Fiona Reynolds (![[info]](https://www.insanejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} moonflowerfi) wrote in ![[info]](https://www.insanejournal.com/img/community.gif){kind=small} 20somethings,@ 2022-04-11 22:23:00 |
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| Entry tags: | c: fiona reynolds, c: kieran doyle, d: 2028 04, ~ complete, Ω: rp |
RP: Volunteer Opportunity
Who: Fiona & Kieran
What: Looking into volunteering, Fiona meets Kieran.
When: 11 April 2028
Where: The Belby Assembly
Warnings: None
Completion Status: Complete
There had been a little too much thinking since Fiona had returned to England and not nearly enough decision making. She'd thought her time in France had refreshed her enough to launch back into life, and yet she felt just as locked in indecision now as she had before leaving the country. The only positive, she supposed, was that she didn't need to work as far as her finances went, knowing that her family, her parents especially, would continue to ensure she was provided for. She didn't want to be that spoiled little princess, though. She wanted her life to have more meaning than that.
A good place to start, she supposed, was volunteering. She didn't know much about the Belby Assembly, aside from the fact that it was a charity supporting werewolves, but someone had mentioned it as a possibility. The fact was that the sort of people they helped were likely far enough removed from the sort of trauma she'd experienced in her past, and so it could be a good fit. She wouldn't know unless she gave it a go, right
Having dressed casually and comfortably with a light, knit sweater slung over one arm, she hoped that she would still make a good impression as she walked into the building. It took a minute of walking around before she found someone who seemed as if they knew what was going on. "Hello, I was just wondering if you might be able to point me in the direction of whomever I might be able to talk to about volunteering?" She hoped she wasn't being a bother.
Kieran turned towards the low voice to see a blonde looking rather lost in their lobby. They really needed better signage. The lobby was rather bare, as some of the other volunteers had kept reminding him.
“That would be me.” He didn’t extend a hand realizing that even with his volunteers he had to be careful. Not everyone wanted to shake a Were’s hand. “Kieran Doyle.” He introduced letting his thick Irish accent take over the syllables.
When the man introduced himself, she smiled at the Irish accent, then held her hand out to him, the manners her parents had instilled in her not escaping her even with the possibility of meeting a Were. They'd not raised any of them to hold biases, and so even if she had known, she'd still have done so. "Fiona Reynolds," she introduced herself in turn.
"I'm quite interested in volunteering. I used to work with the DMSS, and I've also worked with Abris d'espoir," she explained, giving the name of the shelter the proper French pronunciation effortlessly. "And I'm in a place in my life where I'd like to do more to help," she explained, her stomach knotting with nerves as if he might judge her for wanting to volunteer.
Kieran listened to her prior work experience.
“That’s an impressive list.” He rounded his desk and offered her a seat on the other side. Opening a drawer he pulled out the preliminary paperwork all volunteers needed to complete. “I hope you don’t mind, but I have to ask.” He fingered at his lighter in his pocket.
“Why Belby? With your experience there’s several other NPOs that would be more than happy to have you. So why Weres?”
He didn’t usually ask the question. Most of the staff had personal connections whether they were afflicted or had family members that were.
Sitting in the offered seat, Fiona crossed one knee over the other and rested her hands on her thigh to keep from fidgeting. It was silly to be anxious, wasn't it? But she wanted to make a good impression, to have this opportunity to explore the different organizations that were really out there helping people.
"I don't have anyone close to me that's a Were," she admitted first. "It's truly just a desire to serve in a place where I can help people, and I've had experiences in my past that made staying with the DMSS or Abris d'espoir too difficult. So now, I'm trying to find which organization might be the best fit going forward." She didn't want to come out and say that working with abused women was too triggering for her, as that had a way of turning things painfully awkward.
“Sorry.” Somewhere along the line he forgot that ordinary wizards were capable of deeper altruism. “I think you’ll find it’s a good fit.” He cleared the filled out forms in front of her and set them in front of his computer on the far end of the desk. He cracked a smile. “I hope it is at least.”
