#sftd ref

oh worm!!!!!

11. Bad or petty habits

Eliza’s absolute worst habit is just forgetting to take care of herself. I don’t mean physically--her military background would strangle her alive--but perhaps mentally. Eliza constantly puts herself second to everything else that’s going on; someone else’s problems are always more important than hers, and the sooner she deals with that, the better... but she never takes time for herself. About the most she gives herself is five minutes of crying and self-pity after nightmares and sleep paralysis, and then she’s done.

22. People who’ve influenced them greatly

Funnily enough... Argus. Eliza was a very, very different person, all through her military tenure right up to and including First Contact, but about the only people alive who even know she was essentially a different person are Bradford... and the Elders. The happy, joking Eliza portrayed in SFTD? She wasn’t always that way, and for  reason to be revealed, Argus is partly to blame.

4. Best places to kiss on their body

If you wanna be sensual? Jax’s pecs because, holy shit. Those are some juicy tiddies muscles. Anywhere else that’s nicely muscled is a good plus too, especially his arms.

(SFTD-centric, inspired as always by @commanderguixi!)

There’s scrabbling in the vents. Your first fear is Chryssalid, but whatever’s in there is much too large. It stops in the ceiling above you. Through the cracks in the plating, you swear you spy purple, glowing lights. Nobody around you is worried. You think the lights are staring at you.

Everywhere you go, there’s a buzz in the air. It makes the hair on your arms stand up and it only ever gets stronger when the soldiers with white hair and purple eyes come around. When the Commander enters the room you’re in the buzz starts to sound like a song. Give in, it croons. To what? Give in.

The Chosen were the Elders’ strongest. What are they doing here? They’re different. You see them glance at the Commander strangely. Then at you when you notice. You avert your eyes. You can still feel them looking at you. What happened to them?

You’ve never seen so many aliens in one place. They walk among the soldiers. Tension is palpable in the air. One of them flickers into existence in front of you and you’re too surprised to scream.

Wherever the Warlock goes, whispers follow. He makes far too little noise for someone of his size. The congregation of followers around him are also silent. He is silent. The whispering continues. Holy Father. Holy Father. The hair on your arms stands up.

You’ve only caught one glimpse of the man they call Tygan. He did not make a single sound as you caught him rounding a corner. There were orange stains down his front. You think nothing of it until you watch one of the aliens nursing a wound. Orange blood. He is a surgeon, you assure yourself. He had orange on his face. A surgeon.

There’s a flicker in the corner of your eye. You turn to look but nothing is there. Wasn’t there another person in this room with you? Was there a Chosen here? Was there anyone at all? There’s another flicker and you are frozen, too afraid to look.

Your eyes are closed. You know they are closed. There are images in purple dancing in your vision. You open your eyes. There is no one there. You close them again. The ghosts have stopped and you know you are being watched. You’re afraid to open your eyes. What if they stay?

The Commander is sitting with her soldiers. Her grin is just a little too wide, her voice carries a little too well. She turns her gaze to you and it strikes you that no human’s eyes are that shade of blue. Her veins are glowing the same color. You remember the Elders had her for twenty years and wonder if XCOM knows their Commander is different.

You are in a barren hallway when you hear singing. It’s a pre-war song. You suddenly feel like laying down your arms and letting it happen. You don’t know what that is. It continues. Why resist? Why struggle? The song stops and some part of you craves to hear it again.

BONUS: SFTD/CHOSEN CROSSOVER UNDER CUT

(SFTD-focused Gothic again)

They speak in your ears. They want you back, you mean everything to Them. You cry and say you’re sorry, you’re so sorry. You don’t want to leave. You need to leave. These aren’t your feelings but you can’t help but feel a pang whenever you think about Them. They would never leave You.

Everyone around you seems to be smiling a little too much. You remember that baring your teeth is a sign of aggression in animals and you wonder how safe you are here. Your XO grins but it doesn’t quite reach his eyes. His eyes ask a question you’ll never be able to answer.

You know this ship. You’ve never been on this ship. You have piloted this ship and yet You never have. Who is You? Were you ever You?

The scanners pick up an abandoned Haven and the soldiers investigate. Suddenly you know every nook and cranny, every floor, every body. The screen pans to an unmoving family of four and you remember giving the order to leave none alive. Your skin pricks. The room is silent. They must know.

