#happy ever after (ttte)

[meanscarletdeceiver]

Opinions on Happy Ever After?

The Bride giving Percy a kiss has always stuck with me as something genuinely cute and charming.

The kiss is cute!

The whole episode concept is cute. Execution could be better tho. Has a lot of the S5 stilted storytelling and odd tropes of convenience that annoy me.

[theredengineapologist]

Happy Valentine's Day Everyone! 💙❤

Of course, I had to do something Jameward for the occasion. Even though this meme is literally called "Understand my Ship in 5 Minutes", I still wanted to include some commentary/headcanons because I've been DYING to talk about them forever. So if you're interested, read on under the cut!

(Also, please note that the interpretation of the characters depicted here is specifically for my AU, TTTE: Sudrian Boys)

NAMES: For the sake of making sure their names fit in the boxes, I used the last names they picked for themselves before they got married. When they do eventually get legally married, they'll combine their last names together (a conclusion they got to after much bickering). So respectively, they will be James and Edward Hughes-Pettigrew.

GENDER + SEXUALITY:

James is GAY. GAY GAY HOMOSEXUAL GAY. Sorry not sorry, but there is not a woman-liker bone in his body.

Edward, on the other hand is bi. Part of me thinks he tends to prefer the company of men, but maybe that's just because there's significantly more male engines on Sodor. Also he is nonbinary. This will be something I explore later. But to summarize, Edward never felt entirely male in the strict sense that humans define it. However, he felt the need to be the consistent, steady, "old reliable" his peers saw him as, so he never questioned what others chose to call him. This changed when "The Great Shift" happened (aka, the engines learning to shift into a human-like form). Edward saw an opportunity to experiment with his presentation, and so he had a brief stint where he tried going in the opposite direction, presenting as a woman named Alice. As fun as it was, however, he found that it didn't feel quite right either. To him, "Edward" was where he felt most at home. He's not a man or a woman, he is just "Edward". Edward uses "he/they" pronouns because those feel the most neutral to them.

HORNY LEVEL: I will not be elaborating.

AWKWARDNESS LEVEL: I don't think Edward and James ever really had an "awkward phase". Before they got together, they always felt comfortable with each other as close friends would. They never really had that thing of "oh I want to tell him I like him but I also don't want him to know". Edward always knew he liked James, he just didn't say anything because he didn't think James was interested. And once James admitted to himself that he liked Edward, he confessed and it was all smooth sailing from there. To be honest, not much changed when they moved from "close friends" to "boyfriends". They still act like close friends, just with added kissing privileges.

JEALOUSY LEVEL: At the point where they're at in their relationship right now, both James and Edward are pretty secure, so it's rare for either of them to act jealous.

From Edward's perspective, he knows that James is young (relatively speaking) and very attractive, so it's hardly surprising to see that other people would try to flirt with him. There's a small pang of jealousy that comes from him thinking James would have preferred someone younger or stronger, but that quickly goes away once he sees James return to being on his arm and very proudly proclaiming he's already spoken for.

From James's perspective, he thinks Edward is the real catch between the two of them. Plus, it's not often that other people would try to shoot their shot with the silver fox. So when other people do try to get a little too close for comfort, James would certainly be stewing in jealousy. If the feeling gets to a certain point, he'd probably make himself known. But once they get home, the situation gets explained out, and they're cuddling on the couch with a blanket and some tea, James finds he can let go of the jealous feeling relatively quickly.

BIG SPOON/LITTLE SPOON: Majority of the time, James is the little spoon. He likes to be held and Edward LOVES holding him. James's favorite thing is when Edward keeps their hand on his chest. But occasionally, they do switch places, especially if Edward has a particularly hard day. Sometimes Old Iron wants to be cuddled too.

LENDS/BORROWS CLOTHES: Both of them tend to steal borrow clothes from each other, but under different circumstances.

At home, it's relatively commonplace to see Edward walking around in one of James's pants, shirts, or even his prized red coat. But more often than not, these are cases of Edward just picking them up of his own accord and James just letting him have it.

Outside, it's James who more actively does the borrowing and Edward who does the lending. James likes to go out ✨IN STYLE✨ without taking into consideration pesky things like the weather. So when James (inevitably) gets cold at night, Edward is the one to lend him his jacket.

