The Sea Finds Itself

Connection

"We can't just steal a boat?" Uma asked, holding up a log as I tied one end of it to the balancer.

"We're not on the Isle, Uma." I said with a small chuckle. "Like I said, it's tradition for us to build our own boat and sail it out to find our people." I finished tying the log. "Alright, done, you can let go." Uma let go of the log and stepped back. "Almost done."

"Almost?" Uma turned to me.

"Well, we need a sail." I chuckled. "The next step is to make the sail." Uma and I headed to the pandanus grove.

"How do you even make a sail without anything to...you know...make them?" Uma asked. I smiled.

"The traditional way, you should know that by now." Uma and I picked the pandanus leaves, chatting softly. Uma started to strip the leaves down and I started to weave them, sitting across from each other.

"Mum always made me work at the shop." Uma admitted. "Honestly, I'm surprised I managed to get away to make up the crew."

"I'm glad you did, though." I said, looking up from my weaving, setting it on my lap.

"Seriously?" Uma raised an eyebrow at me.

"Yeah, I mean, if you didn't form the crew, you wouldn't have kidnapped me."

"You were honestly just an extra prize." Uma admitted.

"Prize?" I snorted. "Kinda glad then, or we wouldn't be here. You've made my life really interesting."

"By...kidnapping you?" Uma confirmed.

"Yeah. I mean..." I looked back to my weaving and continued to weave. "Look, to be honest, my life was really boring before Mal and the others showed up in Auradon..." I looked to my left shoulder. "They helped me get my first tattoo, opened my eyes to the world that could be...but clearly they don't care how much it matters to me." I laughed lowly. "And then they went off an abandoned me and I got another tattoo...just like Dad..."

"Well, that's their loss." Uma said with a small shrug. "You're pretty awesome. You're open to change, and you don't judge."

"You...really think I'm awesome?" I asked softly.

"Yeah, I wouldn't hang out with just anyone."

"I'm the only person you hang out with here." I said flatly.

"You're the only one I like." I flushed, looking down at my work. I cleared my throat.

"Did you, uh, did you wanna learn how to weave?"

"Yeah." Uma stopped stripping the pandanus leaves and came to sit next to me. I started to show her how to weave the stripped leaves. Conversation flowed easily...it was nice...I hoped that mine and Uma's relationship would grow on our trip.