You wake up. You’re on your back. There’s something on your chest and it is suffocating you. The smell of venom burns you and you open your mouth to scream just to find something being shoved inside. Twenty years ago. Twenty. This isn’t happening. You wake up. You’re on your back.

Your hair keeps growing. You cut it. It grows back longer. You cut it again. It floods to the floor. You cut it again. It starts to wrap around your throat. Maybe braiding it would keep it pacified.

Twenty years. You lost twenty years but you don’t look a day older from 2015. You notice every aging line, every creaky joint of everyone around you. You look too smooth. Did you always look like this? You catch your smile in a mirror. Too wide. Too wide.

“Do you know what they did to me?” You do and you don’t. You know every scream, you know every cry of regret, you know the long hours spent alone wondering what they did wrong. You don’t know why. You don’t know why it ever happened. A familiar phrase lingers on your tongue but you don’t know why it applies. You didn’t know you were capable of such hatred. It doesn’t scare you.

Your psionics hum. You want to join them but you cannot. Fear screams at you when you think about it. Why are you so afraid? You open your mouth to sing but the only word that comes out is “Don’t.” Perhaps you should trust yourself.

The new Skirmisher recruit is brought before you. You know him. He knows you. You remember telling him to kill one of his own for trying to defect. He remembers doing it. You remember him trying to take his own life. He remembers you giving the order to flee. He is a murderer. You are a slaughterer. He passes your judgement with flying colors.

Eliza: There Can Be No Better Hugger. She’s tall and will gently sweep you into her arms and BIG HUGS. Plus that Solace of Love will just knock you OFF YOUR FEET. The Commander/10.

Bradford: Gonna quote Guixi on this one and say “DADFORD.” If you need a hug from Bradford he will provide. A good man. 10/10.

Tygan: “Don’t touch me I’m sterile and do you know how hard that is to maintain around here.” If you can catch this man on one of his legendarily rare breaks, maybe. In that case, 6/10. He’ll lean on you because he’s tired and--oop he’s asleep. Hope you like being a bed for like, three hours. Maybe more if you let him sleep.

Lily: LITTLE SISTER HUGS. 8/10. She’s a little awkward with it but around here? She’ll take what she can get if you offer it. She’s like Tygan, catch her during a break and you’ll have a better chance at getting one.

Headcanon A:  realistic

While the Warlock largely doesn’t need a psi-amp, he uses his gauntlets to channel his power, much like Templars. The claws are laced with Elerium, and the metal itself is the same alien metal in the Chosen guns. Unlike his rifle, the gauntlets were made for him by the Elders.

Headcanon B: while it may not be realistic it is hilarious

Upkeep of his hair is the thing he will be the most vain about. While he mostly has his Priests take care of it, he fully knows how to keep it in its eternally soft and silky state. Seriously, running your fingers through it is a pleasure... but good luck ever achieving that.

Headcanon C: heart-crushing and awful, but fun to inflict on friends

The Warlock, for all his appearances, is still childlike in ways. He still has common fears of the dark and of being alone, but has to quash wanting to seek out the Elder’s assistance for it, for he knows that such things are childish.

Headcanon D: unrealistic, but I will disregard canon about it because I reject canon reality and substitute my own.

OH BOI

Eliza

Headcanon A:  realistic

The Elders genetically modified her a little bit to stave off muscle atrophy (and aging) while she was in the Stasis Suit, but that doesn’t mean she didn’t basically had to get used to doing anything again.

Headcanon B: while it may not be realistic it is hilarious

I’ve discussed this with you but the woman does NOT pick up on any of her own innuendos or accidental flirting. She’s basically teasing half of the cast at any given point and she thinks everyone’s just being weird.

Headcanon C: heart-crushing and awful, but fun to inflict on friends

While Eliza didn’t have a spouse or kids, she left a lot of friends that weren’t Bradford behind. All of them are dead by now, having either perished in the initial attacks or captured by ADVENT for information on her.

Headcanon D: unrealistic, but I will disregard canon about it because I reject canon reality and substitute my own.

Basically anything about her taking in the Chosen. You can pry this story from my cold, dead hands!