PET NAMES: They don't use pet names often, but they do use some of the more basic ones on occasion. For James, Edward would sometimes call him "Jamie", "darling", "dear", or his personal favorite, "love". James usually calls Edward by his full name because Edward prefers it, but sometimes he might slip in an "Eddie", "baby", or a "kitten" in there just to make the old man flustered.

AFFECTION THROUGH WORDS/ACTIONS: This one might seem paradoxical, but let me explain.

James is more receptive to affection through words because he's used to being dismissed. In his worst moments, he can be pretty down on himself as his insecurities eat away at him. At times like these, Edward knows exactly what to say to help James pick himself back up again. It's especially meaningful because Edward absolutely means everything he says. He's not the type to lie just to make James feel better. He's honest and straightforward. If James did something wrong that needs calling out, Edward will tell him (politely of course). So when Edward tells James that he's wonderful or that he's a "really splendid engine", he 100% means it. And you can tell from just the look in his eyes that Edward loves his red boyfriend SO DAMN MUCH.

Conversely, Edward is more receptive to affection through actions. Edward is always the one out caring for everyone else and tends to forget to care for himself too. But at the same time, he's very much the type to never ask for help (even if he needs it). James knows this, so he goes the extra mile to help take some of the load off. If Edward is especially tired one day, James will step up and do Edward's share of the housekeeping without being asked. He'll volunteer to go supervise Bill and Ben so that Edward can take a day off. He'll fix up a warm bath for Edward after a hard day. Anything to make sure Edward is taken care of, James will do it. Not only that, but James is also the one planning most of their dates. ;)

CONFESSING:

Edward NEVER had any plans to confess to James. Romantic relationships are uncommon amongst engines since there's no real use for them. Plus, he didn't think James would be interested in a plain old iron like himself (as he views himself anyway). So Edward was just content to just feel his feelings and never act on them.

James, on the other hand, took several years to both realize and accept that he was in love with Edward. But once he got to that point, he confessed fairly quickly. Sure, there was a normal amount of hesitation and worry that Edward might not feel the same. But he was about 90% sure that Edward loved him back so he didn't end up worrying that much leading up to the confession.

CAN'T DRIVE LOL: Even as engines, they can't drive themselves. Plus, they know trains are the superior way to travel. So if they ever need to go somewhere while shifted into humans, they just catch one of their friends' trains. I don't think they've ever even sat in a car before.

COOKING: Edward loves to cook (especially baking). It was one of the first hobbies he picked up after learning how to shift and he would often make meals to share for the entire Steam Team. James, on the other hand, can cook, but not nearly as well as Edward. He doesn't know as many dishes as Edward. Even the ones they both know, James's, for some reason, aren't as good. The only time James would ever take over cooking is if Edward is feeling too exhausted to do so. There's a mutual acknowledgement between them (and also the rest of the Steam Team) that Edward is the superior chef (and he also enjoys it more). So if he can help it, James prefers to leave the cooking to Edward.

PDA: James absolutely LOVES PDA. He will take literally every opportunity he can to dote on Edward in public so that the entire island knows that they're together, much to Edward's embarrassment. Edward secretly loves the PDA too, and he appreciates how proud James is to be his boyfriend (and later husband). But Edward would never admit it. He tries really hard to at least appear decent in public. That said, when the opportunity arises, Edward does like getting to flip the script and fluster James in front of onlookers.

OVERPROTECTIVE/CHILL GOING: Both are more than reasonably protective over each other, but for different reasons and under different circumstances.

James gets into accidents relatively often, usually as the result of his own dumbassery. So Edward has gotten to a point where he's not too concerned if James winds up in an accident again. He'll still worry a little and warn James to be more careful next time, but Edward knows after a trip to the Steamworks that his boyfriend will be good as new again.

It's when they're shifted into humans when Edward becomes more protective of James.

Because of the way James looks, it's unfortunately not uncommon for James to get harassed while shifted as a human. When this happens, Edward goes into full protective mode to make sure his beloved stays safe. Thankfully, it doesn't happen too often. But it does happen often enough that Edward feels like he has to keep close watch of James while they're traveling after nightfall.

