XCOM Lives

XCOM side blog. Mostly writing development and fun. Feel free to ask about my XCOM story/soldiers Taking Writing Requests!

[en501]

Our situation is quite simple, Commander. Allow me to demonstrate.

[purple-nautilus]

[purple-nautilus]

Colored it because I hate myself(?)

[milkymosaic]

Characters who choose death but are forced to live, my beloveds.

Characters who have to come to terms with a second chance at life they never asked for, my darlings.

Characters who move forward on the trembling legs of a newborn fawn through the overwhelming, blinding crush of an existence they fully forsook but which was thrust back upon their unwilling beings, my obsessions.

[elgyemz]

every day i wish i could sit jake solomon down and just. talk to him. i wish i could talk to him and learn everything about xcom 2's worldbuilding. everything in the fucking game is just so interesting, and there's so much flavor in the city centers that you only see from above. i want to know everything. what's the economic system like? who flips the patties at ADVENT burger? what do they drink at the clubs? how does a city center in canada differ from a city center in india? do people travel? where to? there are obviously slums in city centers, as well - What's Up With That? godddd i just want to know EVERYTHING there is SO MUCH HAPPENING and the game expands on NONE!! OF IT

[elgyemz]

idk if anyone can tell but i'm replaying xcom 2. anyway i do think we treat the warlock a little unfairly as a community. yeah he's annoying as shit. yeah he's pretty cringe. but like... he's still interesting. he's really interesting, once you look past the minute-long unskippable flavor dialogue constantly running in your ears. for one - say what you will about the minute-long unskippable flavor dialogue constantly running in your ears, but the voice actor really did a good job with them. also, like... god. the xcom 3 foreshadowing with his dialogue after you destroy the sarcophagus. what do u hear there buddy? who's talking to u?

[stein15]

HAPPY TEN YEARS TO XCOM 2!

[ionjuno]

This doodle had a 99% chance of not being posted.

[justxcomthings]

[image source]

JXT: The Chosen Hunter's Bedroom Eyes

[papayajuan2019]

cruelty is so easy. youre not special for choosing it

[derelicthousefootage]

[chilewithcarnage]

"The trouble is that we have a bad habit, encouraged by pedants and sophisticates, of considering happiness as something rather stupid. Only pain is intellectual, only evil interesting. This is the treason of the artist; a refusal to admit the banality of evil and the terrible boredom of pain."

-Ursula K. LeGuin, The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas

[wizardnuke]

"Evil is boring. Right? I kinda believe in the banality and mundaneness of evil. Evil is just selfish impulses, which at the end of the day are really easy to understand. It’s easy to understand why people do bad things. It’s like “yeah, ok, you’re selfish and scared and cruel, I get it”. Being good is complex and beautiful and hard." - Brennan Lee Mulligan

[oldshrewsburyian]

"How monotonously alike all the great tyrants and conquerors have been: how gloriously different are the saints." --C.S. Lewis

[redlikelove]

"Silence, American," they say to Bradford. Meanwhile Tygan, Chicago based, decides he'll also shut the fuck up.

[redlikelove]

sometimes when you want a job done right... you write Bradford yourself (spoilers for Sympathy for the Devil)

The more things changed, the more Bradford wondered if he'd stayed the same.

Peace was a great time to live in. Post-war, with Avenger's Landing established… Bradford hadn't expected to be able to retire to his little village in the middle of nowhere, Scotland, but life over the past 20 years had been full of twists and turns. It felt like he never would see the end of it, would never have found the Commander, put an end to all the horror…

Not that he was complaining. It was nice to sleep in a recliner.

But there were some features to the peace that kept coming back to him and making him wonder about the past. When his own body began to fail him and that piece of shrapnel from the start of 2035 finally came back calling, he'd opted to go through the same process Eliza did and fortify himself. Become a Chosen. He'd always wanted to remain at Eliza's side, and why not make sure that could be for as long as he wanted? Gave him plenty of strength to deal with anything if any aliens thought they could try for round two instead of just asking nicely.

Maybe it was just his hunches, but it felt like the prep work for round two was just around the corner.