He looked at the witch closely. He could see her potential and wondered if she would stick it out. She was sweet and earnest, if not a little idealistic. The type didn’t last long. Too many high ideas of how their help with the needy would make a difference.
The confidence was a bit charming, though Fiona wasn't sure at all that anywhere would be a good fit. She wanted so badly to put her social work experience to good use, to make a difference in people's lives, no matter how small that difference might seem to be. "I hope so, as well," she said lightly.
"What sorts of roles does Belby have for volunteers?" she asked, thinking it a rather important question in deciding if this was a good place with which to share her time and energy.
Something about her was intriguing. She didn’t seem to flinch. “Well, we’re open to anyone in the community regardless of whether they use our services or not. He shook the cardboard box he’d been fingering in his pocket. “Do you mind if we step out for a moment? Bit of a vice, unfortunately.” He snatched his coat from the back of his chair and opened the door from them.
“We have several roles depending on your experience. Some are more specialized, like our group talk leaders. Most of them are trained in trauma therapy. Then you have our volunteers like Maria, she’s off today, who help out with setting up for meetings and inhouse events. We work closely with St. Mungo’s and the Fawley Foundation. Mungo’s on a supply of wolfsbane for full moons and Fawley when they have questions on a child who may or may not have been bitten. We are looking for a new liaison that would handle both relationships.”
“Is there anything you did at DMSS or Abris d'espoir that you’d like to continue in any capacity?”
The question took her aback, and she frowned automatically. It didn't seem very professional to suggest they continue this impromptu interview outside whilst he took a smoke break. It was a nasty habit, in her opinion, but it would be rude to say so. She stood up, but she didn't follow him. "If you don't mind, I can wait for you here," she said as kindly as she could.
"My primary role with Abris d'espoir was as a Ministry liaison," she offered, thinking it strange that he would mention a specific volunteer. Did they not have privacy conditions in their contracts? She couldn't help wondering how strong their legal team was or how involved their administration were in the day-to-day operations. "But I'm not certain that would be appropriate on a volunteer basis." While she wanted to donate some of her time and expertise to a worthy cause, a liaison's tasks were far more involved and more appropriate as a paid position, in her opinion.
Kieran noted her disapproval. It was one of his last vices and the hardest to get rid of. “I’m sorry.” He flipped his lighter out of his pocket and walked outside. Lighting a cigarette he took a long drag. He didn’t want to keep her waiting too long, but he needed time to think. It wasn’t often he dealt with someone qualified. They tended for more respectable non-profits, like Fawley.
He ground his cigarette underneath his toe, and walked back in. Fiona was looking around the lobby at the people walking around. “Sorry again, my therapist wants me to quit. Just haven’t found the right time to do it.” Being a werewolf, was stressful enough, he thought.
Something had changed in the interim, Fiona was looking at him, perplexed. Had he crossed a line? He listened to her most recent duties and worried again. She was incredibly overqualified for a simple part-time volunteer position.
“It sounds like you’d be better suited for a similar role here.” He mused. There were openings and, since the Werewolf Support Services closed down, the DRMC had been inquiring about how they could better work together. He cleared his throat, “The Ministry, well DRMC, has been sending owls asking for a more open collaboration to serve the larger werewolf community. The issue being that we’re a bit understaffed.” He was honest.
“This isn’t a volunteer position though. You’d be given the freedom to make your own schedule, including meetings. If it’s something you’d be interested in, I’d like to know what you see as fair compensation. Pay that is.” He motioned to the stack of papers on the back third of his desk, “This is a bit of the backlog unfortunately. I’ve been trying my best, but it's more of a job that takes a human touch.” He hoped he hadn’t offended her, it was just the truth they tended to lose precious time every month that kept them from making any real progress.
