#Espresso the Italian Engine

[tabooiart]

post i made last night actually got me Thinking about what on earth i'm gonna do with the nationals so i did some doodles to get my ideas out. the concept is that they all still represent their countries but i completely removed the flags from their designs and just based them on real trains. these are subject to change but the base idea is there

[chaosghoulx]

[trainqueen379]

CHIBI NATIONALS!!

(I apologise for the bad translations, I used google translate)

[starburst2000]

Starlight Express Appreciation Month 2024!!

Day 23: National Engines!!!

🎶Let's hear it for the Champion Engines of the world!🎶

[dreamdancerdotfile]

(x)

[rosienewsies]

I SHIP IDC 🧡❤️

[green-planets]

StEx Appreciation Month Day 23: The Nationals!

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Favourite Song/Scenes: This answer is going to be the same for all of them so the races, Rolling Stock, and Coda of Freight! They all have super fun background interactions too!

In addition, I also believe Bochum could probably get away with gender blind casting for all of the national engines

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Ruhrgold!

Face Claim: Josh Crowther, George Olney, or Will Luckett

Favourite Costumes: ICE RUHR SUPREMACY FOREVER AND ALWAYS

Favourite Ships/Friendships: Ruhrgold x Carrie, Ruhrgold x Joule (as exes). He's friends with all of the nationals but closest with Coco and Espresso, after he and Carrie start dating I could see him hanging out with some of the coaches, and he becomes friends with Rusty post-canon

Headcanons: He's extremely charming. Whenever he's late, all he has to do is smile and apologize and most people forget why they were upset at him in the first place

Unpopular Opinion: I don't have any!

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Bobo!

Face Claim: Fraser Fraser or Darren John

Favourite Costumes: Orange Bobo!!!

Favourite Ships/Friendships: Bobo x Espresso.

Headcanons: Bobo started flirting with Espresso as a power move (trying to psyche out his rival with mind games). Over time, his flirting became more and more genuine until he finally confessed his feelings

Unpopular Opinion: I like Coco way more than Bobo (but I don't think that's unpopular lol)

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Coco!

Face Claim: Molly McGuire!!! or Clare Maynard

Favourite Costumes: I love her costume! I know girl=skirt is a bad design philosophy but unfortunately Coco slays. I wouldn't be sad if they swapped the skirt for a pair of shorts or something though

Favourite Ships/Friendships: Coco x Pearl, Coco x Brandi, Coco x Volta. She and Zero are bitch buddies, of the nationals she's closest with Ruhrgold and Brexit (he may be a twerp but he's HER twerp), she has no problem hanging out with Bobo or Espresso separately but thinks they're absolutely insufferable when they're together, she's also friends with Greaseball and Brandi

Headcanons: She's the same Coco from the Japan/Aus tour! Trans Coco real!!

Unpopular Opinion: Not unpopular, but the Chanel references need to go

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Espresso!

Face Claim: Noah Jordan or Darius James

Favourite Costumes: Current Bochum! I really like the red and green split!

Favourite Ships/Friendships: Espresso x Bobo!!, Espresso x Zero (more of a one-sided crush on Zero's end), Espresso x Bidecker (as exes)

Headcanons: He finally realized that he was gay while dating Bidecker. She was planning on breaking up with him anyway because their personalities were too incompatible as romantic partners, so their split was fairly amicable and they stayed friends afterwards

Unpopular Opinion: I don't have any!

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Brexit!

Face Claim: Kevin Köhler!!! (Born to play silly little guys!!) or Anthony Cragg

Favourite Costumes: I really like his costume (minus the tie)! The flat cap is so cute

Favourite Ships/Friendships: Brexit x Rocky 1!! The other nationals like to pick on him the most but they are friends! He also befriended Memphis Belle and I could see him getting along with Rusty

Headcanons: Brexit was going to apologize to Rocky 1 for dropping out of the race but when he saw how upset he was, he chickened out and hid. He ended up meeting Memphis Belle in the freight yard. She made them some tea and they had a very pleasant chat (she also gave him advice on how to approach Rocky 1)

Unpopular Opinion: Also not unpopular, it would be so sooo easy to change his name to something silly like Biscuit and give him a different tie. And they should totally let him race with Rocky 1 at least once

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Turnov!

