op3ra

[op3ra]

it is embarrassingly hard not to talk about how depressed I am all the time

[op3ra]

More of this

[op3ra]

they should put cats back on broadway just for me. we need a healthy dose of fucking weird stuff on broadway again and i miss it

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every time I talk about wanting it to be winter again my coworkers and whoever are always like "ohhh but the seasonal depression" girl I have clinical depression I get the displeasure of wanting to die regardless of the sun let me be excited for a bit of snow and a scarf

[op3ra]

I need it to be winter so I can loop merry christmas please don't call by the bleachers 9,502 times and act like it's not a depression symptom

[op3ra]

Rustyy :D

[op3ra]

learned some interesting things today

[op3ra]

[op3ra]

microdosing on suicide by killing important projects in my life

[op3ra]

all of the pins (and button) i've collected from starlight productions so far. i don't know the origin of all of them, but I can make a good guess based on logos. individual images: broadway 2.25 inch button / japan tour skate enamel pin / early london enamel pins x3 / unidentified enamel pin / london revival pin / bochum skate enamel pin / late london pin?? / two late london pins interestingly the duplicates I have tend to have some wild variety in their manufacturing. the twin late london pins in particular have some interesting differences: the gold one is entirely metal and has the brooch latch molded on. the white one, meanwhile, is plastic and has a separate metal back glued on.

[op3ra]

the line between not going out as an act of self-care and not going out as a symptom of depression is but a gossamer thread

[op3ra]

they should invent ADHD that doesn't permanently irreversibly ruin your life forever

[op3ra]

not making any plans yet but I'm vaguely interested in trading away a stage worn london cats unitard for another authentic cats costume piece of similair value. if you own any and think you might be interested in switching for another piece, reach out?

[op3ra]

someone please teach this man about sun protection

[op3ra]

brand new rusty ref!! plsss consider clicking and zooming in on the full ref--there are lots of notes and details that get lost! the solo design above is his appearance at the time of canon, while the rest of the ref is pre- and post-canon.

i really wanted to emphasize his older age and experience: he's not young and impulsive, he's at the end of the line and desperate. i definitely intend for my rusty to be a less-"wet sock" version of broadway rusty, with more determination and focus, while still having that charisma and charm. he's been dealt a bad hand in life, but by god he is going to fight like hell to make it out alive.

of course, who would i be if i didn't also put starlight!rusty under the cut?

after two years i am still the resident starlight!rusty weirdo and that's pretty crazy to me

[op3ra]

the OVERTURE? that roller coaster production of cats CUT the OVERTURE FROM THE SHOW?

[op3ra]

official rusty post

Rusty is a general purpose 4-6-0 Ten Wheeler built some time between 1920 and 1931 by the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) at their Schenectady works. Aside from a place of manufacture and the rough idea of a build date, little is known about his design and the specifics of his production are largely a mystery, even to him. However, due to his abnormally rapid rate of deterioration, it can be inferred that he was manufactured with quick methods and cheap materials, possibly as a prototype, or a modification of an existing design. Whatever the case may be, he is the only living example of his class.

Rusty's service life did not begin immediately upon his construction. With the ever-evolving advancement of technology and railroads favoring larger steam engines, and very new electrics, for passenger work and diesel engines for switching, a 4-6-0 road switcher was not relevant to most buyer's interests. Rusty sat in storage for over ten years, until the outbreak of World War II prompted the Austin, Lincoln, and Western (ALW) to seek out additional engines for the war effort. Looking to get him out of their storage, ALCO representatives presented ALW buyers with Rusty and claimed he was exclusively a freighter. Newly hired, inexperienced, and looking for the least expensive option, the ALW buyers purchased Rusty without validating their claim, leading to forty years of confusion regarding what exactly Rusty was meant to do. He was the last steam locomotive purchased by ALW.

Newly christened as ALW No. 604, Rusty proved himself to be a veritable jack-of-all-trades for the railroad, strong and capable in freight, switching, and the occasional passenger duty if he was lucky. However, company preferences were guided elsewhere and Rusty had a difficult time being assigned regular work. Much to his vehement protestation, he was often relegated to the odd jobs that the other engines refused to take: hauling stock cars from Texas to Nebraska, handling scrap in Iowa, switching in the western yards, to a name a few.

During this time, the fast and loose nature of his manufacture started to make itself apparent. Not only did his eponymous rust affect him cosmetically, but the general poor quality of his construction extended throughout him as well, particularly his firebox and running gear. The former underwent reconstruction for uneven heating and small size in 1952, and the latter suffered a catastrophic failure in 1968 and had to be replaced. These mechanical faults coupled with the twilight years of steam power meant that he was soon considered "expensive to operate" by ALW, and company executives urged then-president John Matthews, Sr. to decommission him. Fortunately for Rusty, Matthews had him transferred to long-term switching duty in the Midwest where he could be kept under an amount of supervision and still keep working. Not understanding that it was in his best interest, Rusty never forgave Matthews for the transfer.

Rusty's luck began to turn however. During the 20th century, railsports were growing in popularity and Rusty, whose new running gear and larger firebox had him running smoother and faster, saw a golden opportunity to break away from switching. After gaining company approval on the grounds of monetary gain, Rusty started to participate in railsports in the 1970s, with a specific focus in racing. He did exceedingly well in short distance races and agility competitions, working his way up the ranks, but lacked the stamina for the long distance championships. Despite this limitation, Rusty was determined to compete in the 1984 International Championship Rally. Outfitted with a larger tender, Rusty succeeded in qualifying for the Championship, and amid one of railsports' most controversial seasons, which included sabotage, three American qualifiers, and a practically supernatural restoration before the final rerun, he won the title and became the first steam powered champion in over twenty years.

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Rusty is the archetypal everyman, the underdog, the blue collar worker whose back the world is carried on. He is someone who was promised much more and never got it, and over time this fact has a exacerbated his more negative traits. He's moody, sensitive, insecure, and impulsive. He's dealing with a temper, a fear of abandonment, a breakup, an attempt on his life, and a crisis of faith all at the same time. But despite all of this, at his core, he's a very good egg who's passionate, self-sufficient, and wears his heart on his sleeve. He takes responsibility, is a consummate rule follower, and will always try to do what's right, for himself, his friends, and his railroad.