#isla001

To say that Gemma hadn’t been thrilled to learn of Mellora’s departure would be an understatement. She understood and respected the leader of the North Atlantic’s reasons, of course, but there was no denying that it put her in a bad spot here in Port Vale. All that effort building up positive relationships with a mermaid leader were now moot, at least as far as her day to day existence in this town was concerned. She was still convinced that finding a way to work together with the mermaids was essential - there was no sense in fighting when they had a greater enemy to consider, after all. But she couldn’t work with them if she didn’t have at least decent rapport with them. In Mellora’s absence, that meant she was now tasked with making up for lost time with the other mermaids in town. 

She couldn’t afford to be picky about who the ideal candidate was anymore - so when she caught sight of Isla, she figured now was as good a time as any to test the waters. She glanced around - there wasn’t really anyone in the area either, which was all the better. She made her way over. “Hey - Isla, right?” As if she wasn’t absolutely certain who this was, after seeing her wander around town. It was easier to explain away her failure to reach out earlier if she ‘wasn’t positive’ if she had the right person. “I’m Gemma,” she introduced. She wasn’t sure if her name alone would be enough, so she clarified further. “Gabi mentioned she’d seen you in town - I’ve been meaning to reach out. How are you? Settling in alright?”

Sirius has been pretty desperate to fill up his social calendar since he returned to pureblood society. Spending each and every day with his grandfather isn’t exactly the most pleasant experience, and he’s desperate for breaks by the end of every day. He needs to get his own place, but that will take time. He’ll need a job first, and without mending a few bridges he imagines that’ll be rather hard to land. So, to fill his days, he owls just about everyone he can think to owl, including Isla Rosier. It’s been awhile since they’ve spoken, but Sirius always found her to be far more tolerable than some of her counterparts. 

They agree to dinner at the Augurey. It’s casual enough that their families shouldn’t read too much into it. He arrives early to get them a good table, and leans back into his chair, just enjoying the music. Sirius spots Isla and gives her a small wave and a warm smile. When she’s close enough, he greets her. 

“You look lovely tonight. I hope you don’t mind the seating -- I couldn’t get a perfect spot so I settled for second best.”