Face Claim: Chris Southgate or Joseph Connor (but Jayred Lempriere Turnov slayed)

Favourite Costumes: Current Bochum costume, I like the red padding he has under his chest and shoulder boxes more than the dark gray

Favourite Ships/Friendships: Turnov x Hashimoto (platonic or romantic, I just think they're close). Hashimoto is his closest friend out of the nationals, he also hangs out quite a bit with Brexit and Brandi

Headcanons: Turnov and Hashimoto were perfectly content to sit in silence with each other and do their own things, but after the race they spend a lot more of their time together bitching about a certain caboose

Unpopular Opinion: He could be cut and I wouldn't really care. He's the national I think about the least :/

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Hashimoto!

Face Claim: Mayo Kawasaki

Favourite Costumes: I prefer the blue costume but I don't mind the current Bochum one

Favourite Ships/Friendships: Hashimoto x Turnov. He's closest with Turnov, but friends with the rest of the nationals

Headcanons: He's usually pretty reserved, but really cuts loose during the races and after-parties. He likes to spend some one-on-one time with each of the other nationals before they all have to part ways again

Unpopular Opinion: Also not unpopular but holy shit stop casting white people to play him </3 And stop giving him stupid names!!

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[goblin-iz-whack]

StEx Appreciation Month Day 26: Nationals

Turnov:

Favorite Ships: Brexnov

Headcanons: Really just needs love, has had a pretty difficult life, and deserves to settle down

Unpopular opinions: Idk

Coco:

Favorite Ships: French Wine

Headcanons: The "5" is because she was the fifth in her litter of siblings, Bobo is her overprotective Dad

Unpopular opinions: I hard-core dislike her skirt- You can make a feminine/female character without shoving them into a skirt.

Espresso:

Favorite Ships: Iced Coffee

Headcanons: Is Gay but flirts with anything that moves and talks, even humans and sentient machinery that aren't trains

Unpopular opinions: Idk

Brexit:

Favorite Ships: Brexnov

Headcanons: Real name is "Windermere", Dad dancer, Smallest of all the Nationals

Unpopular opinions: I don't think it's Unpopular that his name and tie need to go.

Ruhrgold:

Favorite Ships: Him and Bobo tbh

Headcanons: Twins with Rhinegold, One of the few Nationals that doesn't get caught up in racing drama

Unpopular opinions: Idk

Manga:

Favorite Ships: ...him and Dinah

Headcanons: Real name is "Hashimoto", uhhh idk what else he really likes arcades?

Unpopular opinions: Tbh I hate the name Manga-

[marastriker]

My StEx HC Looks

Espresso the Italian National

Update costume Faceclaim: Terence Uphoff Mannerisms/Body more like Luuk Hartog Has a more chiseled face with stubble at all times, sometimes he grows it out longer Has a fair amount of body hair but waxes before a big race Tan, olive toned skin Almond shaped brown eyes Much taller than you would expect, about 6'2" Slim with lean/toned muscle Aggressively tossing pizza dough IS a workout what do you mean Longer, sleek, thin black hair

[starburst2000]

Hashimoto: 🎶Depending on the time of day the French go either way~🎶

BoBo: 😡HEY!

Also...

Espresso: 🎶You are so gay, you big parfait, you flaming big boy cabaret!🎶

BoBo: I'M STRAIGHT!

Espresso: 😠You were not yesterday.

gay or european but with the international trains

[isaterriblebore]

Me: don’t start a new ship, don’t start a new ship, don’t start a new ship, don’t start a new ship, don’t start a new ship, don’t —

Ah damn 😳

[chaosghoulx]

Espresso: "I told Brexit his ears turn red when he lies."

Ruhrgold: "Why did you do that?"

Espresso: "So I could do this...HEY BREX DO YOU LOVE US?"

Brexit, covering his ears: "NO."

[trainqueen379]

Bobo and Espresso!

[starburst2000]

@sniglettt

Bobo: *holding up baby Coco* Hello moi wee baby baguette! *proud papa noises*

Espresso: Give me the kid.

Bobo: But I-

Espresso: No. No. This is for her own good. No child should be exposed to that much French people.

[starburst2000]

The Settebello's formation (Or, Espresso and his siblings)

National Engines lore!! Yay!!!!

Espresso Macchiato Bollente (Head engine & Belvedere): the man engine, the myth, the legend! The unbeaten Italian champion from 1957 to 1980, the Great Railroad Race of 1982 was his swan's song, as he retired from racing and doing passenger service between 1984 and 1988. Him and the French national champion, Boniface "BoBo" Grandvitesse had an ongoing rivalry from 1978 to 1985, after which they became friends, and eventually lovers.