James, on the other hand, always has a bit of worry for Edward at the back of his mind. He knows Edward is capable of handling himself, but he also knows that Edward is old and doesn't recover from accidents as quickly or easily as he does. He worries that if the damage is too great, Edward could be scrapped. So if Edward were to end up in any sort of accident, James would go ballistic. He's puffing over right away to make sure his beloved is okay and may or may not have a fierce word with whoever caused the accident. The same thing goes when they are in human form. If Edward were to end up in some sort of fight, James would put himself in harms way to make sure Edward is protected (even though in human form, Edward is actually physically stronger than James).

RELATIONSHIP EXPERIENCE: Neither of them had any relationship experience before each other, they were each other's firsts. You can maybe argue that Edward has slightly more experience because he's had crushes on other people in the past, but fleeting attraction that is never pursued could hardly count for true experience. Their whole relationship is something that James and Edward are navigating together. It's new and at times a little scary, but there's nobody else James and Edward would rather be with than each other.

[steam-beasts]

How I'd adapt TTTE BWBA s22 ep 2; "Forever and Ever"

Original summary; Gordon has a tantrum about all the changes being made to the railway and is sent back to his shed in disgrace, Gordon insists that he is happy to stay there forever but his new friend Nia from Kenya helps him to see the changes in a different light.

My adapted summary; Ever since Edward left the sheds, Gordon had been quite bitter about the changes. Now that Nia has moved in and Henry suddenly announcing that he's moving into Vicarstown, Gordon becomes enraged. In retaliation, he takes his frustration out on Nia and causes an accident.

Plot

A year had gone by since Edward's departure from Tidmouth Sheds, and despite how long it's been, Gordon still can't stop being bitter about it. Since Nia's arrival, Gordon had been disrespectful and belittles her often, bumping her out of the way and calling her a "weak little tank engine". He just directs his grumpiness on to her. One day, he hears a conversation between Henry and Sir Topham Hatt and is horrified to learn that Henry wants to move out.

(Not my art btw, it's on DeviantArt)

He confronts Henry the next day, and Henry tells him "Going to Vicarstown is my choice, Gordon. I don't need your say in it!". Gordon then goes to Sir Topham Hatt about the changes, ranting to him about the changes, but STH just says;

"Edward left Tidmouth to mentor Phillip and Rosie by his own choice, Gordon. Henry is moving away by his own choice as well, nothing can stay the same forever, you know. Just deal with it, and move on"

Sir Topham Hatt doesn't realise how much the changes are actually stressing Gordon out and agitating him.

When Gordon is getting his coaches shunted, he finds that Nia is shunting instead of Percy or Thomas. He's already angered by the sudden announcement of Henry moving out, and Nia, the one who (in Gordon's eyes) replaced Edward, decides to try and calm him down.

Gordon yells back at her, and Nia just retorts by saying;

"Ugh...I wonder how Edward and Henry put up with you, you're such hard work!"

Nia never means this in a rude way, she's just annoyed by Gordon. This remark upsets Gordon even further, so he decides to pull a trick on Nia... the same trick he pulled on Thomas decades ago.

He goes along with it and heads off with the Express early, and doesn't give Nia time to uncouple from the coach.

As Gordon speeds down the line with Nia in tow, he doesn't listen to her begging him to stop and just laughs it off.

(Imagine he's laughing maniacally)

My version of Nia was built without a proper safety valve, so she is a boiler explosion waiting to happen. Her boiler is heating up fast, luckily, her driver manages to reach her coupling rod and uncouples her. But as she's uncoupled, Gordon had reached a junction at that point and Nia ends up going off the rails and hitting a tree at full force, denting her buffers.

Later on that evening, everyone and STH find out what happened and confront Gordon about his errant behaviour.

Gordon is quick to defend himself, claiming Nia "replaced Edward and forced Henry out". This is when he tries venting his hatred of the changes. STH and everyone else just assume he's making up excuses and is overdramatic; he's not.

STH; "Excuses, excuses! I am sick and tired of your whining, Gordon! Nia is staying in this shed and that's final! We must not be so rude!"

Thomas; "You're definitely a big fat Galloping Sausage now, Gordon! You just can't go a day without complaining! Bother, even pulling the same trick on her like you did on me? That's pathetic!"