It surprised her a bit that he actually went outside, but Fiona could be patient. She got up while she waited for him to return, taking a few steps away to look out over the lobby. When she heard his voice again, she turned and went back to sit in the chair. "Change can be quite difficult, even if you know the thing you're wanting to change is terrible for you," she pointed out, not unkindly.
Fiona listened with interest, surprised and yet not that he was, essentially, offering her the opportunity at a paid position when she'd come in seeking a volunteer role. And when he dropped that comment, so casually, about a human touch, she realized that he must be a werewolf. She couldn't help wondering when he'd been turned. He seemed well-adjusted, so probably not recently.
"Is that a role you would view as full time and hourly? Or salaried and flexible as long as the work gets done in a timely manner?" That seemed important when it came to naming what she would consider a fair wage, even if she intended to name one lower than market rate regardless.
“My thoughts were salaried and flexible. We’d have to see how you do in the role.” He rummaged through his desk for his address book. He’d have all the contacts she needed in it. He knew he’d put it somewhere. “We’d meet as often or as infrequent as you’d like, but you’d have the freedom to make your own schedule.”
Kieran had some thoughts about her compensation, but he needed her to understand what the position would entail. And Kieran needed someone who could bridge this gap so he could look into acquiring more help for the organization.
Her stomach flip-flopped at his answer, a mix of excitement and nerves at the thought of stumbling upon an actual job when that hadn't been her goal today. He was even talking as though she was a sure hire if she were willing to take the position, which was even more mind-blowing. She named the salary that was the low end of appropriate for the position, certainly less than she'd made at the Ministry.
"I'd like a few days to consider any job offer, and for anyone necessary within the organization to approve it, if need be, but it does sound as though it would be a good fit," she said genially.
“Understandable,” Kieran conceded. He pulled a card out from his desk. “If you have any questions please reach out. And if it doesn’t seem like a fit let me know. We could still use help in a volunteer capacity.”
He wondered what her first impression was of the Assembly and of him. He’d been told he was unprofessional due to his laid back attitude. It came with the job. Years of working with Weres meant he’d become less surprised and anxious when someone came in.
He stood up and rounded his desk. “It’s been a pleasure to meet you, Fiona.” He extended a hand to her.
Leaning forward, Fiona took the card he'd offered. "I will, of course, either way," she assured him, it not even occurring to her that she could leave them without an answer.
When he stood up, she did as well, reaching out to shake his offered hand. "And you as well," she said politely. While she hadn't thought him terribly professional, he did seem competent enough, and she would need to seriously consider the job offer and decide if it was what she wanted.
A good place to start, she supposed, was volunteering. She didn't know much about the Belby Assembly, aside from the fact that it was a charity supporting werewolves, but someone had mentioned it as a possibility. The fact was that the sort of people they helped were likely far enough removed from the sort of trauma she'd experienced in her past, and so it could be a good fit. She wouldn't know unless she gave it a go, right
Having dressed casually and comfortably with a light, knit sweater slung over one arm, she hoped that she would still make a good impression as she walked into the building. It took a minute of walking around before she found someone who seemed as if they knew what was going on. "Hello, I was just wondering if you might be able to point me in the direction of whomever I might be able to talk to about volunteering?" She hoped she wasn't being a bother.
Kieran turned towards the low voice to see a blonde looking rather lost in their lobby. They really needed better signage. The lobby was rather bare, as some of the other volunteers had kept reminding him.
“That would be me.” He didn’t extend a hand realizing that even with his volunteers he had to be careful. Not everyone wanted to shake a Were’s hand. “Kieran Doyle.” He introduced letting his thick Irish accent take over the syllables.
When the man introduced himself, she smiled at the Irish accent, then held her hand out to him, the manners her parents had instilled in her not escaping her even with the possibility of meeting a Were. They'd not raised any of them to hold biases, and so even if she had known, she'd still have done so. "Fiona Reynolds," she introduced herself in turn.