Placido Calmo Adagio (1st Passenger Coach): the best part of the journey is when any passenger takes out a book and starts to read it. The worst part is when the chosen book turns out to be boring as a brick. (Sorry, Flat-Top)

Margherita Ambrosia Taberna (Restaurant Car): anyone who eats on her, either asks for seconds, or lies. She's also in a relationship with one of Espresso's rivals, a certain Japanese Shinkansen named Hikari Hashimoto... Espresso wasn't impressed when he found out.

Popina Fabiana Mansia (Kitchen/Staff/Mail Vagon): Margherita's right arm, she only wants quality ingredients for preparing the food that will be fed to the passengers. Occasionally serves in the mail service.

Vidula Custodia Edicula (Luggage Van/Souvenir Kiosk): she serves both as luggage supervisor and souvenir seller for whoever wants a memento of their journey. She's also known for always having the juiciest gossip and news, considering that she also serves as a newspapers and magazines seller for the passengers.

Pacifico Sereno Ristorato (2nd Passenger Coach): considering that he's part of the first set of trains who got wallphones on them, he's the one who often reveals the gossip to Vidula.

Rapido Massimo Prestissimo (Tail Engine & Belvedere): Espresso's semi-identical twin, except for the hair lenght: Rapido's hair is much shorter compared to Espresso's.

[octuscle]

Gas Stop

Max was drenched in sweat. He had been given a high-powered Mercedes at the airport in Frankfurt and was now speeding along the Autobahn on his way to Stuttgart. The speedometer showed 180 km/h. The German Autobahns were murderous. He hadn't been here for 20 years, shortly after graduating, and had the impression that driving behavior had become significantly more aggressive. 190 km/h. Suddenly, a headlight flashed in the rearview mirror. A Porsche was not even a meter behind him. Startled, Max yanked his steering wheel around and pulled the car into the middle lane of the highway. The Porsche accelerated and sped off, followed by a Ducati whose driver revved up the engine powerfully. Damn, Max was now driving over 200 km/h, but the two speeders must be doing well over 250 km/h.

Max's knees were shaking, his hands were sweaty. There was a rest stop in five kilometers. He needed a coffee. And a toilet. He took his foot off the gas. The speedometer needle dropped counterclockwise toward 100 km/h. The exit came up. Max braked. Thank God, now a break!

The Ducati that had just overtaken him was standing in front of the wash rooms. At least it had an Italian license plate, Max had noticed. Motorcyclists who race at such speeds are all suicidal, Max thought, shaking his head, as he paid the fee to use the toilet at the entrance barrier. He stood at a urinal, unzipped his fly and peed. Someone approached from behind and stood right next to him, although the toilets were otherwise deserted. Max concentrated on the urinal in front of him. But given the smell coming from next door, it was hard for him to do so. Leather, sweat, cigarette smoke. Normally rather repulsive. But now? At this moment? Somehow arousing. His cock was getting hard.

He heard the sound of a zipper opening. A long zipper, not the short one of a pair of trousers. The smell of sweat became more intense. He carefully turned his head. The guy next to him was the motorcyclist. He had unzipped his suit, so not only his cock was exposed, but also his sweaty T-shirt, from which the chest hair on a muscular chest peered out. Max stared in the direction of the stallion next to him. He couldn't help it. He made eye contact with his neighbor. He began to jerk off his uncircumcised cock. “Fucking?” he asked. German, with a heavy Italian accent. Max didn't speak German, but he understood that. The stallion pissed, kept jerking off and left, using his boner like a signpost. Max followed without a word, his boner also sticking out of his pants. The Italian stallion went into a stall, stood against the wall and held his cock out to Max, grinning. Max understood. Even though the floor was wet with piss, he knelt down and began to suck the balls first and then the cock. Damn, the smell, the taste of salt and musk made him so horny. He had the biker's firm, leather-clad ass cheeks in his hands and the cock in his face. His own cock bumped against the toilet bowl. Shit, had the beast always been that big? The fabric of his jacket became heavier. The rustling of fabric became the creaking of leather. The thoughts in his head began to blur. Shit, somehow it always felt like this when he sucked Andrea's cock. The two were motorcyclists out of passion. And every gas stop was also time to cum. Speeding along the highway at almost 300 km/h not only released adrenaline but also testosterone. Lots of testosterone. And a lot of it Andrea squirted into Massimo's face now.

“Another espresso, Mimo?” Andrea asked. Massimo grinned. ‘Mimo’ was what his mother had always called him when he went to kindergarten. Andrea and Massimo had known each other since then. No one except Andrea was allowed to call him Mimo. “Is that a question? A break without jerking off in the bathroom and espresso is not an option!” The two had been best buddies for almost 20 years. But not gay. Jerking off and sucking off only ever without eye contact!

Pic by @ki-kink