It wasn't something he had meant to overhear. Mordenna was a chatty guy, prone to talking to himself, and Bradford kept an ear out for what he was saying just in case the man himself needed someone checking in on him. If not Bradford himself, he'd send Eliza his way. That was how Bradford learned second hand that Argus was planning to open a gene clinic in all but name.

It… bothered him. It bothered him a lot. It bothered him enough that he found himself returning to the Avenger itself, walking the halls to sort his thoughts in his mind.

Twenty years. Twenty years, he had seen the Elders build up ADVENT, big up the cities. Glorify the gene clinics. Yes, for some people, having all of their aches and pains taken away was truly revolutionary. In ways, Bradford was jealous of anyone that had come away from a gene clinic unharmed and with what ailed them cured. But they were the luckiest. He knew that even if the Elders didn't do anything to you immediately? You had to be chipped. You had to be tracked, you could no longer leave the cities. You needed the gene clinics now to maintain treatment and for "check ins". Check ins he knew people who had gotten lucky once had disappeared on. They had all of the logs—he knew the things for the chambers of death and processing they really were.

And yet. Bradford could very much see the appeal of the gene clinics. He didn't blame anyone who had gone to see one, especially if it was their only option versus death or a lifetime of pain. He… he just knows what sort of terrible things happened in there. The people who were disappeared without a trace, either for being "conspirators" or because they happened to be the exact genetic makeup that the Elders had needed. Whatever the case, for all of their miracles? Bradford couldn't associate them with anything else but missing persons posters. So here he was, pacing the Avenger. Wondering how much everything had changed.

This was Argus they were talking about. The one Ethereal that had turned their back on all the others in protest of what was being done. Bradford knew they knew the full extent of the gene clinics. He knew that they likely weren't going to be able to resume old operations with XCOM breathing down their neck. His gut also wasn't really certain there was anything wrong; just his deep-seated beliefs. It was something that Jane was looking over and he was certain Eliza had to have heard about before. Surely it was fine. Surely…

Bradford's psionics then helpfully reminded him his hunch of not being able to brood alone was correct.

As he was in the Bridge, looking at the low-power mode displays, the door opened. Like old times, Eliza was ducking in, smiling as she saw him. "Knew I saw you come out this way. On the warpath again, John?"

Bradford scoffed amiably, and as Eliza came up he kissed her cheek, always happy to be able to do that without having to be lifted now. "You could say that. I don't think anything needs to change, but… I can't help but think about the way things used to be."

Eliza nodded knowingly, looking at the Hologlobe's table. "You heard about Argus's clinic, I take it?" When Bradford sighed in affirmation, she went on. "For what it's worth, I was nervous too. I hear about one of those being opened up again and it makes me wanna go up the chain of command for who approved it and look for spies. Unfortunately, unless there's more we need to learn about Jane, everything seems above board."

Bradford leaned on the railing. "And that's what I want. I want things to be fine, I want this to be what the gene clinics were advertised as. The way to cure the human condition, to end pain that we shouldn't have to go through. I want that." He rubbed his mouth. "… the minute someone goes missing…"

"I know." Eliza leaned and kissed Bradford's forehead. "… I know."

"I know I'm being stubborn," he muttered. "My psionics aren't even going off at it. It's probably fine." He sighed. "I better get this under control before I talk to anyone who could use it…"

"I think everyone could do with some healthy skepticism," Eliza countered. "Growing up, I was told that if something sounded too good to be true, it likely was." Advice she wished she had listened to when the recruiter came to town. "Yeah we live in an advanced age and I look like one of your sci-fi babes now—" "Stop." "—but I think Argus wouldn't mind a few questions. If anything, could be a good chance to go visit them in person and see things for yourself. You know you're not gonna rest until you do."

That was right, and Eliza had him read like a book. "… I just don't want it turning into hate for the people who genuinely could use them. I think about some of the things I said back during the war, and I still stand by the gene clinics being living hells. But…" His mind flashed back to the citizens he had spoken to who had gotten lucky. Who had everything cured for them, and were angry that XCOM could ever take away ADVENT and the "lifesaving equipment" they had experienced.

"Bradford." Eliza gently turned to him. "… we both saw the Blacksite. The Forge. We know where people were going. We know just what they were fronts for. You're not wrong for thinking they're places of evil. Just as the people who got very, very lucky and only got chipped may think it's technology that should be preserved. Both parts are true. But no system exists in a vacuum."