"I'm quite interested in volunteering. I used to work with the DMSS, and I've also worked with Abris d'espoir," she explained, giving the name of the shelter the proper French pronunciation effortlessly. "And I'm in a place in my life where I'd like to do more to help," she explained, her stomach knotting with nerves as if he might judge her for wanting to volunteer.
Kieran listened to her prior work experience.
“That’s an impressive list.” He rounded his desk and offered her a seat on the other side. Opening a drawer he pulled out the preliminary paperwork all volunteers needed to complete. “I hope you don’t mind, but I have to ask.” He fingered at his lighter in his pocket.
“Why Belby? With your experience there’s several other NPOs that would be more than happy to have you. So why Weres?”
He didn’t usually ask the question. Most of the staff had personal connections whether they were afflicted or had family members that were.
Sitting in the offered seat, Fiona crossed one knee over the other and rested her hands on her thigh to keep from fidgeting. It was silly to be anxious, wasn't it? But she wanted to make a good impression, to have this opportunity to explore the different organizations that were really out there helping people.
"I don't have anyone close to me that's a Were," she admitted first. "It's truly just a desire to serve in a place where I can help people, and I've had experiences in my past that made staying with the DMSS or Abris d'espoir too difficult. So now, I'm trying to find which organization might be the best fit going forward." She didn't want to come out and say that working with abused women was too triggering for her, as that had a way of turning things painfully awkward.
“Sorry.” Somewhere along the line he forgot that ordinary wizards were capable of deeper altruism. “I think you’ll find it’s a good fit.” He cleared the filled out forms in front of her and set them in front of his computer on the far end of the desk. He cracked a smile. “I hope it is at least.”
He looked at the witch closely. He could see her potential and wondered if she would stick it out. She was sweet and earnest, if not a little idealistic. The type didn’t last long. Too many high ideas of how their help with the needy would make a difference.
The confidence was a bit charming, though Fiona wasn't sure at all that anywhere would be a good fit. She wanted so badly to put her social work experience to good use, to make a difference in people's lives, no matter how small that difference might seem to be. "I hope so, as well," she said lightly.
"What sorts of roles does Belby have for volunteers?" she asked, thinking it a rather important question in deciding if this was a good place with which to share her time and energy.
Something about her was intriguing. She didn’t seem to flinch. “Well, we’re open to anyone in the community regardless of whether they use our services or not. He shook the cardboard box he’d been fingering in his pocket. “Do you mind if we step out for a moment? Bit of a vice, unfortunately.” He snatched his coat from the back of his chair and opened the door from them.
“We have several roles depending on your experience. Some are more specialized, like our group talk leaders. Most of them are trained in trauma therapy. Then you have our volunteers like Maria, she’s off today, who help out with setting up for meetings and inhouse events. We work closely with St. Mungo’s and the Fawley Foundation. Mungo’s on a supply of wolfsbane for full moons and Fawley when they have questions on a child who may or may not have been bitten. We are looking for a new liaison that would handle both relationships.”
“Is there anything you did at DMSS or Abris d'espoir that you’d like to continue in any capacity?”
The question took her aback, and she frowned automatically. It didn't seem very professional to suggest they continue this impromptu interview outside whilst he took a smoke break. It was a nasty habit, in her opinion, but it would be rude to say so. She stood up, but she didn't follow him. "If you don't mind, I can wait for you here," she said as kindly as she could.
"My primary role with Abris d'espoir was as a Ministry liaison," she offered, thinking it strange that he would mention a specific volunteer. Did they not have privacy conditions in their contracts? She couldn't help wondering how strong their legal team was or how involved their administration were in the day-to-day operations. "But I'm not certain that would be appropriate on a volunteer basis." While she wanted to donate some of her time and expertise to a worthy cause, a liaison's tasks were far more involved and more appropriate as a paid position, in her opinion.
Kieran noted her disapproval. It was one of his last vices and the hardest to get rid of. “I’m sorry.” He flipped his lighter out of his pocket and walked outside. Lighting a cigarette he took a long drag. He didn’t want to keep her waiting too long, but he needed time to think. It wasn’t often he dealt with someone qualified. They tended for more respectable non-profits, like Fawley.
