the clinic, to see if Josh is there and to leave his guitar and backpack by his desk before looking around for what he's needed to do.
Josh is there, but Dai is quickly pointed back into the kitchen, where we find a non-gold Josh in khaki pants and a pale yellow button up shirt that's only half buttoned in the front, and on the sleeves, rolled up as high as they go. This is primarily because he's elbow deep in dishes, though there's not a lot left. Dinner service being over, the rest of the kitchen has been cleaned up already and is a little shiny, something new here or there obvious. Or well, maybe not NEW new, but well-maintained in use. Upon hearing steps behind him, there's a flicker of soft golden light that drifts over to touch Dai, and then settle back into Josh. "Dai." he says warmly in greeting.
Daire makes his way over toward Josh where he's doing the dishes. He takes a moment to wrap his arms around the man's waist and press a kiss to the back of his neck in greeting. "Hey," he says, and then lets his arms slip free to take up one of the dry cloths. He grabs the dishes that Josh washes and then dries them off before putting them away where they go, falling into that familiar pattern without missing a beat. "How were things today?"
"It's been a slow day, which is good; it means I've had time to do some planning. I went to the store to get a bunch of little tupperware cups, so we can start sending a little more complicated side dishes— I mean, hey, there's nothing WRONG with an apple, I love apples, but an apple corn celery salad? Kids won't notice the celerty if its small and its a good source of fiber." That was, of course, after Josh leans back into Daire's arms, but then there is helping. This isn't in any way Josh— or Daire's— job, but Josh picks up and does anything randomly. "I'm thinking of hiring a part time assistant cook for mornings so kids can have of two meal options, though that'll take some logistics." This Feed the Children thing? Josh is passionate about it.
Daire doesn't really have any particular "job" at the center. He never had, even before he knew that Josh was there. He'd always just shown up and done whatever needed doing whenever it needed doing — usually late at night when no one would noticed the hoodie-wearing horned man wandering around. These days, he's a lot more visible, no more hoodie hiding, but he still shows upand just does whatever needs doing. He grins and says, "I don't think I've ever heard of apple corn celery salad, but I will take your word for it." He gives Josh a sidelong grin and seems content to set the dishes up. "I'm sure that if anyone can figure it out, it's you, and Ethel."
"Finely chopped, its delicious; I hadn't heard of it either, Ethel showed me. Its got some seasonings too— cinnamon, a very thin sauce, a tiny amount of heat since kids are sensitive." Josh laughs softly, shaking his head, "Oh, I'm just shopping and organizing, Ethel's doing the real work. How was work? Any difficulty?" He pauses, and adds, "If we get the funding for it, would you want to work the Center more professionally? I've been thinking about it myself. Not for pay for me, I'm fine with the donation situation for who can afford it. But you know no one is *actually* in charge and making long term plans around here."
Daire grins as he finishes off drying a few more dishes and putting them away, "Sounds interesting. I'd try it." He then says, "Work was alright. Quiet night. No trouble. Just the way that I like it. I got some time to play tonight, which was nice." He finishes drying off the last of the dishes then hops up to sit on the counter. "What would I do here professionally?" Daire asks, head tipped a little to the side. "I mean, I'm not really a business and planning sort of guy. I mean, I could work here doing whatever needs doing around the place.. but I'm not much of a long-term-planning sort."
Finishing the dishes as well, Josh grabs a towel and wipes his arms, and then heads over to hop up and sit by Daire on the counter, slipping an arm around his waist, "Not everything the place needs is management. Though Head of Security — I know most community centers don't need one, but let's not pretend ours doen't— makes sense. SElf-defense training." He smiles then, "Music training. We can start buying up some guitars, they don't have to be expensive ones. You know, kids that learn music do better at math then those that don't? Xavier's is Xavier's and I have nothing against it— a sanctuary is a great thing, but what about everyone else?— but I was thinking of hitting him up for a grant as well, to expand Center services.
Daire leans in against Josh's side when he joins him on the counter, taking a look around the kitchen at everything, the newer things, the older things, what has been cleaned up and put away, and the items that could still stand to be replaced. He grins a little bit. The place has changed a little since he'd come there, but not in the ways that were important. "I could do those sorts of things, sure.. keep an eye on the place, and teach lessons. I don't think I want to be in charge of anything in particular, but I'd be happy to teach music, and to see to the security of the place. I just keep the job at eight ball to make the rent." He grins.