James; "Just disgusting, Gordon! I don't remember you being so horrible towards tank engines like you were today!"

Emily; "Shame on you..."

After this argument, STH tells Gordon that he's banned from pulling the Express until he gets his behaviour sorted out and is being locked in his berth. Gordon desperately begs him not to, but STH doesn't listen. He is shut up in the sheds, where he has a nightmare about Edward and Henry getting scrapped and wakes up in the middle of the night, unconsciously tearing up and reflecting on how everyone treated him and his dream.

The episode ends with Gordon whispering;

"....N-Nobody cares how I feel...my own controller doesn't c-care how I feel... why does nobody care about me?"

The episode ends.

Yeah, if I were to do Forever and Ever, it would be pretty dark and angsty. It's all hurt for Gordon and no comfort. Plus, it would show a bit of Gordon that's vulnerable and no longer all pompous and arrogant, instead all self-conscious and soft.

[sudriantraveler]

A Very North Western Christmas

Dear Friends, The holiday season is always a very busy time on the railway. “We’re rushed off our wheels, and hardly ever get a rest” Henry told me. “But we have a duty to look after our passengers and our friends,” added Edward. “Yes Indeed” put in Gordon, “It’s most important that everything runs to time”. “But once all’s said and done, the Christmas Party at the sheds is always something to look forward to” peeped Thomas. I asked them all if there was any Christmas which they remembered more than others, and they told me of one from back when Thomas was still the Big Station’s pilot. A most chaotic Christmas, with packed trains, missing Christmas trees, and… Oh, but you must read the story for yourself. The Author

Oh boy, this was a long one, but I managed to get it done just in time.

I hope you enjoy my Christmas fic for this year.

Honestly this kinda ended up being something like 2 or 3 stories in one. But part of what I always liked about the Christmas specials in ttte is how they made a point to include as many characters as they could, even if it was just an appearance in the background, so I wanted to try and do something similar.

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and a Happy New Year.

[ye-olde-sodor]

Hurt (A DC au fic) (Tw warning)

Hey all! Ths fic is a bit darker than what I usually post, so please read with caution! It isn't over the top dark and it has a happy ending so I included the ttte tags. Tw warning for depression and death mention! Angst but with a happy ending!

______________________________________________________________

Gordon sighed as he backed into the old shed at Vicarstown. He bid his crew farewell, and he let his weight sink into the old rails below. The shed was old and dilapidated, completely void of any comfort, but he didn't feel like running all the way back to Tidmouth. It was a miracle that he was even moving at all.

It had been years since Scott had sailed to America. After a change in politics left his tour unfunded and bankrupt, everyone had feared for the worst. Sure enough, to his utter horror, one of Scotts trailing wheels was delivered to Doncaster from America, and the nation fell into mourning.

The United States had repeatedly denied sending the wheel and scrapping Scott, but all of the evidence was pointing to the painfully obvious. Out of everything, it was the blatant denial of any wrongdoing that truly got under his metal plating. He fumed just by the thought of it.

Worst yet, the family had begun to finally tear away from it's surviving members. For whatever reason, Scott had made the young, inexperienced Mallard the family matriarch over him or even Spencer...and gave the majority of the money to him.

Did he feel betrayed? Of course he did, anyone in his wheels would feel hurt and bitter by that. Did he feel jealous? Name me a time where Gordon wasn't jealous. But above all else...he was in agony.

The sounds of his screams upon hearing the news still haunt the inhabitants of Sodor...several months after the wheel was first brough to Doncaster. Outrage and a need for vengeance fueled him in a mighty burst of pure fire. In a matter of moments, he became a raging inferno accompanied by the shrilled shrieks of the phoenix, only for the cold and bitter misery to arrive and smother that once mighty flame just as quickly.

That same fury nearly took hold of him again when Mallard swiftly left the funeral service to attend to Scott's will. How dare he abandon his only family to "deal with the necessities"?! Would it have killed him to pay his respects to the engine he claimed to view as a mentor? His predecessor, a father dare one say?! Like with the last burst of fury, however, it was quickly drenched in a water known as despair. As Gordon thundered down the line back home, he felt nothing but the numbness of depression.