The Hunter

Headcanon A:  realistic

The Hunter’s eyes can dilate and constrict to quite frankly ridiculous degrees, in order to pick up light and focus in any situation. He can take conscious control over it if he needs.

Headcanon B: while it may not be realistic it is hilarious

The Hunter has purposely built guns wrong. Mostly to solve problems about what he’s working with when the Elders allow it or to demonstrate a point, but sometimes just to see them catastrophically fail. He deems it hilarious.

Headcanon C: heart-crushing and awful, but fun to inflict on friends

Mordenna’s let himself die on purpose a number of times, and in a variety of ways. It only ever comes at his lowest points and he immediately loathes himself for doing it, calling himself pathetic.

Headcanon D: unrealistic, but I will disregard canon about it because I reject canon reality and substitute my own.

Eliza: How’d you swing a kiss with the Commander? Doesn’t matter, that Solace of Love just INTENSIFIED. Even a cheek kiss would get it going. Eliza just likes to spread that Physical Affection because it is Good. You’re getting a hug for your troubles too, so it’s a two for one. Things might go further but is that the entire Circle of Pining with all of their weapons? Run. 10/10 but at what cost.

Bradford: Even if he hasn’t touched a drink since the Commander’s been around, he tastes like alcohol. It’s just ingrained in him by this point. Hope you like brushing against stubble as well, but if you’re into that, 9/10. He’s been around the block a few times, he knows what he’s doing.

Tygan: You can kiss the scientist for a job well done but--”Don’t touch me I’m” etc. If he’s on break you might get a polite kiss on the cheek back. Clinical and isn’t nervous about it more of the attitude of “there, now I’d like to catch what few hours of sleep I can.” 7/10.

Lily: If you get a kiss out of Lily Shen it’s because you’ve just offered to take over her work for her and let her get some GODDAMN SLEEP. It’s a very happy kiss, though she gets nervous afterwards and goes to take her nap. The Hunter gets them often. 8/10.

Fal-Mai Neylor: All three of the Chosen are unused to physical affection, the Assassin the most so. She’ll freeze, then ever so gently pat your head and then DISAPPEAR. 4/10. If you’re one of the people following her she may upgrade that to a gentle stroke and not disappear afterwards. 5/10. IF YOU’RE ELIZA: Nice to know the Chosen blush orange! A bit of a gasp, then relaxation. Rests her head on Eliza’s shoulder if Eliza is floating up to meet her. 10/10.

Ref-Il Mordenna: Do You Have A Death Wish. On one hand, he’s a former Reaper. That hug is gonna be FIRM and SATISFYING and a solid 10/10 otherwise. On the other, he’s like Arsozu, except that you are going to have to endure some HELL to get back whatever he just took. RIP. 3/10. IF YOU’RE ELIZA: You get the Reaper Hug without anything being stolen, AND pulled onto a chair and told to “stay a while.” You’re going to stay a while. 10/10.

Jax-Rai Tessura: Are you one of his Mystics? 9/10. You are a tiny plush toy to him and he loves you. A nice squeeze, then a slightly embarrassed cough hiding a “thank you.” A PsiOp? 8/10. He’s got a little less tolerance for being hugged out of the blue by you, but you ARE one of his disciples so it strokes his ego. Anyone else? 2/10. A glare and the strong feeling of if you don’t stop right now you are getting FLUNG across the room, physically or otherwise. IF YOU’RE ELIZA: Oh, wow, someone misses being hugged. He’ll be caught off-guard at first but then pull you RIGHT IN. You’re... you’re not going to leave for a while. Then again, if you’re Eliza, you entered this situation knowing that. Strong muscles, chiseled body, and the strength to carry you in one arm if you want to be somewhere else. 15/10.

Matriarch Maria: The Cool Older Sister of the Mystics and Warlock’s former Archbishop. This woman? Built like an Amazon and you WILL be swept off of your feet for the hug. Even washes a Solace over you during. Hope you like gentle praise, too. 10/10.

Mystics Demeter & Hestia: The Twins, but Not Little Shits. You hug one, the other will hug you from behind. No exceptions. As long as you’re not interrupting their work too much, they’re happy to oblige. If they like you enough, you may or may not be stealthily measured so they can make you something. 9/10.