#poppa the steamer

[tabooiart]

STEX APPRECIATION MONTH DAY 16: (POPPA/MOMMA) MCCOY

spent a lot of time deliberating on whether I should draw Momma or Poppa but ended up deciding on Poppa since I feel like he gets less art

Favorite Actor(s):

Poppa: Lon Satton, Steve Fowler, Lothair Eaton

Momma: Reva Rice!!! Jade Marvin also does really well :)

Favorite Song/Scenes: I love all of their scenes with Rusty and the freight sooo much. Also Light At The End Of The Tunnel is such a good and underrated scene with some great vocal moments for McCoy!!

Favorite Costume(s): When it comes to Poppa, I think the Japan/Aus Tour really nailed the shapes and colors!!!! For Momma I like her Bochum costume except I don't like her skirt she wears in act 2. I don't understand their insistence on all the female characters wearing skirts just let her have overalls!!

Favorite Ships/Friendships: McCoy x Memphis Belle goes hard ngl. We could have had old lesbiansss. And of course I love them as a parental figure to Rusty and the freight!!! But I think they would offer advice and affection to anyone who came to them :)

Headcanons: The reason McCoy is still in such good condition despite their age is that they're kept around as one of those touristy steam train tours.

Unpopular Opinion: I like Momma and Poppa equally!!! In my ideal world it would be a genderblind role. On that note I am a #poppadefender4life I've seen people be so mean about him in the past, calling him manipulative etc and I really just think people need to examine why they really feel that way <3

[wonderful-magician]

Rusty, and Poppa and Momma!

Rusty, his adoptive father and his adoptive aunt... Might make Rusty a starlight express variant but idk yet

[starburst2000]

Starlight Express Appreciation Month 2024!!

Day 16: Poppa & Momma!!!

🎶Let me hear you say "Steam"!🎶

[thewizardofschnoz]

I love Poppa. You know it's hard for him being a single mom, especially since he has no kids and is a male steam train.

Jokes aside... I drew this just so I could try to draw a steam beard. Pretty sick, huh?

[thisismondaymood]

Headcanons on how StEx characters would react if you give them an energy drink:

Pearl: pretends to not like drinking that kind of stuff but actually enjoys it

Greaseball: pretends to handle the caffeine quite well but throws up when no one is looking

Rusty: he'd either be hyper af (like a kid that ate too much sugar) and a bit sassier or cries his eyes out

Poppa/mama: starts using caffeine to compensate everyday life (just like most adults)

Flattop: he's almost caffeine resistant and even feels sleepy

Caboose (CB and AV): gets hyperactive af and goes feral (there might also be the risk of him stabbing someone with random pointy objects)

Canoose (BV): gets super confident first but has a mental breakdown as soon as the caffeine is broken down by the body

Dustin: takes one sip, finds it disgusting and touches that can never again

The rockies: battle eachother who can drink the most cans

Electra: zaps uncontrollably

Elektra: claims that he can handle that bit of caffeine but shuts down after half a can

Components: are too worried about Elektras condition to feel any difference

Dinah: giggles constantly

Belle (sleeping car): feels more youthful than everyone else

Ashley: she'd probably be very chatty and uses the can as an ashtray

Trax: feel happy and serene for once in their life

Control: gives his parents a hard time

[trealtox]

When Rusty asks Pearl to race with him she says that there is an engine of her dream that noone can replace. She specifies that it has to be the steam engine. I have checked and can tell, that there are only two steamers there: Rusty and Poppa/Momma. And since Pearl is not satisfied with Rusty, then can she be interested in *cough* more experienced *cough* engine?👀

[aheathen-conceivably]

🎶 Lost in the Light 🎶

After hours of trying to sleep, Zelda rose from her makeshift bed in her parent’s workroom sometime before dawn. She paused momentarily to ensure that Violette was well asleep and then headed to the front door of the cottage. Her feet still knew the path in the darkness as though it hadn’t been over a decade since she had last done this.

Stepping out into the night was almost like stepping back in time. The air swirled with the same sounds and smells that she had known her whole life, the same ones that she had always relied on to clear her mind and cradle her thoughts when she couldn’t sleep.

When she entered a clearing that she recognized from her youth she stopped to look up at the shivering leaves. Far too embarrassed to speak aloud in the silence, Zelda spoke in her mind, Poppa, I suppose if you are anywhere you must be here. Are you with Mother and Rosella? I would like to think so, to think that none of you are alone.

She stopped for a moment, hearing the morning birds begin to sing and taking a deep breath. There was no answer to her question. No sounds other than the songbird. As if refusing to admit her own perceived foolishness, Zelda quelled her disappointment and continued,

How is Antoine, Poppa? Can you see him? Can you hear him? It’s been so long since I’ve heard his voice. Over two months now, and Violette asks after him constantly. Even she knows that we should be home by now, that it has been longer than I intended to be here.