"I just don't want you to fill up your time too much, overcommit; if we.. take this to the next level, I'd be okay with you being a paid employee. You wouldn't be pair a lot but it'd cover things." Josh smiles though, "But if you want something else, that's fine too, I'm not against you bouncing the Eight Ball. Those are our people too. It's possible to do both. I just want to make sure there's still time for you to be you, you know?"
"Pretty sure that I'm always me all the time, regardless of what I do," Daire says with a little loft of both eyebrows and a grin. He gives Josh a nudge and says, "I'm cool with working here. And I don't need much. I mean, our rent isn't particularly high. I just need to be able to help keep you and I afloat." He leans over and presses a kiss against Josh's jaw. "So if I can do that here, I'm happy to do that here. I'm also happy to volunteer my time here, too. Or to work here and just go to the eight ball for fun and to play."
Josh reaches over to pinch Daire's side, sighing with a laugh after, "Hey, I can usually make my share of rent." Usually, but not always. "If anyone's getting paid here, I'll be the last, that's set in stone. That said, I'm not asking what you're content to do, Dai. What you're happy to do. I'm asking what you *want* to do. There's no obligation. You can step into a more pronounced position— management isn't all planning, do you know how much time it takes to keep track of inventory in this place and turning that into lists of what stuff we need tomorrow, the next day? Not saying you need to do that, its just one of several things that are there, that no one _consistently_ does."
Daire laughs as he is pinched and endures it with a grin, "Yes, you can. What I meant was, is that I need to be able to make /mine/. That wasn't a commentary on you making yours." He bumps his shoulder against Josh's lightly, seeming content. "I /want/ to be useful, helpful, do things that make lives easier for other folks. That's what I want. I mean, out of work, anyway. I'm not too particular what it is as long as it falls within something I can do. If we need inventory taken, then I already unload the trucks — that's something I could easily keep track of since I'm already working with the inventory all the time."
"Stocks Manager— bad name? I can come up with something better, maybe.." suggests Josh, bumping back with a quick smile, "Keep track of what's in; what comes in— if it matches what it should be— and what goes out. You don't need to know we need twenty pounds of beef for thursday, someone will tell you that. What you'd do is look at a list, and if somehow there's not twenty pounds of beef by say, tuesday or wednesday, you tell someone— me for now— and we figure out a way to fix it together. You go around, see if things go missing. What. Overtime we see we tend to loose one or two tupperware cups from the kids a week, so you report that, maybe we make a point to buy three more every week. Someone wants a hundred sheets of paper and pencils for a dozen kids but we only have ten and five? For some community project? You can solve it. Supplying the place would be your responsibility— not solely, of course, Ethel will say *most* of that— but there's very little more important around here then maintaining supplies, even if it sounds boring, especially as we expand services. If you were interested, I think you could do it. MOre importantly, there's very few people I'd trust to have free access to the cash lockbox, which is important. I can't always be there when someone is taking money out." He sometimes deals with injuries so severe he's comatose for hours at a time.
Daire nods and says, "That's something I could do. I do a lot of work with the inventory already, so I don't think I'd have any trouble doing that sort of thing for the center." He considers for a moment or two longer and then nods again, "Stock Manager, maybe.. sounds good enough to me, and that's what it is after all." He hops down off of the counter then and says, "But for now.. I think we've done all we need to do here for one day. What say we head home and take stock of what's in our own fridge? I am thinking an ice cold beer and no more work for one day."
"If you end up not liking it, that's cool. Its not an obligation. Like you said, make something yours. That could be yours." Slipping off the counter, while in the Center, Josh snags Daire's hand, "Home. Beer is good, but I'm starving. There will be a wonderful medly of craft mac'n'cheese, mixed in with salsa, on crusty bread, with cheese and bread crumbs over it. You remember the recipe." It sa horrible college diet thing, as nothing has quality, but it can't be denied to have flavor. "I demand like two thirds." Since if he say he's starving that means he's making two boxes of the macaroni, that's.. a lot. He flashes a smile at Dai, then tugs along.