The Sea Finds Itself

Motunui

Watching Uma's reaction to stepping onto Motonui for the first time would be an image burned into my brain for eternity. Her jaw was hanging off her face as she watched the people work in harmony, weaving rugs, blankets, baskets and nets, food being prepared, coconuts being husked left and right, people getting traditional tattoos, and kids running around without a care in the world. "This is your home?" Uma asked.

"Yeah." I replied, grabbing my skirt. "Come on, let's get out of these." Uma collected her own skirts to follow after me. The people of Motonui greeted me with nods of acknowledgement as Uma and I headed to the clothing fale, which had it's plain tapa cloths lowered for privacy. Lagi was folding some clothes when we entered.

"Malie." Lagi greeted, straightening.

"Hi, Lagi." I breathed. "Are you able to give Uma and I some privacy? Just for a bit.:

"Yes, of course." Lagi eyed Uma as she passed the teal-haired girl.

"So...why are we here?" Uma asked.

"To change, dummy." I said with a small smirk. I turned away from Uma and un-zipped my dress, kicking it off as I padded around the fale. I grabbed a skirt, the bottom of which was made of shredded pandanas with a red tapa on top and held together by a rope-like belt. My crop top was made out of the same coloured tapa, tugging it over my chest.

"Uh, Malie, am I...am I wearing this right?" I heard Uma ask. I turned around and saw Uma holding a tan crop top up to hide her chest.

"Yeah, you almost got it." I said with a smile, approaching her. "Turn around." Uma did so, and I easily finished tying the crop top. "There, done." Uma turned around and flushed a little, wrapping her arms around her stomach.

"Do you have anything else to wear?" Uma asked. "I feel so...exposed.

"Sorry girl, nothing else." I said. I toed off my shoes and collected my dress. "Shoes off, and grab your clothes, we've got a fire burning in the middle of the village, we can toss these on it."

"You wanna burn the dresses that Evie made?"

"You wanted to keep them?" Uma frowned, but nodded. "Shoes off too, we're not a people who wear shoes." Uma reluctantly pulled off her heels. "Come on." I lead Uma out of the fale and towards the large bonfire in the centre of the village. A large fire roared, people were cooking against it's flames, some were drying off their swim clothes and others were sharing stories.

"So, we just...toss them in?" Uma wondered. I didn't answer her properly, only balled my clothes and shoes into a ball and tossed them into the flames. Uma followed suit, tossing her clothes into the fire. I reached over and squeezed Uma's arm.

I knew that after Cotillion, I couldn't offer Uma much in terms of consolation with everything that happened, but having her here in the village, I hoped that I could help her feel at least a little at ease.

This would be the start of our future.