A momentary anger rose in Zelda’s throat, one that she had been stifling every day since she boarded the steamer. She told herself that she had considered staying in England for Violette’s future, for her safety and happiness; but she knew that her daughter couldn’t have that without her father.

No, she had considered staying here out of spite and fear, of keeping Violette away to make Antoine suffer for her loneliness. She was angry, inordinately angry that Antoine wasn’t there - that he hadn’t boarded a ship to come and find her as the weeks went by. But that was the thought of a young girl with young dreams, the type that had once wandered these woods with her mind full of romance novels and grand gestures.

Her years in New Orleans and the harshness of the world had tempered the girl she had once been; for Zelda knew that Antoine’s memories of the bloodshed of war here were blinding, and that her absence wouldn’t change the reasons he had stayed. It would only cause him to dig his heels in deeper and fall further into the trenches of his own mind. After almost ten years together she knew that she couldn’t pull him out, and that he had to want to let go before she could truly help him.

And she wanted nothing more than for him to let go, to experience the same freedom that she had felt in England, the unexpected lightness in her soul and her heart when she realized that she was no longer afraid of the things which once brought her so much pain.

For to her great surprise, she had borne every ounce of grief and memory without breaking. She had found an unexpected peace here that could perhaps bring more stability and security for herself and her daughter. Yet it was also devoid of the life and love she had found in New Orleans. For as much memory as was in this place, she couldn’t deny that it felt no more like home than after her father died. The strongest bonds to her family were now all truly gone, each of them nothing but memories amongst the leaves of the Bramblewood.

She knew that she could spend her days tilling the fields that her father had sown and attempting to replace the fulfillment that being somewhere ever-changing brought her. But it also meant the loss of her daughter’s trust and the love of her life; for despite his actions she did still love him, deeply, and wanted nothing more than to be with him. Although she knew what the safe choice was, her months here had shown her that the pain of being apart was even worse than the pain of being together and that she was at home with the family she had found in New Orleans.

Poppa, tell me please, what do I do?

[green-planets]

StEx Appreciation Month Day 11: Rockies!

🟦🟨🟩🟥🟦🟨🟩🟥🟦🟨🟩🟥🟦🟨

Face Claims: Lashane Williams (Rocky 1), Martin Boothe (Rocky 2), Priscilla Osegie (Rocky 3), Richard Bodkin (Rocky 4)

Favourite Song/Scenes: Vegas boot where they fight a gang member bullying Rusty! There are also some boots where they square up whenever Greaseball's bothering Rusty or Poppa. Nobody touches their steamers! I also love watching them during Poppa/Momma's blues and Right Place, Right Time!

Favourite Costumes: I love the early Bochum costumes (pink Rocky you will always be famous to me) but I am partial to the 2018 Bochum update color line-up (blue 1, yellow 2, green 3). I like their boxing gloves too but they need to BRING👏BACK👏THE👏BOOTY👏SHORTS

Favourite Ships/Friendships: Rocky 1 x Brexit!! I don't think I have any other Rocky ships EDIT: I FOROR TO ADD FRIENDSHIPS D: They are friends with the freight crew, Rusty, Momma/Poppa, the coaches, and Memphis Belle!

Headcanons: I'm a 4 Rockies truther because the more the merrier!! (and Rocky 4 gets to be pink 😌) They taught Rusty the correct way to punch and block so he can defend himself better when they're not around

Unpopular Opinion: I have no idea how popular/unpopular this is but they could probably get away with casting the Rockies completely gender blind instead of having 1 token female (also stop giving her bright red lipstick please and thank you)

🟦🟨🟩🟥🟦🟨🟩🟥🟦🟨🟩🟥🟦🟨

[goblin-iz-whack]

SNOWY SOUNDS SO COOL!! What are they like??

My beefy girl.

Snowy is Apollo Victoria's resident Snow Plow. She's a steamer, she's massive, and she has ice skates rather than normal skates!

She reverse hibernates, sleeps all year until winter.

She has a husband, Fireball. He loves his giant wife, I imagine they have an army of kids somewhere.

She's a parallel to Momma/Poppa, as she's an older train that is the leader of a group of freight trucks. Her trucks are meant to deliver supplies during harsh winters, which she is equipped to lead them through.

One of my first StEx ocs, we stan her.

[whistlingstarlight]

StEx in real life Part 1: Engines

These are mostly headcanon, as there are either too many inconsistencies or not enough information to properly assign every character an irl basis, but I thought it would be fun to do. Explanations are provided for each.

Rusty: CNJ 2-6-2T

Rusty was very hard to pick an irl counterpart for, as if he is based on a particular engine it's hard to tell as his helmet is misshapen to accommodate the actor's visibility. I feel like Rusty is more likely a tank steamer than a tender, and the helmet looks more like it has side tanks than any other shape. This 2-6-2 has a cowcatcher, a lamp on top of the smokebox, and even the same style of cab window as Rusty. So I'm satisfied to choose this as my irl counterpart for him.

