CitrineLeaf's Player Appreciation Week Oneshots (Carmen Sandiego)

"Siblings, Siblings, SIBLINGS" Player, Carmen, & Sonia

Prompt: Day 5 Julia and/or Team Red allies

Description:
Carmen attempts to introduce Player and Sonia to one another. It goes... well?

On paper, introducing Sonia and Player seemed like a good idea.

She got along... decently with the siblings, at least from what Carmen had garnered through their – admittedly little – interactions. And, though the young thief had chafed at Shadowsan and her trying to control her more dangerous approaches to things, she seemed relatively fine now that all of VILE was either scattered or imprisoned.

Fine... but lonely.

Carmen could see it every time she saw Sonia. The way her eyes lit up when any of their little team interacted with her, only for all of that joy to disappear as soon as they left. Sonia was young, bright, she had so many good things that could happen for her, in spite of not having any family left to take care of her as the young adult grew up more and more.

Which was where Player came in. He was kind, and just as bright as Sonia, definitely able to meet the sass she could give with some of his own. Not to mention closer in age to her than any of their friends! It just made sense to ask the two of them if they'd like to meet.

And, in the end, they did.

Except...

"Red!" Player shrieked, ducking behind her to avoid being 'attacked'. A pillow went flying by his head, hardly an inch away from hitting Carmen. "Ha! If you hit her, you get disqualified!"

"No fair!" Racing up to her, with more of her own pillow weapons in hand, Sonia stopped, grinning at Carmen like she was the picture of innocence," Hi, do you mind moving?" Carmen noticed that, even as she talked, Sonia kept trying to peek behind her to find an opening to attack the poor, defenseless hacker.

Carmen crossed her arms, a move she'd learned from years of watching Shadowsan deal with the siblings, and gave Sonia her most stern look possible. "No, but I do mind that you're destroying our hotel room."

"You aren't even paying for it yourself." Player pointed out, apparently deciding that he can cower and be rude," ACME's footing the bill this time because of Ivy and-"

The hacker's words turned into a cry of unbridled terror as Carmen stepped away, fully exposing him to the wrath of what was, supposedly, the most terrifying thing in the entire universe; a single nineteen-year-old girl.

There was a yelp, followed by the distinct sound of a pillow hitting Player in the face.

Rolling her eyes, Carmen carefully stepped over the two of them as they rolled on the ground, Sonia struggling to keep Player pinned down for more than a few seconds. She actually feels a little impressed and happy, all those self-defense lessons weren't going to waste. Still, though, she avoided their play-fighting to settle back down on the couch.

Carmen pulled out her phone, scrolling through her messaging programs. Huh, she smiled as she read her mother's texts, one of the orphans have a potential adopter. The kid was so sweet, Carmen wished she could be there to hold the girl's hand-

"AHK! Sonia!"

Speaking of a girl, Carmen looked up tiredly as Sonia stepped in front of her. She had Player, both of them facing her. Sonia's arms hooked under Player's own to lift the struggling teenager up into the air as he kicked and fought, yelling.

"Hi." Carmen greeted, her voice a perfect deadpan.

"Hey!" Sonia returned, a little breathless as she gripped the squirming hacker tighter. Carmen had no doubt she'd stop if he actually asked, but neither of them seemed willing to relent and give in. She raised her voice a little, to be heard over Player. "You dropped this, by the way- Ow!"

"Traitors!" Player shouted, elbowing Sonia and shooting Carmen the most betrayed look she'd ever seen. It took everything in the former thief not to snort at the image. "You're both trai-"

Sonia heaved Player up higher into the air, before dropping him onto the couch next to her, effectively silencing the hacker mid-sentence. He twisted back over to Sonia, crossing his arms in playful mock-anger. "That wasn't fair," he told her, apparently having taken the setback in stride. "Carmen helped you."

"Weren't you the one who tried to hide behind me?" Carmen teased, watching Player pout," All I wanted to do was sit down."

"And leave me unguarded!" The hacker threw his arms up in exasperation.

Sonia laughed," Well, there's always next time!"

Carmen blinked, catching the odd, mischievous change in her tone. She looked up, Sonia and Player were watching each other, seeming to have their own, silent little talk without words. "You've barely known each other for two hours," Carmen snapped, playfully offended," And you're already plotting against me?"

"Hey, you can't be the only one with a secret weapon." Sonia joked, repeating the very same words Carmen had said when she'd first told her about Player. And God, the look the hacker gave her, beaming so, so proudly. The same way he'd done when he'd been introduced to the others all those years back. It was absolutely going to go to his head.

Carmen let out a sigh of fond dismay," The both of you are going to-"

A phone went off, interrupting her mid-sentence. Her shoulders shot up, eyes wide and tense, all of her training screaming attack! attack!

Until... Player fumbled to grab his device from his coat, and she remembered he'd placed his ringer on. The hacker pulled it out, giving her and Sonia a sheepish look. "Sorry, it's my mom," He murmured, quickly pushing himself up off the couch," I'm gonna' take this in the hall if that's alright? She's just a little worried about me- like always."

"Go ahead," Carmen let herself lean back on her couch, forcing her body to settle back into her previously relaxed position.

"Yeah, go on without us!" Sonia dropped onto Player's previous spot. She stuck her tongue out at him, even though there was still plenty of room for them both. "Momma's boy."

Player huffed, rolling his eyes in fond exasperation as he exited the room.

For a long moment, Sonia said nothing, just watched the door as it clicked shut behind him. Her lips were pursed together tightly, hands tightening on the armchair of the couch. "He's uhh..." Sonia started and then stopped.

"Is something wrong?" Carmen sat up, worried," Did Player do-?"

"Does Player have an older sibling?"

She blinked at Sonia, surprised," ... what?"

"Does he have an older sibling?" Sonia said, more carefully this time, as if trying to hammer each word into Carmen's skull. She crossed her arms, doing her best imitation of an annoyed friend. As if Carmen was the one being strange. "Because I think I should qualify!"

"You can't." She fought the urge to facepalm," Ivy and Zack already claimed him."

"And I'm scared of them why, exactly?"

"... please do not try to fight the siblings so you can adopt Player." 

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

Sonia: I messed up
Player: Based on your history, I'm gonna need a little more than that

--

Player and Sonia would be siblings. Sorry, but I DO make the headcanon.

Link to my AO3:https://archiveofourown.org/users/CitrineLeaf

Link to my Tumblr:https://citrineleaf.tumblr.com/