✎ᝰ ∿ the smokestack twins as nerds (lowkey losers) !!!
♡⃕ ∿ ft. nerd!elias “stack” moore && nerd!elijah “smoke” moore
♡⃕ ∿ genre && warnings: fluff ! stack is lowkey (highkey) a smart ass, both men are geeks but one refuse to admit, smoke uses anime as flirting ?? lemme know if I missed anything
♡⃕ ∿ a/n: was this me wanting to combine all my interests as one ?? well yessss 😁
⋆˙⟡ nerd!smoke, the historian genius of his circle. he’s so enwrapped in the past to the point where no one can go a day without hearing, “you know on this day”, even if it’s just to say that this was the day that something miniscule was invented. though, his pride in his knowledge heightens when he’s asked about black history. since a youngin, smoke has immersed himself in learning, reading, and researching the history of his own people
⋆˙⟡ nerd!smoke, quiet, composed, but unnoticed, he can become quite the chatter when asked a simple question about a historic event. he usually gives you a straightforward answer and ends it there. however, when asked about an event that he has such passion for, his answers become lengthy, and you end up learning more than you need to
⋆˙⟡ nerd!smoke, has a glass case in his home with various genres of nonfiction books. wars, inventions, especially politics, and don’t try to say he’s wrong about a fact either cause he will pull up the exact source he found it from
⋆˙⟡ nerd!smoke, outside of history, and a little bit of physics, he’s a bit of a comic book nerd. then again, he’s always been one to keep himself deeply wrapped in any sort of literature; graphic novels, science fiction, informational, he enjoys spending his time reading
⋆˙⟡ nerd!smoke, superhero and anime nerd through and through! especially anime; he’ll geek out and explain the power system of just about any and every anime/manga he’s into at the moment. stack usually likes to tease him about it, but smoke don’t be taking it to the heart (cause stack is lowkey worse)
⋆˙⟡ nerd!smoke, when explaining an anime and its character, he has a sort of charming lilt to his voice. he knows how complicated this sort of media can get when explaining, so he breaks it down into something you can understand. he doesn’t dumb it down or make you feel dumb when explaining; instead, he starts with a simple example, typically a battle between two characters, then smoothly moves over to breaking down each character’s powers and how it affects the battle. add a couple of deep chuckles, small smiles that show his pearly whites, and hand gestures (that usually never help, but it does help when you notice the slim, gold rings on his hands. but that’s neither here nor there !!)
꒰ curious ❀ curiouser .ᐟ ꒱
⋆˙⟡ nerd!stack, booksmart, streetsmart, everything smart and highly cocky about it. it’s hard to have him be wrong about something cause he knows the answer to just about everything (almost everything). even when he’s blatantly wrong, he won’t admit to it at the moment; instead, he’ll brush up on his incorrect statement and prove his knowledge again. even the most trivial, minuscule debate will turn into a heated blowout cause stack refuses to back down until you give up
⋆˙⟡ nerd!stack that you can rarely ever win against in a debate. his deep knowledge always gives him the upper hand, and it doesn’t help that he’ll school you on whatever you were wrong about. sometimes he’ll do it to prove how intelligent he is (again), and other times he’ll do it so you’re not providing misinformation to him again
⋆˙⟡ nerd!stack who, when not being a cocky prick, can be quite helpful whenever you’re confused on something. don’t get me wrong, he’ll joke about it at first, but then he’ll provide about three different methods that could help you understand better. he likes it when people gain more knowledge through and not use him as a cheat sheet
⋆˙⟡ nerd!stack, even though a genius of many things, he has the greatest set of knowledge in mathematics and science. he finds himself studying people more often than he needs to and uses that to his advantage
⋆˙⟡ nerd!stack, who can’t help but turn everything into a hypothesis. trivial or not, everything in this man’s life is an experiment to him, and you can’t fault him for the hypothesis being right almost every single time. the same amount of passion his brother had for history and literature, stack has for science. every subtopic of science, stack has found himself delving into; from the times he performed absurd experiments in his childhood backyard to him in college doing deep research on a physiological theory that has yet to leave his curious mind
⋆˙⟡ nerd!stack, similar to his brother, is a geek at heart; classical literature and video essays about superheroes are his guilty pleasure!! as much as he jokes about smoke and his obsession, his walls are covered in his favorite heroes and villains; he studied people for too long not to support at least some villains (please don’t ever ask him about jason todd or omni man). figurines standing on shelves, certain pieces (i.e cap’s shield, batman’s batarang, etc), little pins kept in a vintage venom/spiderman mug; all of this and he will still call his twin brother a “loser”
⋆˙⟡ nerd!stack who likes to use his expertise on superheroes and gets into constant debates with smoke about who is more skillful with their powers or who will win in some wild, crossover 2v2 battle. sometimes to get under his skin and other times to use this as a brotherly bond (still annoys smoke though)
♡⃕ i hope someone out there catches the title. you know ball if you do
♡⃕ I wanted to incorporate mbj’s love for anime so why not do it with one of my fav roles of his ? he looks saurrrr mf fine when he gets to talkin bout anime 😋
♡⃕ hope you guys enjoy my sinners debut 🫶🏾. imma go watch the movie again byeeeeee
Smoke most definitely has PTSD from his time serving in WWI, but also from his history with violent men—his father, the mobsters in Chicago, and even himself to some extent
He’s hyperviligant, constantly on high-alert and in a state of anxiety. Keen observation is as much of a defense mechanism as it is good for business. He picks up the subtle details and social cues most wouldn’t—like the twitch of a finger towards a gun holster, or the sound of anger in someone’s steps.