Greaseball: EMD E9 A-unit

This isn't really headcanon as Greaseball's helmet looks incredibly close to an E9, and they're very iconic and memorable Union Pacific's rolling stock.

Electra: SNCF CC40101

This one is just literally fact. Electra is surprisingly the most specific character when it comes to their basis, as he has it printed on his helmet. It's an outdated choice for the "engine of the future", but he certainly looks retro-futuristic.

Poppa/Momma: Kansas Central 2-6-0

This one is very contradictory to what little info we have on the Old Steamer's class, but I decided to go with it. Poppa wears the Kansas Central logo on his hat, and given their similar designs I choose to believe Momma is from the same company. In Broadway Poppa is called "the Big Boy", but to my knowledge no UP Big Boys ever worked for KCS, and as the KCS logo lasted longer than the Big Boy line I prefer to use that. I love the idea of Poppa and Momma being old-fashioned American steamers, and this was the only KCS I could find.

Greaseball's gang

These ones are honestly just pure headcanon and very self-indulgent based on some of my favourite diesels. Felt weird leaving them out but trust me, there's nothing in canon to justify these.

Tank: KM ML 4000

Lube: BR Class 122

Gear: BR Class 08

[wonderful-magician]

Late StEx appreciation day!! Momma/Poppa !!

Favorite performers ( not ordered )

- Lon satton

- Lothair Eaton

- David E. moore

- Reva Rice

- Jade Marvin

Favorite songs/moments

Poppas/Momma's blues is great! Absolutely love Jade Marvin's vocals specifically along with the fire barrel!

Notes

I prefer poppa story wise but I think both are perfect for their songs! Truly a gender neutral role!

[oriionpaxx]

HEADCANONS FOR RUSTY AND GB

Because @azraelzspace asked :3

RUSTY: physical embodiment of social anxiety. Rusty is a old steamer but rather small- so think maybe Thomas the tank engine sized. He specifically deals with freight though on the odd occasion that he's asked to pull passenger trains for Control. For some reason I see Rusty being transmasc with He/They pronouns. He'd also demisexual and bi. His rust is sort of like a medical condition, giving symptoms of arthritis in his joints. Despite this all he's still quite a reliable train and refuses to let anything break his stride. He calls everyone champ as a nickname. He's a little more religious due to being raised by Poppa but he's very respectful of different viewpoints.

GREASEBALL THE CHAMPION: Silly little champion!! Actually doesn't hate steamers because it didn't make sense to me???[some of the most known engines of the Union Pacific were steamers] He just sort of gives off cold vibes to new challengers because he thinks it's what he has to do but he does enjoy some fresh faces. He/Him and bisexual, he's confused by the concept of gender but he will legitimately respect whatever you tell him. Has "Face me like a man! [My pronouns are They/Them] Oh! Sorry. Face me like a person!" Sort of interactions. Doesn't like dealing with coaches, he's a freight train, but Union Pacifics are built to help whenever needed. So he ends up stuck with coaches the most. Spends too much money on hair gel and hairspray. He also is highly experimental wjth his hair, often dyeing it different ways, cutting it shorter or letting it grow out to see what looks good and what doesn't. Has nicknames for a lot of people but he rarely uses them but when he does it's never really out of malice. What I think his nicknames are for Rusty and Electra:

Rusty - shortstack

Electra - Zippy or E.T. [my hc of Electra is a alien]

[welcome-to-the-districts]

Wolf In Sheep's Clothing

Major TW for violence, injury and blood.  This one-shot was written after listening to this particular cover. I highly recommend checking it out.

Summary: You are one of Rusty’s most favored humans, but the stress from the higher ups of the yard along with reduced rations are putting a strain on him. The beast within cannot be contained for long. Will he be able to keep himself in check? Or will you face perilous danger and potentially suffer a horrible fate?

One-shot under the cut.

You smile as you make your way towards the freight yard, looking forward to seeing one of your closest coworkers. You have just started your break, albeit it’s later than yesterday, but your boss didn’t allow you to take it unless you made sure all the passengers had left the passenger train. It’s one of your duties as a passenger service attendant. You don’t mind working with Greaseball, considering how much he has become humbled after the races. However, he’s not the one you’re looking forward to seeing. Out of all the engines here, you’ve taken a liking to the young steamer in the freight yard, Rusty. Your coworkers have warned you to be careful around him. You didn’t come here without knowing the risks. You had taken the time to research the different types of rolling stock at least a little bit. You know steamers are powerful predators and are to be approached with extreme caution. However, Rusty has never harmed a single human in his life. 

