Happy N7 Day, everybody! It has been ten years since the release of the first Mass Effect game. I've been a bit of a fan of the series since back in 2009 when I first played it on the Xbox 360. I remember I didn't have much to do at the time, so I was like "Why not?" And things went on from here, as I've found new friends, followed communities, and I even got a selfie with my brother and Jennifer Hale herself at a local con. How crazy was that? It was an opportunity of a lifetime, and I won't forget it.
Anyway, this interlude below was a flashback I liked. I didn't have any idea what to do with it nor where to put it in my fic, and I didn't want to put it to waste. So I went with what you were reading right now.
Interlude 2: It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year
Year: 2012
Location: Boston, Massachusetts
Christmas Day; that time of the year again. Instead of Eric and his family going over to New York upstate to visit his uncle Seth, many of his relatives on both sides of his family came over to his place instead. To his disappointment, he couldn't find his father anywhere. He knew his dad was redeployed, but he couldn't help but had this sense of incompleteness, with his mother taking up most of the slack on taking everyone here.
Deep down, he feared it was going to be some sort of clash or something, where some idiot would get drunk and rowdy, leading to a brawl, and someone would call the police. Much to his relief, none of that happened. Maybe he was in a pretty bad mood lately.
The only problem? It seemed like there were too many people in the house to fit in. Somehow, either his mom found a way and didn't tell him, or the house was bigger than he thought. Either possibility was entertaining enough for him to ponder.
With all the gift-exchanging and the constant chatter and the like, it started to wear him down a little.
"Why don't you say hi, Eric? Hi, Eric! This is your new cousin, Juan!" his aunt Lila cooed rather excitedly at one moment, waving the newborn's delicate arm.
"Wow, I beat you? That's a first," Garcia remarked while playing a game of Mario Party on the Wii.
"Hey, Eric! Did I give you that smartphone already?" Seth called out another point.
Now it was too much for him to bear. Right now, he'll rather watch through the window behind the couch, hoping to see some snowfall. That would be entertaining.
Come to think of it, did he get anyone a gift for this year?
"Eric? Why aren't you playing Mario with your cousins?"
Eric jolted a little. He turned to his left, seeing his grandmother Carol sitting next to him. Like every time he saw her, she always wore a fluffy sweater, this time a green and red-rimmed one with a Christmas tree in the middle.
"Oh… hey, abuela," Eric sighed and settled on the couch, looking at the TV across the room as his cousins continued playing Mario Party. The screen showed a part of a large, colorful, and crowded board, with Mario skipping across each large blue dot before stepping on a pink dot. "I think they're good. They already got enough people to play as it is. They seemed happy enough."
"They take turns, your sister included," she pointed out.
Eric said nothing, only rolling his eyes as he groaned in disgust.
It was then his grandmother noticed something about him, only in some way grandmas know how, judging by the concerned look on her face. "Are you okay, Eric?" she asked, her hand on his.
"I'm okay, abuela," he insisted, looking away from her.
Her face made more wrinkles when she frowned, all mirth disappearing. "But aren't you having a good time?"
"Well…"
"Well, that's just rude!" she retorted with wide eyes. "It's Christmas, for goodness sake! I doubt you'll get another chance to spend time in person for a while, aren't you?"
Eric doesn't want to argue with her. She was her grandmother, and it was Christmas day. Why would he ruin it for everyone else?
He hung his head forward with his hands together. "You know what?" He puffed his cheeks before pressing his lips together. "You're right. I'll do my best for your sake."
His grandmother's frown turned upside down, a warm smile traveling across her face. She seemed pleased with Eric's answer. "That's the spirit!" she said, giving Eric a small and brief hug.
"Thank you, abuela." He smiled in return, but he couldn't help but notice her arms were shaking.
His grandmother sat up. "Now, I need to go outside for a bit for a smoke."
"Wait, that stuff…" he tried to protest. He wanted to.
Her head dropped in shame. "I know, Eric. I'm trying. I'm doing my best for your madre's sake." With that, she sauntered out of the living room and onto the porch outside, closing the front door behind her.
Eric looked back at the window and saw it was nighttime already. Time sure passed by quickly.
His mother walked out of the kitchen and stopped in between the dining area and the living room. "Okay, everyone!" She clapped her hands together to get everyone's attention. "Dinner's ready!"
In a span of a minute, many gathered at the dining area. There were two tables, one taller than the other. The taller and longer one, made of oak, had several empty plates surrounding a stuffed turkey. Near the edge of the room, by the rather large window looking out to the neighborhood, was the short plastic table with plastic chairs, suitable for small children.
"Did we get everyone, Felicia?" Eric's grandfather, Arturo, asked. He wore the same sweater as his grandmother. Also, he sat down next to Eric after the latter gathered a plateful of sliced turkey and black olives.
Eric's mother looked around at a hurried pace before her face fell into a scowl. Eric looked around as well. Realization dawned on Eric that he hadn't seen his brother since earlier today when he gave his brother Halo 4. With his birthday money, no doubt.