His trauma response is triggered by any sort of conflict—including even small doses of healthy confrontation. His brain associates conflict with anger, and anger with violence.
Before and after moments of conflict, his hands tremble violently. The only thing that seems to stop the shakes is tobacco. Stack usually rolls the cigarettes due to his shaking hands.
Despite the trembles, his muscle-memory overrides his trauma response and enables him to shoot a gun with perfect precision and mental fortitude. But it comes at a cost.
He distances himself mentally for his work, shutting off his emotions in lieu of a controlled, icy vacancy. He becomes a machine, burying the man so deep under frigid apathy that it is frightening.
It can be hard to bring him out of it and back into himself, and he may be distant for days after a job. So while effective for business, it is detrimental to his condition.
The smell of gunpowder and antiseptic can occasionally trigger episodes on a bad day, as well as sounds that imitate gunfire.
Episodes include trembling, flashbacks, sweating, heart palpitations, numbness and tingling in the hands and feet, and trouble breathing.
During an episode, he’s silent, and his expression goes vacant… Only those closest to him recognize his tells—body gone rigid, clenched jaw, and distracted by the onslaught of memories behind his eyes
Smoking is the only thing that steadies him. He never goes anywhere without his tobacco or his gun tucked into his belt. They are the guard rails that keep him from plummeting over into the abyss
Sometimes he has nightmares, and he’ll wake up gasping for air in a cold sweat. His nightmares are almost always of his father, and it takes a lot of hushed words and soft touches to convince him he’s not in that evil house anymore.
One of his biggest fears is that he’s grown to be exactly the kind of violent man his father was… Flashbacks of his father are the most brutal on his psyche, because he hates being reminded that he was glad to kill him.
Smoke will likely go his whole life thinking he’s violent and unwell man—that his ptsd is a sickness he inherited from his father. Ptsd was not formerly recognized as a mental health condition until the 1980s, and so his substance abuse is his only way of managing his hyperactive stress response.
Part of the reason he is so adamant about keeping up the appearance of a calculated, strong, and unaffected man is because he doesn’t want to be labeled as one of those WWI veterans who have ‘shell shock,’ as these folks were often dismissed as lunatics, labeled as cowards, or of possessing a weakness of the mind.
So he smokes like a chimney, and keeps the worst of his demons hidden away in the recesses of his mind, silently suffering while the worst moments of his life replay like a skipping record in his head.
How about a headcanon of being best friends and a student to smoke 😄😄 please
Tomas Vrbada / Smoke Friendship Headcanons
Note(s) : I'm still learning how to write about his character, so criticisms are appreciated.
If we're talking Lin Kuei, Tomas is probably the best option for a mentor because he's not as strict and, uh, scary as Bi-Han, and even less serious than Kuai Liang, although that's not hard because he's so responsible.
But, that doesn't mean he'll let you slack off.
Tomas has a schedule, which includes waking up extremely early, most likely 6 AM, getting dressed and having breakfast in the span of a few minutes, you're expected to be at training for at least 7 AM. Then you train until lunch, around 1 PM, which lasts until 2 PM and then you train until dinner, around 6PM.
He expects you, and everybody else who trains under him, to follow that schedule. He can accept a few excuses, injuries making it harder to get dressed, mental issues, maybe you were just really hungry and accidentally spent too long eating, whatever the case, he lets you off with a warning most of the time.
But if it becomes repeated behaviour you're going through more gruelling training for a week, only Bi-Han at that point can get you out of it, and everybody knows he won't.
He retains a friendly and casual relationship outside of your training, inviting you with his brothers to dinner, which is usually less than once a month. They're usually at Madame Bo's or another tea house, and he's usually the one paying.
You both talk while he trains you, mostly about other Lin Kuei members and their performance / behaviours. Smoke won't trash talk, but he will sometimes indulge in gossip. 'Did you hear about the new recruit who tried to fight Bi-Han?' 'They did what?!'
Even when you're fighting with more seriousness, he's still cracking a friendly joke here and there. Probably something about ice, fire, or smoke.
Speaking of, if you don't like puns about smoke, don't even talk to this guy. He somehow knows every pun in existence that even slightly relates to it, Bi-Han and Kuai Liang are so tired of them they both just leave whenever he starts with one.