Sure, Poppa has attacked at least one worker, who had recently disappeared a few months ago. You’re not quite sure why no one refuses to talk about it and why you suddenly got a big raise. It’s odd, as if they are trying  to keep people here, or are they trying to keep people quiet? You’re not sure but that’s not important at the moment. You’re more concerned about seeing your friend. Hopefully, he hasn’t let his victory at the races get to him, or had become stressed from the sudden surge of attention. 

You stop at the gates. The chain link fence goes all along the perimeter of the freight yard. You ponder for a moment. If Poppa and Rusty are so dangerous, then why don't the higher ups put up a much stronger fence to keep them from escaping if things go wrong? You shrug it off and open the gates before stepping into the freight yard. It’s oddly quiet. It seems the freight trucks are taking a much needed break. You begin to think Rusty may very well be on break as well, likely spending time with Pearl as always. You jump as you hear his familiar whistle and Rusty races over to you with a toothy grin. Steam billows from his nostrils and between his sharp teeth.

Rusty races around you in circles while he chirps excitedly before he screeches to a stop just in front of you. Sparks fly from his wheels and fall onto the concrete, which quickly extinguishes them. He looks down at you with his warm amber eyes. You are a little under half his size. Rusty is easily a bit over ten feet tall, mostly likely twelve feet exactly. Despite this, you never have felt intimidated by him. He never really made you feel unsafe. You feel comfortable around him, safe even. 

“What took you so long? I was beginning to worry a little bit. The diesels didn’t give you a hard time did they? I know they tend to be dangerous at times.” Rusty asks, concern visible on his face. He looks you up and down as if he’s checking you over for wounds. He bends down and sniffs at you like a large dog, seeing if he could pick up the scent of blood. You watch as he relaxes, relieved you’re unharmed. His smile returns and you’re able to get a good look at those sharp teeth of his. They remind you of the teeth of a great lion. His canines are a bit longer than Greaseball’s, which is normal for a steamer. His teeth are built for the kill, adapted for him to easily rip pieces of flesh from his kills. They’re a reminder of a steamer's nature, predatory, and dangerous. Yet he has always been so gentle with you. 

His amber eyes almost have a glint of mischief to them. It’s not uncommon for the steamer to pull some small prank or tell a joke he has learned from the freight trucks, specifically Flat-Top. Some of which were more for adults yet went right over his head. You’re sure he’d grow to learn the true meaning of the jokes. As for the moment, he seems perfectly fine and docile. Despite this, you know the food rations have been reduced and the workload has been increased on the rolling stock, putting more stress on the rolling stock and the human workers alike. The recent budget cuts have taken their toll on both the workers and the rolling stock alike. It could make for a potentially disastrous situation. However, Rusty still seems to be his usual self. Perhaps this isn’t as bad as you thought it was. 

“Sorry I’m late. My boss wouldn’t let me take my break until I finished unloading the passengers and checking to see if anyone stayed behind. They put Greaseball back on passenger service today. He’s still a little upset after Mike disappeared, but he’s doing better. Dinah definitely was a big help when it came to cheering him up. She’s been spending a lot more time with him apparently.” You reply. You watch as Rusty’s smile falters for a moment, as if you had said something that bothered him. You give him a puzzled look and he quickly shakes it off. 

“Your boss should’ve let you take your break at the time it’s scheduled to be on. It’s not fair to you as you have a break scheduled. Your boss can’t go against it. As for Mike disappearing.. the police didn’t even bother to look into it and the higher ups just.. swept it under the rug.” Rusty's smile fades and his expression becomes much more serious. The mischievous glint in his eyes disappears. “Be careful around Greaseball. He’s not as friendly as I am. I know he’s changed since the races. I don’t want you to get hurt. 

This is a change you weren’t expecting to see in Rusty. Deep down, you feel a bit worried, but you quickly shake it off. You have to be careful with any of the rolling stock you work with anyway. It’s simply common sense. You simply nod, avoiding his gaze. A nervous behavior you quickly correct. You can’t act nervous or anxious around him. It could end in disaster.

“I understand.. Are you okay, Rusty? Did I say something that bothered you? I’m sorry if I did.” You fret. Rusty’s expression softens

“Note taken.. Are you okay? Is something going on?” You ask him. His expression softens and he gives you a small reassuring smile. 

“I’m okay. I’m just worried about you is all. Just.. please, be careful. I don’t want you to get hurt. I don’t want you to disappear like how Mike did.” Rusty replies. He may have a warm and soft smile on his face but his eyes are riddled with concern. It’s a dead giveaway to you that he’s really not okay. You know he’s worried sick about you. You are well aware of the dangers. The red caboose, CB, has already tricked you once. You were lucky Rusty was able to stop him when he did. You dread to think about what may have happened if he hadn’t intervened when he did. You most certainly won’t make the same mistake twice, and refuse to trust him now.  