Now here he was, sitting in a cold abandoned shed near Kildane, barely living but so far from death. His eyes felt sunken, and his smokebox door felt heavy. If he didn't know any better, he would've thought that his own face would come clean off its hinges, landing onto the ground with a sickening thud and disintegrate into dust.

His entire frame felt weak and brittle, but it still stood firm and strong under his weight. He had lost all of his energy and his sense of importance and high regard. He stopped taking the express since the day the wheel arrived and has been pulling filthy goods trains ever since.

His once proud and royal blue paint had become covered in soot, grime, and various other stains. His eyes were red from countless tears and sleepless nights, hindering his performance even more. Dark circles under his eyes accompanied the redness, further showing his deterioration and lack of self care.

To list every agony that Gordon is suffering through would take years. Gordon had become a fallen star, a star of which that was rapidly falling apart as we speak.

As he sulked in the crumbling shed, the low bellowing of a diesel had become audible. It's proud motor seemed to echo across invisible valleys as it approached. He shifted his eyes to look in the direction of the noise to see who would dare approach such a dilapidated structure. To his surprise, he recognized the large Warship.

"10? What are you doing here?" Gordon spoke weakly.

"I was just gonna ask you the same thing." he replied in an equally stunned voice. "This is usually my shed."

Gordon's weight shifted under the rails again. "Oh. I'm sorry...I can leave if-"

"No no, it's fine." 10 interrupted. "I'm just surprised is all. You can stay here, I'll just park beside you."

He did as he promised, and carefully backed into the shed, sitting on top of the rails to Gordon's left. Gordon heard a door open and quickly closed. Out of the corner of his eye, he could spy the mechanical arm of 10's driver speed away after bidding his engine farewell. Apparently he knew that the two were about to have an intimate conversation.

"How are you holding up?" The large engine asked cautiously.

At first, Gordon was hesitant to answer. Truth be told he wasn't well at all...but at the same time he didn't want to hinder anyone else and have them worry more about him more then their work. Fortunately, 10 already knew the answer, and spoke Gordon's mind on his behalf.

"About as well as you can?" he spoke gently, as not to come off as condescending.

"You and I both now how much it hurts," Gordon began. "To lose a sibling...but to lose someone who was guaranteed survival."

Gordon trailed off, tears already beginning to form in his eyes. For the first time in years, he felt weak. His eyes began to soften as he let himself show such a powerful emotion in front of what is supposed to be his replacement, his rival even. He had already let his emotions erupt before, so it would've been hypocritical to hide them anymore.

"There is no greater pain then that." he finished through tears.

10 remained silent, and respectfully allowed the other engine to sob. His tears streamed down his face and began to pool onto his buffers and the ground below. The rails slightly sunk into the now wet soil, a result of the ground underneath it being disturbed.

10 had never seen such a thing before. An engine sobbing in front of another was unheard of on the Mainland, so to see such raw emotion from someone so uptight...why he couldn't explain the feeling even if he could.

"And the worst part of it?" Gordon went on shakily. "It isn't even over yet."

"What do you mean?"

Gordon thought for a moment and decided that he could no longer bare the weight of his dilemma any longer. As soon as he composed himself as best as he could, he looked at the warship.

"Promise me you won't speak of this. To anyone. What I'm about to tell you must stay between us."

"I promise." he spoke carefully, surprised at how trusting the engine was being to him. Then again, anyone in Gordon's position would've been grasping for any sort of comfort. Even if his better judgement wouldn't allow it.

"It's Scott's will," Gordon explained weakly. "Ryan is convinced someone tampered with it in Mallard's favor. Everyone on Spencer's side of the family is convinced that there isn't any evidence for such a claim. Now Ryan and his siblings are up in arms against his."

10 was suddenly intrigued by what he was being told. He'd heard of stories about forgeries, especially during his time as a bounty hunter. He suddenly found a source of hope, that his past might finally prove useful.

"Why would he think that?" he asked respectfully.

"Mallard got a majority of Scott's finances and properties. The rest of it went to Spencer and his half of the family, myself and Ryan."

"That does sound weird...What's Mallard doing now?"

"I'm not sure, I haven't spoken to him since the funeral." he said. "Or anyone for that matter...you're the only person I've talked to about this."