"Dios mío, ¿dónde está ese muchacho idiota?" His mother rolled her eyes before turning toward him. "Eric, could you go out and get your brother? Tell him dinner's ready."
Eric nodded. He didn't like being around that many people, anyway. He squeezed out of his chair in haste and sauntered out of the kitchen, leaving his dinner untouched.
Passing by the living room, he glanced to his left at the now-turned-off flatscreen, mounted on a yellow-painted wall. Under the TV was a short shelf with a Nintendo Wii and a Blu-ray player at the bottom, the top shelf stacked with all sorts of games and movies.
He went up the stairs to his right, the woodwork creaking after each step. Soft and quiet, he passed by each framed picture after he flipped the lights on. A sense of nostalgia had filled the air around him as he slowed his pace.
Some either depicted him, his relatives, or both, like the one where his two-year-old self and his mother at the time playing around in the kiddie pool. There was another showing his sister from ten years ago, showing her blue Tamogatchi in broad daylight. Other pictures were old. Some had faded colors, others black and white.
On the tenth step, he stopped when he saw a picture of his father wearing his military uniform before he went out on his first tour. The picture had him standing straight, a blank expression on his face. Eric knew why he left earlier this year, but he lowered his head and looked away, frowning. Every time he called his father, sent him a message on Facebook emailed him, and even tried doing a voice chat on Skype, his father always said he was busy.
At the top of stairs was where a cross would be, with dust gathering where it would be. Eric looked away, a mixed feeling of embarrassment and disgust lingering in him. He didn't want to be reminded of what happened years ago.
He blinked, shaking off his thoughts as the sounds of Alphonse playing a video game grew louder as he approached a door at the end of a hallway. Judging by the simulated gunfire, Alfonso was playing Halo 4. Then again, he couldn't tell for sure.
He knocked on the door. "Hey, it's Eric. Mamá sent me to get you. Dinner's ready."
A silent pause lingered for a moment before the sounds abruptly died off. Seconds later, the door cracked open, just slightly so Eric wouldn't see past it. "Nah, I'm not that hungry," Alfonso replied behind the door.
"Look, everyone's waiting for you downstairs. You coming or what?"
"I'm in the middle of an important part!"
Eric frowned. "Want me to bring Garcia up to get you instead? I'm pretty sure it's more important than playing that game I got you."
"I'm actually playing Mass Effect right now!"
"What?" Eric frowned. He did not just hear his brother say that.
"Hey, don't freak out like that! I'll get to Halo eventually."
"Look, quit messing around and—" He barged in, only to stop on the spot.
The room was small, well-lit by a lamp on a night at the end of the bedroom. The carpet floor was littered with garbage, most of them candy wrappings and chip bags. The bed was a mess, with the blankets squashed up into a pile at the corner to Alphonse's left. That wasn't why he stopped. On the desk was a copy of Halo 4, still wrapped in plastic. Next to the desk was a small TV standing on a shelf, with the Xbox 360 underneath.
And there was his brother sitting on the bed, the controller on his lap and his hands raising, annoyed as hell. "Hey, what the hell, man?" he called out.
Eric crossed his arms. He couldn't help but be disappointed if only a little. He eyed the unwrapped game before gazing at Al's TV. It showed the Xbox blue-and-white interface, the picture behind it darkened. A dark-haired man in blue armor stood next to a large glowing terminal, his hand over a flashing red button with a red star appearing at the corner of the screen.
"So that's Mass Effect?" he asked, unfolding his arms.
Alfonso nodded. "Uh-huh. Third game in the series. That's the Omega DLC I was playing just now."
"What about Halo? You're pretty excited about that, last time I checked," Eric pointed out, all his frustration receding.
His brother rolled his eyes. "Yeah, but I have to catch up. I didn't even look up some spoilers online, so I'm safe."
"But… why?"
"What do you think?" Alfonso asked with a smirk.
Eric knew a little about the series, but since his brother wouldn't shut up about it, he lost interest. Right now, he had more pressing concerns like not pissing his mother off.
"You know what?" Alfonso asked as he sat up with a grunt. "I'm starvin'. We better get downstairs before Mom kills us. Or lectures us in front of everyone."
"Just like that?" Eric asked, surprised at the sudden turn of events.
"Just like that, Eric. C'mon," Alphonse replied.
Eric nodded and followed his brother as they leave the room.
Now he thought about it, the series had some interesting concepts like an exotic material that released dark energy in addition to pursuing a romance with a character of the same sex. That was something he rarely saw that media, in general, handled well. If only he hadn't had so much homework to do…
"Wait, about Mass Effect…" he started.
"Yeah? Alfonso asked as he looked back at Eric.
"So when can I try them out?"
"Oh, so now you're interested?" Alfonso asked, descending the stairs. "Maybe after dinner, okay? I'll let you play in my room, but you'll have to start playing games with me like you promised, and that includes one you're not into. Plus, if you want the full experience, start with the first game. Deal?"
Eric considered Alphonse's offer before smiling. What was the worse could happen, anyway? "It's a deal."