“I know, Rusty.. I know. I’m making sure to be careful. I learned my lessons from CB. I try my best to be as careful as I can. Don’t worry, Rusty. I’ll be okay.” Your smile returns as the gentle warmth returns to Rusty’s gaze and he gives a soft smile in return. 

…

Rusty feels a wave of relief wash over him as he hears you say that and he smiles softly, giving you a glimpse of those sharp teeth of his. He knows he has to watch over you even more closely now since the fuel rations have been reduced to almost half of the usual amount. The others have been growing restless, needing to forage or hunt, but the higher ups keep piling on the work. However, they still try to hunt or forage when they can. Rusty has recently resorted to feeding on the rodents that hide out near the freight sheds whenever he can. They aren’t much, but they are just enough to keep him going. He has been trying not to take too many to try and ensure the rodents are able to repopulate and leave some for the other rolling stock to feed on, but unfortunately, with a good few of the freight trucks, and even some of Greaseball’s gang feeding off the the rodent population, their food supply is almost already depleted, unable to keep up with the relentless predation. 

He knows it’s only a matter of time before he has to leave the train yard to go out and hunt. The others will be quick to follow too. He’d rather not have to fight for his share of prey, but if his survival depends on it, he will. The rodents aren’t enough to feed everyone. Rusty knows that. On top of that, stress has been building up with more work being piled on him and the others. Not to mention the fact he is barely eating enough to keep himself functional. It’s pushing him to his limits both mentally and physically. It’s only a matter of time before something or someone snaps and it will be just like the time Poppa attacked Mike all over again. If Rusty hadn’t been there to help Mike and keep Poppa distracted, Mike wouldn’t have made it, only for Mike to end up being killed and probably eaten by the dreaded diesel he was close to. It hurt to think about, but he knew Greaseball was only acting out of instinct. 

He winces ever so slightly as he felt his hunger gnawing at his very core like fangs. He knows he can’t let you be around him for too long, as each minute you’re around him is increasing the risk of him losing control, but he just wants to  make sure you’re okay for now. His hunger be damned. He can see if he find another one of the smaller animals he routinely sees around the yard. He can feel the beast beginning to claw at the deepest recesses of his mind, screaming at him to take the opportunity for a quick and easy meal, a means of guaranteeing his chance of survival. He quickly takes his focus off of you and looks up at the clock. He knows his break will be coming soon. He focuses on the clock behind you as he shifts anxiously ever so slightly. He needs to eat. He needs to hunt. It’s the only way he can survive at this point. 

He glances at you anxiously and whines softly like a large dog. He’s trying to keep himself from snapping but your scent and the sound of your heartbeat is almost enough to drive him mad. He considers simply leaving but he doesn’t want to push you away so suddenly. His gaze snaps towards you as he hears you speak.

…

“Are you okay?” You ask him. You almost flinch as the steamer’s amber gaze snaps towards you. Something is wrong. You know there is and it worries you. Rusty shifts a bit. His gaze never leaves you for a moment, as if he’s locked onto you. The warmth in his gaze is fading. You start to feel uneasy and glance around, seeing any escape routes you can take just in case he does happen to snap.

“Oh.. I just have to return to work soon. Maybe we can talk another time, hm? I promise I’ll see if I can get some more time set aside so I can talk to you a little more later, okay?” Rusty’s smile is forced and he fiddles with his thumbs. A lie. Rusty doesn’t like to lie to you or anyone for that matter and you know it. For him to lie outright like that.. something isn’t right. He glances back up the clock behind you. He knows. You noticed something is up and he’s not sure how to react to that. Rusty still continues to fight that unseen battle with himself deep within his own mind. The beast is starting to break free of its cage, and there’s only so much he can do about it now. 

You start to have a suspicion about what may be going on. You remember the fact the rations for the rolling stock are reduced, meaning Rusty wouldn’t be able to eat as much as he needs to in order to keep those instincts under wraps. That’s when it hits you. He’s losing control and he’s trying to redirect his attention away from you just in case he does lose control of himself. You know you may not have enough to give him a decent meal, but you can at least take the edge off of him just a tiny bit. It may just save not just yourself but the lives of your coworkers as well. 

“I can let you have my lunch. I can always go and always see if I can get something to eat from Dinah, or I can go out to eat at one of the restaurants if I need to. I wouldn’t mind it if I needed to bring something back from there too if you want. I can get you anything you want, honest.” You give him a reassuring smile. Rusty’s gaze slowly returns to you and he quickly nods. You don’t waste time and rush out of the freight yard and towards the parking lot outside of the parking lot. You unlock your car and grab your lunch box before you slam your car door and lock it before you race back into the train yard. You check your surroundings, making sure none of the other rolling stock could pose a potential danger to you before you race into the freight yard. You barely managed to race into the open gates before you trip over your own two feet and you fall, scaring your knee against the ground and drawing only a small amount of blood. 