Diesel 10 was stunned. Astonished even, more so then he was before. It was already bizarre enough to have someone like Gordon vent to him of all engines, but to have him be the only person to vent about his feelings to? Why, he didn't know what to feel! Honored? Prideful? Destressed? Concerned?

Gordon's eyes had finally dried, with the last tear falling into the puddle below him. He looked at the diesel with red, burned eyes. "I just don't know what to do anymore. I'm completely lost."

"Y'know you really shouldn't be taking all of this on your own," 10 spoke abruptly. "Why don't you talk to the other steamies? Or even Hatt? Can't you get advice from him?"

Gordon nearly had a stroke at the suggestion. "You can't just...ask your controller for legal advice! It's improper!"

"Y'know what else is improper? Not talking to the people who can help you." He said sternly but gently. "Believe me, you don't ever want to make that mistake. It's how you end up making mistakes that you can't fix."

Gordon suddenly understood what the Warship was referring to. He had known about the Warship's past, as did most of the island, but he was the only one who truly understood his upbringing. To be robbed of your original purpose only to be thrown into a new one, and to have it end up for the better or for the worst of you. It doesn't take a genius to know who ended up where.

Gordon respected him, in a turn of events. Was 10 at one point resentful of Gordon's own privileges? He would've been a fool to deny that. Did he eventually overcome this prejudice and turned into one of the islands most reliable engines? Yes, but it's hard to believe that an airport of all things could've been the catalyst for such a change in demeanor.

Either way, Gordon couldn't help but see himself in the Warships position. Gordon was sent to Sodor after being an excellent engine at Doncaster...and he felt betrayed by the decision. He liked where he was, his family was there, why did they take it away from him? Was he not good enough? Over time, he grew to love his new home and job, but it took many years for him to heal from the sudden changes and hurt feelings.

10, meanwhile, had the misfortune of being sent for scrap with the rest of his siblings, only to be salvaged by some lunatic who gutted his cab and installed a massive hydraulic claw into it. He spent years hunting down the engines that had fled their railways...but would return with a broken husk of an engine trailing behind him.

Almost all runaway engines are stored in sheds until their crews can find a proper sanctuary, but without proper maintenance and a lack of movement after so much time...The warship became less of a bounty hunter and more of a corpse collector.

The more he thought about it, the more Gordon realized just how much they understand each other. The two were so similar yet so very different. It practically scared Gordon.

Looking at the mighty Warship now, it's virtually impossible to tell that he went through so much. He cares for those around him, and he's been a gentle giant for years now. He's went through years of pain and torment and yet here is smiling and working hard as if it had never happened!

As Gordon thought more and more about 10, and how he managed to pull through in the end gave him a newfound sense of hope. While not nearly enough to overpower his grief yet, it gave him a head start.

"I...I'll see if I can get the chance to talk to him." Gordon spoke, having found his strength. "He is a rather busy man after all."

"If he really cares about you steamers like his kids," 10 replied, "Then I bet he'll make time."

Gordon was taken aback by the phrase. "You don't really believe in that little rumor, do you?"

It was a lighthearted joke on the island's part, but 10 believed it to be fact. After all, this was the Hatt family we're talking about. The very same family that would gladly break the law just to keep a steam engine from being scrapped.

10 chuckled lightly, "That was a rumor?"

"Depends on who you ask." he replied cheekily. While his mood was lifted, he knew it would be a long time before he truly felt better. This wasn't, however, meant to discourage the smaller steps…as he could already see a flicker of hope at the end if a ling tunnel.

"Hey, there we go!" 10 smiled. If he had arms, he would've placed one of them around his friend for comfort and encouragement. Alas, he was stuck with only his words. In any other case, he would've used his claw, but that would've damaged the already weakened shed.

Suddenly, the Warship had an idea.

"Say, I think we can squeeze the two of us in my shed back at home base."

Gordon cocked an eyebrow at the suggestion. "Oh? what about-"

"It's only a short drive, maybe 15 minutes tops. If we leave now we can-"

"10, what about our drivers?" Gordon interrupted with a slight laugh.

The Warship blushed as the realization had dawned on him. While it was quite the blunder, if he acts quickly, he can fix it.

"I mean we could always leave a note!"

…or not.

