Metal Gear Solid: Behind the Games
10 year old David scratched his head idly and glanced at his two brothers out of the corner of his eye for support before focusing again on the man with the camera in front of him. He then proceeded to wrench his eyes away and study his shoes, black and polished, and wiggled his feet a bit before pulling away one more time to stare intently at his green camo-patterned pants.
He heard Jack laugh gruffly behind him. "Go on, David. Don't be shy," he said, but David only reddened and wished he had his beloved cardboard box with him. His brothers Nigel and George seemed ready to say something before Jack had shushed them, so now, without much support forthcoming, he opened his mouth.
Then he closed it again. What was there to say?
"Alright David, how does it feel to be the main character of a video game?"
David pulled at his headband. "Um, it's cool, I guess. I played it a little, it was fun."
"And how did you decide that it would be you who was the main character?" the man asked, shoving the microphone in his face again.
"Well.. me, and Nigel, and George drew straws and I won, so Dad said I'd be the main character, Nigel would be a bad guy, and George would just do.. uh.. something, cause when George and Nigel drew straws, Nigel won to be the bad guy."
"Now, we've seen before that Liquid Snake's name in the game is something along the lines of 'Cam' or some such, while your brother's name is Nigel. How did that work out?"
"Nigel said he didn't want the bad guy named Nigel, so they just named him sumthin' else. I dunno how they came up with a name." David shrugged. "But they kept my name and George's too, but we still call George Solidus because George sounds weird." David saw Solidus glower at him for a minute, but he stopped when he got a sharp look from Jack.
The man looked surprised. "So you already had codenames and such?"
David nodded. "Uh-huh, how do you think they got our names? Dad's Big Boss, which I think is really cool! He's training us to be agents, so the game's not all a lie." David swelled proudly at this.
"So how much of it is real? Were you really created in a "Les Enfantes Terribles" project?"
David gave him a vacant look.
"Dad just didn't wanna get married, but he wanted to have us, so he did. No gene splicing or anything like that while in a coma," Nigel announced, making it a bit obvious that he was the much more intellectual of the three brothers. "And we weren't born at the same time either. David came first, and he was born here, then me in the United Kingdoms, then Solidus here as well. All of us were raised here, right here in this house," he said, pointing upwards towards this ceiling.
"You're stealing my spotlight, Liquid."
"Shut up, David."
"I told you not to call me David, Nigel!"
"Why, you don't like David, David?"
"Would you guys stop..?" Solidus pleaded. Both David and Nigel glared at his and he shrank back. It wasn't easy being the youngest of three.
The man ignored their sudden outburst. "So exactly how old are the three of you?"
"I'm ten! Nigel is nine-"
"Nine and four fifths," Nigel interrupted.
"...and Solidus is eight. He just turned eight, so he's the baby."
"And what do you think of your appearances in the game? And the voices?"
"I sound too British," Nigel muttered, "And how come I can control people's minds through an arm? That's just creepy." He held out his arms at Solidus and made ghost noises. "Wooooo, I'm going to take over your mind through your arm, Solidus!" Solidus squeaked and clung to Jack, who shooed Nigel away. Nigel stuck out his tongue at Solidus and went back to his own chair to listen to the rest of David's babbling.
"-and I look really cool too, I get cool stealth suits and everything! And I'm kinda hairy..." he said, patting his cheeks. "Kinda hairy like Dad," he finished, pointing at Jack. Jack said nothing, but squinted at David in amusement. "The snake eating stuff isn't anything new either, Dad eats them all-"
"That's enough David."
"Aw, but it's true! Solidus likes playing Snake Vs. Monkey, and so does Otacon. Solidus isn't very good at it though, he keeps falling off high places and breaking his leg." Nigel looked quite bored at this point and yawned pointedly. Jack glanced at him quickly.
"Well, I think that's enough interviewing for today boys. It's past your bedtime."
The interviewer took the hint and packed up his stuff after saying a good-bye. Jack picked up Solidus, by this time already half asleep, and herded David and Nigel up the stairs. He tucked Solidus in bed between his two brothers. "Alright boys, don't squish him in the middle of the night." David squirmed.
"Are you going to go on a mission tomorrow?"
"Nope, not yet. I think I'll have one next week."
"So nothing this whole week?"
"Nope."
David got up on his elbows and glanced over at Nigel who was fighting with his pajama top. Jack picked him up and pulled it over Nigel's head. He patted Nigel's blonde head and tucked him in on the other side of Solidus again. Nigel looked back at David and nodded.
"Well, me and Nigel; and Solidus too, he's just not awake, we wanted you to come to career day at school. Because everybody's bringing their parents, but since we don't have a mom..."
"We wanted to ask you," Nigel finished.
Jack frowned and paused. "I'll think about it. When is it?"
"Two days, so, this Wednesday," David said excitedly, knowing he had persuaded his father to come. Solidus whined in his sleep and turned over onto his belly, and Nigel scooted over to give him room.
"Alright. I've got nothing to do anyway.. Now wait! Don't celebrate!" he cautioned as David was about to let out a loud whoop. "Solidus is still sleeping, don't be loud." David shut his mouth. "I'll be there, okay?" David and Nigel nodded and laid back down on the bed.
"Good night Solid," Jack said, kissing David's forehead.
"And good night Liquid," he said, kissing Nigel's forehead.
"Good night, Big Boss!" they chorused, and Jack switched off the lights.