You curse under your breath and hiss in pain as you feel the stinging sensation on one of your knees. You scramble back up to your feet and grab your lunch box once more as Rusty approaches you to help you. You look up to reassure him you're fine when you feel a knot begin to form in your stomach and your chest feels right as your heart races.

Rusty is looking right at you. The warmth in his amber gaze is no longer there as all trained civility fell from his face, revealing the beast dwelling deep within his very being. His amber eyes are now piercing and predatory as he lifts his lips into a snarl as he lets out a soft growl. The sound shakes you to your core as you feel it shake the ground beneath your feet. He begins to salivate as he takes one step closer to you, looking over you, making you feel that much smaller compared to him as those amber eyes bore deep within your soul. There is only one word that comes to your mind: run.

You immediately drop your lunch box and take off running as fast as you can. Your life depends on it more than ever.

…

The sweet scent of your blood hits his nose and he finally caves in. The beast finally broke free of its confines and is now running rampant. He's no longer the steamer you have once grown to adore. He's now the blood-thirsty monster his kind is known to be. He doesn't want to be this way at all, but he cannot deny what he truly is. He's a killing machine, designed to hunt, to kill. His hunger overrode any sense of civility he had left. He bares his teeth in an almost wolfish grin as he watches you run and his sharp predatory gaze becomes fixed on you.  His pupils contract to cat-like slits as he lets out a deep guttural growl from within his chest before he gives chase, taking off like a shot with a great roar. He quickly catches up to you, yet he keeps a small distance between you and him. He’s drawing it out, wanting nothing more than to relish the chase and the primal fear of his prey. He knows once he catches you, there will be no mercy for you. For now, he’s going to enjoy this moment, savor the chase.

…

You hear the steamer beginning to gain on you. Rusty’s hot breath rolling down the back of your neck as he growls deep in his chest, a sound you feel through your feet and in your chest. Oddly enough, he doesn’t pounce on you or grab you. It’s as if he’s toying with you, knowing you have nowhere to hide, nowhere to run. He has you right where he wants you and that alone is a terrifying thought. You frantically look around to see if you can find any coworkers nearby. It looks as if they too are on a rather late break. Somehow you are not surprised at this. The higher ups have been getting worse when it comes to that. They’re trying to make everyone work more with less payment, and in the rolling stock’s case, less food or fuel, which makes things worse.

You quickly turn a corner and for a moment, Rusty stumbles and reaches out for you. You feel the wind of the sheer force of his arm swinging at you. You glance behind you to see if he’s given up. Rusty snarls in frustration and opens his fists. Razor sharp claws unsheathe in place of fingernails. You remember Mike telling you steamers don’t have nowhere near as much control over their claws than the other types of rolling stock. The claws only sheathe if their hands are closed into fists. Their hand muscles aren’t made to sheathe and unsheathe the claws like the others. Steamers are built for the chase, built for the kill. Primal fear rushes through you as you look away and scramble for a place to hide.

…

Rusty snarls and opens his fists. He sinks his claws into the concrete to slow himself down for a moment. His nostrils flare as his eyes smolder with rage as he sees the fear in your eyes. He’s not about to be outmaneuvered by a human, such an easy prey item to him. He quickly recovers and picks up speed once more. This time, he has the intent to snatch you and to go for the kill. His mouth waters at the mere thought of sinking his teeth into your tender throat, wanting to aim for the windpipe to end this swiftly. He flexes his claws as he begins to gain on you, eager to snatch a quick and easy meal.

He can smell your fear, hear your racing heartbeat. It’s almost torture to him. He can’t wait any longer. He needs food and he needs it now.

….

Tears well up in your eyes as you begin to grow tired. You know you can’t run forever, meanwhile the dreaded steamer is quickly closing in. You have to hide somewhere and fast. You finally spot the freight shed and use some of the last bit of your energy to sprint towards it. You try to open the doors, but they’re far too heavy, or they are locked. You’re left shaking and terrified. You see Poppa’s shed is right next to it and you check behind you. Rusty is just about to pounce on you as he’s mere inches from you. The feral look in his eyes is something that will never leave your memories. That’s not the Rusty you know. That’s the true nature of the steamers, wild, predatory and famished. Rusty’s jaws open, revealing a set of teeth specifically to tear into prey. His canines are the longest you’ve ever seen, rivaling Greaseball’s. 

You quickly duck down between his legs as he pounces, slamming right into the doors of the shed and he roars. It echoes throughout the freight yard and shakes you to your very core. The ground shakes beneath your feet and you cover your ears as they begin to ring. Rusty quickly whips around to face you. His expression is one of a feral snarl and he growls deep in his chest. The anger, the rage in his eyes is truly terrifying. He lunges for you and you quickly slip between the small gap between Poppa’s shed and the freight shed as you scream for help.