He ground his cigarette underneath his toe, and walked back in. Fiona was looking around the lobby at the people walking around. “Sorry again, my therapist wants me to quit. Just haven’t found the right time to do it.” Being a werewolf, was stressful enough, he thought.
Something had changed in the interim, Fiona was looking at him, perplexed. Had he crossed a line? He listened to her most recent duties and worried again. She was incredibly overqualified for a simple part-time volunteer position.
“It sounds like you’d be better suited for a similar role here.” He mused. There were openings and, since the Werewolf Support Services closed down, the DRMC had been inquiring about how they could better work together. He cleared his throat, “The Ministry, well DRMC, has been sending owls asking for a more open collaboration to serve the larger werewolf community. The issue being that we’re a bit understaffed.” He was honest.
“This isn’t a volunteer position though. You’d be given the freedom to make your own schedule, including meetings. If it’s something you’d be interested in, I’d like to know what you see as fair compensation. Pay that is.” He motioned to the stack of papers on the back third of his desk, “This is a bit of the backlog unfortunately. I’ve been trying my best, but it's more of a job that takes a human touch.” He hoped he hadn’t offended her, it was just the truth they tended to lose precious time every month that kept them from making any real progress.
It surprised her a bit that he actually went outside, but Fiona could be patient. She got up while she waited for him to return, taking a few steps away to look out over the lobby. When she heard his voice again, she turned and went back to sit in the chair. "Change can be quite difficult, even if you know the thing you're wanting to change is terrible for you," she pointed out, not unkindly.
Fiona listened with interest, surprised and yet not that he was, essentially, offering her the opportunity at a paid position when she'd come in seeking a volunteer role. And when he dropped that comment, so casually, about a human touch, she realized that he must be a werewolf. She couldn't help wondering when he'd been turned. He seemed well-adjusted, so probably not recently.
"Is that a role you would view as full time and hourly? Or salaried and flexible as long as the work gets done in a timely manner?" That seemed important when it came to naming what she would consider a fair wage, even if she intended to name one lower than market rate regardless.
“My thoughts were salaried and flexible. We’d have to see how you do in the role.” He rummaged through his desk for his address book. He’d have all the contacts she needed in it. He knew he’d put it somewhere. “We’d meet as often or as infrequent as you’d like, but you’d have the freedom to make your own schedule.”
Kieran had some thoughts about her compensation, but he needed her to understand what the position would entail. And Kieran needed someone who could bridge this gap so he could look into acquiring more help for the organization.
Her stomach flip-flopped at his answer, a mix of excitement and nerves at the thought of stumbling upon an actual job when that hadn't been her goal today. He was even talking as though she was a sure hire if she were willing to take the position, which was even more mind-blowing. She named the salary that was the low end of appropriate for the position, certainly less than she'd made at the Ministry.
"I'd like a few days to consider any job offer, and for anyone necessary within the organization to approve it, if need be, but it does sound as though it would be a good fit," she said genially.
“Understandable,” Kieran conceded. He pulled a card out from his desk. “If you have any questions please reach out. And if it doesn’t seem like a fit let me know. We could still use help in a volunteer capacity.”
He wondered what her first impression was of the Assembly and of him. He’d been told he was unprofessional due to his laid back attitude. It came with the job. Years of working with Weres meant he’d become less surprised and anxious when someone came in.
He stood up and rounded his desk. “It’s been a pleasure to meet you, Fiona.” He extended a hand to her.
Leaning forward, Fiona took the card he'd offered. "I will, of course, either way," she assured him, it not even occurring to her that she could leave them without an answer.
When he stood up, she did as well, reaching out to shake his offered hand. "And you as well," she said politely. While she hadn't thought him terribly professional, he did seem competent enough, and she would need to seriously consider the job offer and decide if it was what she wanted.