Chapter Text
The first time Cisco wandered down to the Pipeline was a routine check. Hartley had developed a new sound dampening system and it had to be monitored regularly until it was fully tested. Sure, the next check could wait until tomorrow but Cisco wasn't going to admit that to himself. With Barry on a date and Caitlin out of town, Cisco was feeling pretty lonely on Crime Watch by himself. He simply wanted to see a familiar face, even one that hurt.
Cisco was surprised to find her wearing her prisoner issued Star Labs sweats instead of her duster. That must mean she was done testing the new system for escape potential. Instead she was sitting in the corner in front of her bathroom door flicking dust bunnies. They couldn't let the prisoners on the internet but Cisco did offer to download anything they requested directly into the cells (no reason to add stir-crazy to their list of personal issues). She hadn't taken him up on the offer.
"How are we doing today, Dinah?" Cisco asked through the comm system. They couldn't bear to call her Laurel and she didn't like the name anyway.
Black Siren stopped her game but remained cross-legged on the floor. "Spectacular." she said dryly. She didn't bother Siren Crying the mic anymore. That trick had only worked once and everybody's hearing had eventually returned.
"Happy to hear it," Cisco said, making a show of checking the readings on his tablet. He peaked over it to see her watching him with her chin in her hand. "You sure I can't get you anything?" he asked trying to sound nonchalant.
"The only thing you can do for me Vibe," she sneered the word, "is let me go."
"So you can try to make our heads explode?" Cisco asked. "Nah."
Black Siren looked thoughtful, "I've never actually tried that," she said. "It would be an interesting experiment. For science."
"Tempting," Cisco said, giving her a bland look.
Black Siren sighed and went back to her game, pointedly ignoring him. She seemed to be as tired of this exchange as he was. Though usually they only conversed in glares. Dinah Laurel Lance could convey a heck of a lot in a single glare. Cisco finished checking the readings and left.
The second time Cisco wandered down was only an hour later. He had watched Siren continue to flick lint, and then use her Siren Cry to try to launch it further. Eventually she settled back to stare into space. That decided it for him. He set the automated alert system to ping Barry and him if there was a situation, rummaged around a bit in one of the lesser used supply closets near the break room, and headed back down to the Pipeline. He was already mostly set when the main door was open enough for Black Siren to be glaring out at him some more. But the glare couldn't stand up to her confusion when she saw what he was doing. "What is this Vibe?"
"This," he said, dealing out the money, "is the game of Life. We are going to play."
"Is this a-"
"Not a joke. You're bored, I'm bored, we're going to play a game."
Black Siren refused to humor him at first. He obviously had to do all the spinning but the question of whether she wanted to go to college was met with an angry stare that he took as a yes. When he asked her to pick a job she crossed her arms. He blindly picked one for her and she became a doctor while he became a teacher. He finally got a response from her when it was time for her to get married.
"Who do you want it to be?" Cisco repeated the question, holding up a pink piece and a blue piece. "We are fans of marriage equality here at Star Labs. So a tiny blue dude or a tiny pink dudette."
She held his eyes for a long moment before inclining her head towards the pink dudette. He didn't know if she was actually letting him know something personal but he put the pink person in the passenger seat of Siren's yellow car.
Cisco picked a pink spouse as well but switch her into the driver seat and put his blue self in the back seat. "I needed a nap," Cisco answered Siren's questioning raised eyebrow.
Cisco did wonder if he had picked the wrong game. He narrated Siren's turns for her but after the initial few the game didn't really have many choices. Even buying a house was a random draw.
"You bought a cute little cabin," Cisco told her before spinning and advancing his own car to the house spot. "Your turn again."
"You have to buy a house too!" Siren stopped him before he could spin.
"Maybe in the new versions," Cisco told her, hiding his amusement at her interruption. "But this board says 'you may buy a house'. It's optional and Carol and I are perfectly happy living in our car." Siren looked churlish but there was no denying what the board said. She gestured for him to make her spin.
The game continued. Siren had twin boys. Cisco got a career change and became a police officer. They both had baby girls and Siren had two more kids after that, a boy and a girl ("My poor wife," Cisco heard her mumble). Cisco adopted his own set of twin girls. Neither of them bought stock though Cisco did ask her every couple turns if she wanted to. Nor insurance but they both managed to get away with it unscathed. In the end they both chose Millionaire Acres but Cisco ended up being the one to win.
"What can I say?" he said with a shrug as he cleaned up the game. "The secret to Life is living uninsured out of your car with your wife and 3 daughters." He paused, "it also helps to win the lottery and the Nobel Peace Prize." Siren rolled her eyes and looked at him disdainfully. He might have imagined her trying to hide a smile.