Rusty’s claws dig into the sides of both sheds as his amber eyes smolder with rage and ravenous hunger as he snaps his jaws at you. He snarls as he begins to salivate, as if he’s anticipating finally sinking his teeth into you. His claws leave deep marks in the sides of sheds as he tries to force his way between the two sheds. You shrink back as one of his hands barely misses you, the claws nearly grazing your skin. Rusty pulls his arms back and inhales deeply. You see the fire in his firebox in his chest rising as you feel the temperature rise rapidly. Rusty almost has a wolfish grin, as if he’s figured out how to finally get to you. His powerful jaws open, revealing the fiery glow at the back of his throat. It glows brighter as the fire rushes up his esophagus.

You begin to lose hope before the doors to the freight shed slam open. It all happens so fast. You see a large blue and white blur crash into Rusty just as the steamer unleashed a blast of flame. Most of it was redirected away from you, but the mere heat coming from it is enough to burn your arms as you try to shield yourself from the immense heat. You cry out in pain and hear the steamer’s screech. It’s a sound that curdles the blood. You sob and cover your ears. Dustin, the big hopper, rushes back to check on you. He’s a mess. His body riddles with scratches and bites wounds. His own mouth has traces of blood on it. He almost looks sick. 

“Run! Go! I’ll keep him busy! Go find Wrench!” Dustin cries out just as Rusty attacks him from behind, prompting a screech from Dustin. His expression turns one of rage as Dustin snarls and delivers a powerful blow to Rusty’s side. Rusty screeches and Dustin quickly pins him against the wall freight shed, letting out his own growl. The sound puts Rusty’s growl to shame and you begin to understand why the diesels never really messed with Dustin that much. He’s the only one of the freight capable of standing a chance against a steamer. You nod and gather your courage before darting out from your hiding place and towards the gates. Once you reach the gates, you check behind you. 

You watch as Rusty slowly begins to soften as Dustin still has him pinned. Dustin pleads with Rusty to come back to him in hopes of bringing the steamer back from his feral state. Rusty blinks a few times and panics. Dustin quickly releases him and Rusty asks Dustin something in a panic. Dustin points to you and answers him. Rusty’s expression turns to sheer horror as he sees you so terrified. His gaze shifts to your arms, where you’ve been burned. Tears well up in his eyes and he looks as if he’s going to vomit. He covers his mouth and quickly races off, as if he can’t handle the guilt of looking at you. You turn your gaze forward and open the gates before you rush off to find Wrench. You know this won’t be reported. They never are. You begin to have an idea as to what happened to Mike, but you simply can’t face the truth.

[electricfied-wolf]

I think abt Rusty's realtionship with the Starlight and it rlly is just. Becoming connected to something so much larger than you ever imagined. At least the way I have it, not only is the Starlight a real deity, they are this massive cosmic being that had pretty much no form for a while but was there and stretched out into the universe, but you couldn't really see which part was them and which part was just endless space. He communicated with earthly engines very early on into their existence but could not show himself and decided it would be better to work from afar. Eventually, he did get his own form, one that looked like the engines he cared for, just with a racing helmet for a head instead of an actual face.

The Starlight is just this. Ageless and incredibly powerful being that has been there likely for longer than any species on earth ever has. Incomprehensible to any being except rolling stock, but unwilling to physically come to any of them lest he interrupt their lives on earth. He does not punish those who end up not believing in him. He knows that the concept is a little wild to grasp, he will still take them and love them when their time is done. The guardian and protector of them all. Then you get to Rusty. This little shunter who has been trying his damndest to become more than just a shunter. Who has been working tirelessly to become a proper freight engine at the very least. Longing to turn passenger when he met a pretty observation car. And Rusty isn't like other engines who dream of greater things, no, there is something different about him. From the moment the Starlight crafted his soul, he had this certain fiery quality and sense of strong determination in him. The difference in Rusty is that he would not quit. No human or train could knock him down forever. He kept on going and fighting and dreaming. That caught the eye of the Starlight, and it was fun to watch him...less fun when he got beat up by Greaseball and his gang, which happened practically ever year that Rusty attented the world championship.

