Scott decides to show Jaal one of his favorite past times.
"Is this how you usually spend your free time?" Jaal inquired. He was in the pathfinder's quarters on his couch, Scott on the left side of him playing a handheld video game, the pathfinder's pet pyjak perched on the arm on his right.
"There are many practical benefits to playing video games, such as increased reflexes and better hand-eye coordination!" Scott replied. Seconds later, the pyjak threw the remains of the fruit he was nibbling at him and it hit him on the head, causing him to jump like someone had just thrust a rabid badger into his lap.
"Yes, those reflexes were impressive," Jaal nodded sarcastically. "We have something like this, except it's different. It's normally used for training exercises."
"Oh, we do that too. There probably isn't a single Alliance soldier who doesn't play video games," Scott nodded. "In fact, that was always one of the worst parts of Dad coming home..." He'd be gone for months and then show up one day and hog all the video games despite his and Sara's protesting, and then some of the things their mother had to do to get his attention again were kind of embarrassing. "Okay, so...on that note, try this one!" he passed the console onto Jaal, who stared at the sad looking animal on the screen. "This one's called 'Varren Happiness Simulator X9000'. Everyone on this ship is playing it right now."
"This creature is called a varren?" he asked, pointing out the screen. "And it comes from your Milky Way?"
"Sure does. Just like pyjaks, they're pets, pests, or food depending on who you ask. Krogan consider them all three." He started hitting buttons on the screen, showing Jaal how to play. "So the point of the game is that this mother varren lost all of her babies and now she's sad. Your job is to keep her happy by giving her love and helping her find her pups, and you can't let her love meter drop to zero or she'll get so sad that she'll die."
"Die?" Jaal said with concern. "What kind of emotional sadist designed this game?"
"Well that just motivates you to want to take care of her, don't you think?"
Jaal hit a few buttons, causing a big red heart to appear on screen and fill the meter. There didn't seem to be much to the game and he couldn't understand why it would be so popular. "And you say everyone on board the Tempest is playing this?"
"Everyone," Scott nodded.
"Define 'everyone'."
Just then Drack stormed in like a tornado was chasing him and shouted, "I can't keep her happy and the meter is dropping to zero! What do I do?!"
"Did you find any of her pups yet?" Scott asked.
"I found three of them, but her happiness is still dropping!"
"Make sure you have her keep feeding the babies. Once they're full, their kisses will convert to love."
"Thank you!" the krogan shouted gratefully before charging off once more, shaking the entire ship as he ran.
"Everyone," Scott replied firmly.
"Why? There's really nothing in this game. It's kind of linear and requires no skill."
"Okay then, give it back," the pathfinder requested.
Jaal continued hitting buttons on the game. "No! I'm playing it right now!"
"But you just said you didn't like the game."
"I did not say that, I was just wondering why it's popular."
"Come on, give me the game."
"No! She'll die!"
They both played tug of war over the console until it slipped out of their grasp and was flung across the room. It collided with the TV, causing it to fall from the wall and smash all over the floor in a spray of glass and sparks. They both stared at the smoking wreckage in shock.
"Uh...hun?" Scott shouted.
"Again?!" Vetra shouted back. "This is the third time this month! I'm not replacing it this time! Find your own TV on Kadara!"
This game's based on a real Android game my pig-loving sister found where you take care of a depressed mama pig, though I don't think she actually dies if you don't give her enough love. Considering how incredibly emotional the angara as a whole are, Jaal would probably consider such games to be cruel emotional manipulation, and then play them until dawn.