He adores if you match his energy, you two bounce back with constant puns that you forget training and leave Bi-Han to scold you two.
Tomas already has a strained relationship with Bi-Han, the man doesn't view him as a brother, let alone squeal, even though that's all Smoke wants from him. He doesn't mean to burden you with his issues, but sometimes he might ask 'Do you think I'm deserving of being a Lin Kuei?'
He won't stop being friends with you if Bi-Han doesn't like you, but maybe he will if Kuai doesn't, he looks up to Scorpion and views him as a major influence in life. But, the likelihood of Kuai ever actually telling him he doesn't like you is low, so, you're all good.
Given how the Lin Kuei works, I think you'd also have to train under his brothers or others in the clan once and a while, but mainly under him. He probably has other students to train, and so he's not always free for casual talk or sparring because he has others to mentor.
I'd say, for a guess, he most likely gets at least a day off, if not, breakfast, lunch and dinner is probably a time where he's free to at least go to a restaurant for food with you.
Shirai Ryu Tomas is different. While before he had maybe one day off, now he's always free because of how there's almost no recruits, only Hanzo and a few other kids who didn't have a good situation before the clan formed.
You'd most likely help the younger ones, and maybe have an 'assistant' role when teaching, the training is fairly lighter because they're just kids, but any adults or teens will have the same training as you, with a tighter schedule that you have to help maintain.
He has more free time to just... Hang around basically, he's always inviting you to have food with Kuai or his friends, like Johnny, Syzoth and most other members of the Kast, he's a big fan of helping you out with tasks.
Tomas will enjoy cleaning, for example, he expects you to help him obviously, especially if it's your room or armour he's helping clean. But, he enjoys it because it's productive and he gets to spend time with you.
Smoke also loves when you do things like that for him! Especially cooking, he's not... The best at it, so he appreciates when you make food after a long day of training and doing small missions for Liu Kang.
He doesn't touch the kitchen. Don't make him go near it.
He might try and teach you Czech or Chinese, if you don't know either already, this totally isn't just so when you're in crowded areas you can talk to each other without people listening, what are you talking about?
Although, it took him years to learn Chinese, so he understands if you find it too difficult and don't want to learn, that won't stop him from muttering words under his breath when he's annoyed.
He's not the biggest fan of hugs, don't get me wrong, he absolutely will if you ask him or he needs it, but he doesn't think he's ever been hugged since he was a kid, so it's just a bit unfamiliar.
Smoke likes holding your hand though, not only will you not get lost in crowds, but you can have friendly contact without it being too much for either of you.
Never ask him for relationship advice, if you want a wingman, look the other way. His love life consists of nothing, a barren desert, and he prefers to keep it that way.
Hi! Can you plz do Nightwolf, Kurtis Stryker, Smoke, Sub-Zero and Erron Black with 4’8 short s/o Thank you 😊
Erron Black
Has a million and one height based nicknames for you, Smallfry, Shorty, Itty Bitty, Cupcake, Shortstack etc. It all comes from a place of love of course.
The first time he took you horseback riding, he teased you asking if maybe you’d prefer to ride a show pony instead.
Rather than just grab whatever you can’t reach for you, he likes giving you a boost to grab it, as it gives him an excuse to have his hands on your hips.
Kurtis Stryker
He can be a bit of a tease, purposely putting things on high shelves just to bug you, hiding the step stool etc. he just loves to get a rise out of you.
He’ll playfully rest his elbow on your head, pretending to not even notice you’re there. “Oh honey I’m so sorry I thought I was leaning on the kitchen counter”.
At the end of day however he loves how easily he can pluck you off the ground and set you down on his lap for some relaxing down time.
Nightwolf
He truthfully doesn’t think much of your stature. He doesn’t see it as anything inherently good or bad.
He does still enjoy how helpful you make him feel when you ask for him to reach for something too high up.
Whenever it gets too hard for your short legs to keep up with Grey on hikes, he gladly volunteers to give you a piggy back ride.
Smoke/Tomas Vrbada
He thinks you’re the cutest little thing! He tries not to be infantizing about it but he also can’t get over how cute and teeny you are.
You’ve had to tell him more than once to not crouch down to talk to you as if you were a child.
Tomas adores how easily he can lift you up to press kisses all over your face. He’ll make sure you never feel the need to stand on your tiptoes to kiss him.
Sub-Zero/Kuai Liang
He’s not exactly the tallest man himself so it surprises him a bit to see someone that much shorter than him.
He makes it a point to always be a helping hand for when you can’t reach for something on the shelf. He goes a bit overboard and puts stools and ladders all over the Lin Kuei temple to make things as easy and comfortable as possible.
He doesn’t admit it, but he secretly loves making you tiptoe to reach up to kiss him. He finds it very cute and appreciates the effort you put into it even if it’s just to get a small peck on the cheek.