No system did. The gene clinics sounded amazing until you remembered they were in the hands of ADVENT. The people who literally conquered the planet. Bradford couldn't wrap his head around how any of them really trusted the Elders to not do anything to them when they walked in, but then again, he figured some of them didn't have much of a choice. Didn't make some of them any less insufferable, though. Glad they're alive to enjoy our victory. "Yeah. Just… ugh. I'm gonna have to see that place for myself. Drop in."

Eliza hugged him, and he could feel her psionics gently wrap around his. "We can go together. Call it a little day trip out of the house…? We could bring Asaru and Shamash to really press to Argus they shouldn't try anything."

"Heh. That sounds good by me." Bradford would take more time with his son. "… hey. Thanks for coming after me like this. Sometimes, I… I think I know what's right. I'm sure I do. But I've seen the way some people react when we save them, and… you get it."

"Trust me, Bradford. We all understand." She parted from him, smiling lightly. "Now. It's supper time, and I'm sure part of the reason your gut is in a twist is because you only had coffee for breakfast and skipped lunch?"

Bradford grumbled. "I'm a Chosen, I literally don't need to anymore."

"Your face suggests otherwise. C'mon. I'm craving hash browns."

With a chuckle, Bradford followed after his Commander once more. The more things changed, the more Bradford stayed the same.

[redlikelove]

imagine coming into the xcom tag and calling Bradford "useless." Halitosis-ridden. (ok, weird to say) Not my beautiful man. Because of him, I know the aliens are making progress on the avatar project, and if we're going to slow them down we ne

[dicaeopolis]

astronomy club sent up a weather balloon w a gopro in it last friday. put in three packs of fruit snacks so they could have a giggle over eating fruit snacks that had been to space.

balloon went up into inner space, about 90,000 feet. came down right near the dinosaur park. a few physics teachers drive out to get it, crack it open on the way home to start watching the footage.

fruit snacks are missing.

multiple sources confirm that fruit snacks were put in balloon and sealed in with duct tape. physics teachers check entire balloon. no fruit snacks.

physics teachers watch footage. all 7 hours of it. right in the middle of footage, there are about 8 minutes of visual and audio static when balloon is in orbit. no other interference with balloon recorded.

conclusions: ???????

[spaceyalien]

aliens stole yo fruit snacks

[charmymemes]

𝐎𝐂 𝐄𝐌𝐎𝐉𝐈 𝐀𝐒𝐊𝐒!

feel free to tweak questions + all emojis r listed in text form bc i can't see some of them aAAaaAA! sorry if any of these questions are too similar i tried to avoid that but .. there's a lot lol! categorized by emoji type.

i wanted to make one because i could not find one on tumblr already that had a ton of questions. this was created by combining ones under the #oc ask game tag + my own contributions. hi charmymemes nation i'm back.

people

👁️ EYE - what colour are their eyes? do people notice their eyes? is there anything special about them (shows emotion easily, literally magical...)?

🤥 LYING - are they good liars? do they have tells to show they're lying?

👻 GHOST - do they believe in ghosts? what are their "ghostly experiences", if any?

💥 COLLISON - what emotions do they have trouble dealing with?

😭 CRYING - what makes them cry? do they cry easily?

👊 PUNCH - are they quick to violence?

💢 ANGER - what are some habits they have that will take some getting used to?

👪 FAMILY - what is their family like? what is your ocs relationship to them? does your oc have any siblings?

😨 FEARFUL - when scared, do they go into "flight" or "fight"?

💤 SLEEPING - do they fall asleep easily? what helps them sleep?

food & drinks

🥞 PANCAKE - what is their comfort breakfast?

🎂 BIRTHDAY CAKE - when is their birthday? do they like celebrating it?

🍩 DONUT - favourite sweet treat?

🍟 FRIES - do they order food often? or they prefer to cook their own food?

☕️ HOT BEVERAGE - do they prefer hot or cold drinks? what is their favourite drink?

🍓 STRAWBERRY - do they eat their fruit & veg? what is their favourite fruit or vegetable?

🍰 CAKE SLICE - favourite cake flavour? are they specific about types of cakes?

