CitrineLeaf's Player Appreciation Week Oneshots (Carmen Sandiego)

"Makeovers And Makeups (With Red Nail Polish)" Player & Ivy

Prompt: Day 2 Ivy and/or the Faculty

Description:
While Player tries to sleep off some jetlag, Carmen and Zack head out.

He ends up inadvertently left alone with Ivy, and the two have some time to kill...

And red nail polish to use.

The alarm on Player's phone went off, startling him into consciousness.

Jet lag, Player decided as he turned over, blindly groping around the sheets for his phone, is the absolute worst. His head felt better, though and, as Player finally found the device and brought it up, silencing the alarm with quick, practiced fingers, he found he wasn't exhausted, just a little groggy from sleep. Certainly, a much, much better improvement than earlier, when he'd first flown in.

Red's probably waiting... Player tried not to groan in the complaint as he forced himself to rise. The bed was so comfortable! It's no wonder his team absolutely loved all those fancy hotel rooms. Player actually finds himself jealous of them! In the end, though, the promise of doing something with his team (in person! Player's heart flutters) other than sleeping wins out.

He exits the bed, pausing for a few moments by the door to try and force the bedhead out of his hair – though Player's almost certain one of the siblings will ruffle it up again for fun – before he heads out into the main hotel room.

"Red?" Player calls. For a few moments, there's no response, so he adds," Carmen?"

"Playah!" Player recognizes the voice a second before Ivy's leaning over the back of the couch, beckoning him over. She's grinning, her expression only growing wider by the minute as he approaches. He was right about his hair, Ivy pulls him closer to ruff it up the moment she can, laughing when he smacks her hands away playfully." Lil buddy! 'Carm said you weren't feeling too well!"

"It was just jetlag." He shrugged, looking over the furniture to where Ivy had set up... a large metal box? Filled with makeup? "What's all of this?" Player asked, reaching out for a little glass – or was it plastic? - container filled with a red liquid. Bright red, actually, almost the exact same color as Carmen's coat. He turned it over, trying to read the label, but it was in Spanish, probably something Ivy had acquired during one of her ACME trips.

"Makeup," She answered, shrugging," ACME foots the bill for it since Zack and I need it to blend in with all of those high-class parties 'n stuff." Player nodded, though his eyes stayed on the liquid in the bottle as he turned it over, watching with curiosity as it sloshed around. "That's... nail polish..." Ivy murmured.

Player blinked, looking back to her. There was something odd about her tone... Player suddenly felt wrong, had he done something? Offended her in some way? He'd known them all for so long, that while racking his brain he couldn't find a single thing that might've caused it. Except... it was only their second meeting, could he have weirded her out somehow?

Player pressed a hand to his chest, scared. He really, really hadn't meant-

"I could paint your nails if you want."

He looked up, surprised. Ivy didn't look upset- quite the opposite, actually! She was smiling, grinning. " You'd do that?"

"Of course!" The other thief laughed. Quickly, she snatched the nail polish from his hands, then patted the space on the couch next to her as she set about opening up the bottle. Player wrinkled his nose at the scent, but still dropped down next to Ivy. He let her take his hands when she offered them, trying his best to hold still as she experimentally swiped it over his thumb.