Then year 5 came around. Rusty actually managed to shoehorn his way into the race, even if it was against the rules, but not in the most traditional way. He announced himself and he performed and he caught the attention of the audience. He pissed off the competing engines and perplexed the coaches. And then a place was secured for him. But he wasn't sure if he actually wanted to go through with it. Then the caboose crashed him. Then he was beaten horribly by that gang of diesels….and then he actually, genuinely prayed to the Starlight. It was…actually less of a prayer and more of a desperate and soulful scream, but to the Starlight that meant even more. The power behind the little engine's voice. The way his eyes sparkled, tears forming, it was impossible to ignore the little steamer. So the Starlight, for the first time in the history of their time with the rolling stock, made an actual appearance. Rusty was in complete and total awe. The Starlight had never witnessed such a look of pure wonder on an engine's face, Rusty could barely believe what he was seeing. And the Starlight gently took Rusty's hands, a giant of stars carefully cradling this steam engine, touching faces, holding Rusty's hands, lifting him into the air and racing around the clearing with him. Just being with him for that moment. In the way Poppa and Momma always had been. The feel of the Starlight's gentle touch and the sound of their voice, a voice that sounded like thousands of voices and yet only one all at once. Touch that felt like when Rusty would get startled or have nightmares while resting and one of the older engines would come and comfort him. And the Starlight renewed him. Put a piece of their own ever-burning fire into Rusty's firebox, cleaned him of his rust completely, twisted and morphed him into a proper passenger engine. Engraved the words "Starlight Express" into Rusty's chest. Peppered his sleek black metal with thousands of tiny sparkly dots. Cleaned his helmet and adorned it with a light shaped like a star. And then left him to go to what he had to do. And Rusty has only one person who could even begin how to grasp that incredible experience. But Dustin didn't see all of it, and even what he saw could not compare to Rusty's own experience.

[thisismondaymood]

Just a little headcanon: whenever Poppa won a race, he was together with Belle.

[aheathen-conceivably]

In the first days of 1925 Florence, Antoine, Zelda, and Violette all gathered on the docks where steam boats departed New Orleans. They were crowded and noisy with activity, men unloading fruits from the south mingling with passengers boarding vessels going east.

Despite being in the throes of winter, New Orleans was still relatively warm; at least, Zelda thought with a smile, warmer than any January she had ever known in England. Warmer than where her mother would be in just one short week.

It was strange to think that in so little time, she would back across the ocean, back to where she had been a year ago. Perhaps it was strangest to Zelda that almost a year ago to the day she had been laughing at herself as she danced in the mirror, the beads of her dress tinkling with the sounds of merriment. She had perhaps never known such carefree happiness; and yet here she was only a year later, a mother now herself.

The boat in the distance let out a long, droning horn, signifying that boarding was almost complete. Zelda swallowed her tears and looked to Florence, “Do you have everything, mother? All of your belongings? The portrait that we took?”

“Yes, my dear. And I will treasure it forever, as I will these last months.”

Then Florence looked toward Antoine, who was holding Violette in his arms. As he handed Florence her granddaughter, she looked up to meet his eyes, “Thank you for inviting me here, dearest. I will love you all forever. Please watch after them in my stead.”

Antoine answered Florence’s words with a heartfelt smile and a nod of silent promise. Florence returned his smile and then pulled Violette close to her chest, “Farewell my little one. Always be kind to your momma and poppa, and remember your old grandmama Florence.”

Before she handed the giggling infant back to Antoine, Florence swooped down to kiss Violette on the forehead, who gave a small laugh at the brush of one of Florence’s stray curls.

Finally she turned back to Zelda, who’s eyes were already filling with tears. Florence took Zelda’s hands in her own and looked into Zelda’s green eyes intently, “Oh my child, you were always stronger than you realized, please remember that. Your father knew it all his life, and that is why you are here, with these wonderful people in this wonderful place. You will be a marvelous mother. Okay, Zelda? Okay?”

With a silent shake of her head Zelda pulled her mother close to her, contemplating whether she could ever let go. Florence patted her softly on the back, kissing her on the forehead before smiling at them all one last time. Then she turned her back to them and walked toward the steamer to venture across the Atlantic back to England.

The steamer gave another long call of its horn and Zelda, Antoine, and Violette looked up toward the ship. Florence had joined dozens of other passengers on the ornate balconies outside of their state rooms so that they could wave goodbye to their loved ones below.

As Florence shouted out an inaudible farewell, the boat pulled away with a loud song, clouds of steam rising to meet the clouds above. A sharp pain radiated through Zelda. Her mother was gone; seemingly almost as quickly as she had arrived. Perhaps more truly than ever before Zelda realized that her past was behind her.

England seemed like another world entirely, a world that contained her childhood, her pain and her sorrows. A small part of her knew that she may never see it again, and watching the back of the ship, she realized that she could never get back her life there, her father or her sister, or even her own youth. There was a moment of peace and then a pang of sadness as she realized that with her homeland behind her, she may never see her siblings or her mother ever again.

Zelda turned toward Antoine, who was still bouncing Violette in his arms. With a silent look, he handed their child to her. Perhaps to allay her own sadness, Zelda held Violette close to her chest. Looking down into her innocent eyes, Zelda couldn’t deny it: she was afraid. Afraid of being a mother on her own, afraid of her future, afraid of how Violette would navigate through the world.

Zelda looked back up at Antoine, who seemed to know precisely what was troubling her. He offered her a reassuring smile, tilting his forehead down to meet his daughter’s. Zelda forgot about the ship for a moment, about England or Rosella or even about never seeing her mother again.

The love in his eyes told her that they would be alright. At that moment the world went still and she was sure that together, with and through eachother, they would be more than alright.