Since the women's quarters were rather small, Robin readily agreed to stay in the cargo hold, where they'd initially settled her. There were plenty of pillows and blankets to go around, so she wouldn't be uncomfortable by any means, and it would also allow Vivi to sleep a little easier, if nothing else.
The next day found Robin quickly integrating herself into the crew. She easily won Nami and Sanji over with money and charms alike, and Usopp eventually gave in when she started sharing legends and myths from Elbaf – he'd been excited to learn more about it ever since she told them there would be Giants on Little Garden. Zoro still kept his distances, though he wasn't outright hostile, and Luffy already acted as if she'd been one of their own for weeks.
Only Vivi had yet to really do anything. She didn't make a single comment, didn't kick up a fuss, didn't start a fight… It was a bit scary, honestly, because Brynlee was unsure of what to make of her passivity.
"E- excuse me, Miss Brynlee…?"
Well, speak of the Devil, huh?
The last thing Brynlee expected was for Vivi to reach out to her. She'd decided to leave the Princess alone, aware of the tensions between them, and she kept her distances as much as possible. She knew that Nami was quickly taking a liking to her, that she'd cried the first time Sanji made her one of those Alabastan dishes, that Usopp took great pleasure in regaling her with tales of adventures that hadn't quite gone the way he told them, that Luffy found her incredibly funny, and that even Zoro was beginning to soften up to her whenever she joined him for some brief training sessions, to keep in shape.
Brynlee simply observed from the sidelines, a bit resigned, but ultimately not all that bothered – until now.
"Just call me Brynlee, I'm barely two years older than you," she pointed out, offering a friendly smile. "What's up?"
Vivi lowered her head, fiddling with her fingers nervously. "I- I wanted to offer you my sincerest apologies, Miss—Brynlee. For what I said back in Whiskey Peak. While circumstances weren't ideal, and most issues stemmed from miscommunication, I still said some truly terrible things to you, and I'm sorry. It was… really unbecoming, even more so considering you were merely trying to comfort me."
She hadn't expected the Princess to apologize, of all things, so it left her at a bit of a loss. She'd been fully content to simply settle for observing Vivi's relationship with the crew bloom from the sidelines, but it would seem she had underestimated the princess's kindness, after all.
"Thank you, I appreciate your apology," she settled for saying, offering her another smile. "If it can reassure you, though, I didn't take any of it to heart. You weren't wrong—"
"I wasn't right, either," cut Vivi, a bit more firmly as she finally dared to meet her eyes. "I know you're the one who asked Nami to befriend me, and that you're the one who provided Sanji with recipes from my home. I also know that your crew highly values your opinion and that, had you decided to revoke your offer of help back then, they would have all followed you without a second thought."
"Luffy's the Captain, and he decided to help you," corrected Brynlee. "You give me much more power than I actually possess."
Vivi seemed eager to disagree, but eventually settled for moving on. "All that to say… You are not a monster, Brynlee, nor are you cruel. You do not take pleasure in the pain of others, unlike what I accused you of. And I hope- I hope you'll find it in yourself to forgive me and give me a chance to get to know you better, if you'd be willing."
Brynlee quirked a brow, genuinely surprised. "You want us to be friends? Even after everything? Even after I brought Miss All Sunday onboard?"
Vivi's eye twitched slightly. "She… I won't pretend to understand your methods or reasons, but if you claim that she hasn't killed Igaram… then I'll trust you on this. Her allegiances are clearly divided so I am willing to give her the benefit of the doubt, to an extent. And if she truly aids us in stopping Mister 0 and the civil war, then I'll readily give her whatever it is she seeks from the palace."
"That's fair. Will you be joining us for tea, then?"
A vein pulsed faintly on her temple. "That's taking it a little far."
"I'm joking, I'm joking," chuckled Brynlee, patting her shoulder. "But thank you, Vivi. For your apology, and for your willingness to give me a chance to redeem my poor first impression."
"Of course." After a moment of hesitation, Vivi pulled out a small box from her pockets, and handed it to her. "Here. I happened to overhear your conversation with Nami, a few days ago. Please, accept it as a token of my apology."
Curious, Brynlee opened the small box, and was surprised to find a light, powdery substance with earthen undertones.
"Makeup?"
"I don't have anything that could better suit your skin tone, but I managed to create a foundation that should be dark enough by mixing a few others," explained Vivi, twisting her hands nervously. "I- I don't quite understand why you would need it, but I understand that it is important to you, so…"
"I… Thank you, Vivi. It's perfect."
The Princess beamed, obviously relieved. "Wonderful! Feel free to let me know if you need more – I still have some powder left to mix, if need be."
Brynlee mutely nodded, a bit stunned by the kind gesture, and Vivi took her leave to join Nami, who'd just called out to her. She gently dipped the tip of her finger into the box – the makeup was a bit too light compared to her natural skin tone, but she certainly wasn't about to reject such a thoughtful gift.
I'll have to think of something to give her as a thank you, she mused. She might not know it, but she probably just saved me and the crew a whole lot of trouble.
Happy New Year everyone!