🍧 SHAVED ICE - do they still have any objects from their childhood? what significance does it have to them? what would their reaction be if they lost it?

plants & nature

💐 BOUQUET - create a bouqet for them! what do those flowers mean? are any of the flowers their particular favourite?

🌙 MOON - what is your oc's greatest wish? how far are they willing to go for it?

🌋 VOLCANO - how bad is their temper? is it a slow boil, or a instant explosion?

🌺 HIBISCUS - do they have any allergies?

🍁 MAPLE LEAF - what is their favourite season? why?

🍃 FALLING LEAF - do they enjoy being in nature? what is their favourite outdoor activity?

☀️ SUN - are they a morning person? what is the first thing they do in the morning?

🕷️ SPIDER - what is their biggest fear? do they have any irrational / mundane fears?

🌹 ROSE - do they like valentines day? have they been confessed to before? have they confessed to anyone before?

🙈 SEE-NO-EVIL - whats a side of your oc that they don't want to show other people?

🙊 SPEAK-NO-EVIL - what is something your oc will refuse to stay quiet about?

🙉 HEAR-NO-EVIL - what is the worse thing your oc could hear from someone?

🌱 SEEDLING - what is their most vivid memory from childhood?

🍀 CLOVER - do they believe in luck? are they lucky?

🌏 EARTH - will they give up the world for someone they love? is this decision easy for them?

🌌 MILKY WAY - what was the inspiration behind your oc? what was the first thing you decided about them?

activity

⚾ BASEBALL - can they play sports? what is their best position if they play a team sport? what's their strong suit (speed, power etc.)?

🏊 SWIMMING - can they swim? or are they afraid of water? how well do they swim? how do they feel about swimming in the ocean?

objects

📣 MEGAPHONE - how loud are they? what do they speak like? got a voice claim?

📖 OPEN BOOK - do they like reading? what's their favourite genre?

🪤 MOUSE TRAP - what will always lure them into certain danger? a loved one in danger? a promise of something they are always searching for?

📸 CAMERA - do they enjoy having their picture taken? what's their go-to pose? do they like taking photos? what do they take photos of?

🎭 MASKS - do they act differently around certain people? what's different between the way they act around friends, family, strangers, etc.?

✂️ SCISSORS - what is the "last straw" for them to cut someone out of their life? how easily do they let go of people?

💡 LIGHTBULB - is your oc a planner? do they write down every small detail or just wing it?

💎 DIAMOND - how rich are they? can they live the lifestyle they want to?

🎁 PRESENT - what types of presents would they be most happy to receive? are they good at gift giving?

🍼 BABY BOTTLE - what are their thoughts on children?

🔪 KNIFE - how do they react to injury / misfortune befalling their loved ones (significant other, family, friends)? do they put themselves at blame?

👑 CROWN - what does your oc want to be remembered as? why?

✏️ PENCIL - is there a particular quote / lyric that you associate with them?

🎵 MUSIC NOTE - what is their playlist like? their favourite artists? do you associate a particular song with them?

🎤 MICROPHONE - are they good at singing? what is their go-to karaoke song?

🎷 SAXOPHONE - do they play any instruments? are they any good at it?

📚 BOOKS - how were they at school? what is their best subject? what is their worst subject? do they have a favourite subject?

👖 JEANS - what is their go-to outfit?

🎨 PALETTE - can they draw? what do they like to draw?

🎡 FERRIS WHEEL - are they someone who wants to kiss at the top of the ferris wheel?

⏳ HOURGLASS - are they usually late or on-time?

🔫 PISTOL - do they trust people easily? how easily will they turn their back to someone? have they been backstabbed before? will they betray someone if given an ultimatum?

🎀 RIBBON - how would they fit into other worlds / aus? what aus would you like to try out? what fictional world would they fit / not fit into?

📎 PAPERCLIP - a random fact.

📦 PACKAGE - what are some "most likely to..." that can apply to them?

🖍️ CRAYON - what advice would you give to them?

⚙️ GEAR - what are your ocs thoughts on science & art? which do they give more importance to? how much value do they place on each?

🔧 WRENCH - are they good at fixing relationships? or do they tend to avoid doing so?

❇️ SPARKLE - what is their most prized possession? what do they value?

📏 RULER - is your oc well educated? where did they get their learning from?

transport

🚆 TRAIN - what is their answer to the trolley problem?

🚲 BICYCLE - can they ride a bike? what do they remember from learning to ride a bicycle?

weather

🌩️ LIGHTNING - are they scared of lightning?

💧 DROPLET - random angst headcanon

❄️ SNOWFLAKE - do people consider them cold? if so, what made them this way?

🌪️ TORNADO - what is the biggest change you've ever made to them? how have they changed from their original version?

🌈 RAINBOW - what advice would they give to their younger self?

🔥 FIRE - do they have any self destructive tendencies? what habits do they have that hinder them from becoming their best self?

☁️ CLOUD - a soft headcanon

🌟 GLOWING STAR - what do they think about when they look at the night sky? is there someone they want to star gaze with?

🌠 SHOOTING STAR - if they could make any wish with no repercussions, what wish would they make?

☄️ COMET - what do people assume about them? are they right?

hearts

💓 BEATING HEART - what gets their heart racing?

💘 HEART W/ ARROW - what traits do they look for in a relationship? do they believe in love at first sight?

💗 GROWING HEART - if they have a crush, is it noticable? what changes when they're in love?

❤️ RED HEART - their love language(s)?

💙 BLUE HEART - do they miss their s/o easily? how do they act when their s/o isn't around?

💚 GREEN HEART - what things make your oc feel comforted? hugs, kisses, food?

💖 SPARKLING HEART - are they a subtle or a showy lover?

💌 LOVE LETTER - do they like love letters? what kind of messages do they leave for their partner?

💔 BROKEN HEART - what could their partner do that would absolutely break their heart?

[luna-azzurra]

Unhealed Wounds Your Character Pretends Are Just “Personality Traits”

These are the things your character claims are just “how they are” but really, they’re bleeding all over everyone and calling it a vibe.

╰ They say they're "independent." Translation: They don’t trust anyone to stay. They learned early that needing people = disappointment. So now they call it “being self-sufficient” like it’s some shiny badge of honor. (Mostly to cover up how lonely they are.)

╰ They say they're "laid-back." Translation: They stopped believing their wants mattered. They'll eat anywhere. Do anything. Agree with everyone. Not because they're chill, but because the fight got beaten out of them a long time ago.

╰ They say they're "a perfectionist." Translation: They believe mistakes make them unlovable. Every typo. Every bad hair day. Every misstep feels like proof that they’re worthless. So they polish and polish and polish... until there’s nothing real left.

╰ They say they're "private." Translation: They’re terrified of being judged—or worse, pitied. Walls on walls on walls. They joke about being “mysterious” while desperately hoping no one gets close enough to see the mess behind the curtain.

╰ They say they're "ambitious." Translation: They think achieving enough will finally make the emptiness go away. If they can just get the promotion, the award, the validation—then maybe they’ll finally outrun the feeling that they’re fundamentally broken. (It never works.)

╰ They say they're "good at moving on." Translation: They’re world-class at repression. They’ll cut people out. Bury heartbreak. Pretend it never happened. And then wonder why they wake up at 3 a.m. feeling like they're suffocating.

╰ They say they're "logical." Translation: They’re terrified of their own feelings. Emotions? Messy. Dangerous. Uncontrollable. So they intellectualize everything to avoid feeling anything real. They call it rationality. (It's fear.)

╰ They say they're "loyal to a fault." Translation: They mistake abandonment for loyalty. They stay too long. Forgive too much. Invest in people who treat them like an afterthought, because they think walking away makes them "just as bad."

╰ They say they're "resilient." Translation: They don't know how to ask for help without feeling like a burden. They wear every bruise like a trophy. They survive things they should never have had to survive. And they call it strength. (But really? It's exhaustion wearing a cape.)

[aceofspiders]

Well lads

Should I open up a side blog for the fandom I got this cursed app for in the first place with the name I started in this place with

(welcome back XCOM 2 fandom)

[aceofspiders]

Well four of you have implied and two of you have spoken

That's more than enough of us

@avengercommander should exist again, just not populated and customized yet

Should I draw something shitty to be my pfp

Yes I should