Gordon let out a long needed laugh, and it wasn’t long before the warship joined in as well!

The two allies would’ve laughed the night away if weariness didn’t overcome them. As the two settled their weight ontop of the old rails, Gordon felt a small warmth build in his firebox, and he allowed a smile to form as he drifted effortlessly to sleep.

[str33tydr1ft]

|// Sudrian Streets \\|// Humanized TTTE Au \\|

| Short Summary : Sodor is built like NYC, the Vicarstown area and surrounding area is luxurious and all done up, basically the main part of the island. The further out you go the more run down it gets, Knapford and Tidmouth being the most run down. Due to that this AU focuses around the characters living in that area of the island, working as railway workers, alongside dealing with their own little mafia and crime life they've created for themselves. |

Okay so now that the Short Summary's up and done, time to explain.

ABOUT -

Like in the short Summary, Sodor is built like NYC. Vicarstown being the most done up, with the further out you go, the less and less nice it becomes. Knapford and Tidmouth are the most run down cities out of them all, most of the main cast lives around there too. The only successful thing there is the railway that keeps Vicarstown going, where the main cast also works at. Knapford and Tidmouth are crime riddled hellholes, and so it's up to the main cast to survive there with their own little crime syndicate.

CHARACTERS -

Thomas Kingston - He's more or less like Prowler Miles, he's a vigilante, he does what he does to keep everyone alive for at least one more day. But he will fight - or even kill - anyone if he has to. Out of all of his friends and colleagues he has the most advanced equipment out of anyone. Due to stealing multiple stuff from goods trains that are meant to go to Vicarstown from Knapford. He's managed to make himself his own armor set with the stuff he's taken. So yeah he also has a suit similar to the prowler. Only his brother, Percy, and his dads, Gordon and Henry know about this, and often do their best to help him as best as they humanly could with it. Nonetheless he still does his best. His normal part of his life consists of him working as an engine engineer, while he struggles his way through college.

Percy Kingston - As Thomas' younger brother, and the youngest child to Gordon and Henry, he's the most protected out of anyone of the main cast. He works similarly to Thomas but completely different at the same time. Instead he's more equipped with grappling hooks, and all that jazz. One important thing about him is that he has makeshift wings that he uses to glid around the city. He's more known as the messenger due to the fact that whenever something big is going on like a murderer being on the loose or a big events coming up, he often leaves notes around peoples home letting them know of what's going on due to the fact that even though Knapford's homes do have working tv's and news outlets, none of them ever cover what happens in their own city and surrounding cities. So Percy took it upon himself to be that news outlet that people need. His normal life is the same as Thomas. He works as an engine engineer, while he struggles his way through his last year at high school.

Gordon Kingston - He's the crime boss, if anything happens to anyone you tell him, and it'll get sorted in one way or another. This man does not know mercy. He forgot what it was a long time ago. Gordon runs his own crime syndicate with his husband Henry. So usually if anything happens, or if something goes wrong, they're either the cause or there to fix the problem. He adopted Thomas and Percy after he married Henry, and raised the two with him. His family has only really been the only source of his happiness for his entire life now. His normal life is the same as the others, but instead of being an engineer he's a engine driver.

Henry Kingston - ack

| THIS POST IS A BIG WIP MORE INFO WILL COME SOON!!! |

[day-dream-clouds]

Ok, it's 12 am, and here I am, almost about to cry cause I love my fos so much. Let me explain, cause this probably gonna be a little long lol.

Ok so even though I've recently added ttte characters to my fo list, truth is, they were my first fos. Ever. I'm not kidding. 8 year old me was so obsessed with ttte as a kid, that I imagined me being friends with all of the characters, and anytime I felt sad, or lonely, or if I was just bored, I could rely on them to make me happy, and they did, they made me so happy. Even when I wasn't into the show anymore, whenever I saw merch or happened to see a bit of an episode on tv, I'd get a little sentimental.

And now, 10 years later, I've fallen back in love with the series, and have added these characters to my fo list heh. I guess you could say they were my found family hehe *makes sense since most of my new fos are familial/parental XD*

James, the character that I saw as a bit of a jerk as a kid I now am in love with lol,

Thomas and Percy, these characters are legit my best friends in the world and I would do anything for them,

Henry and Emily, being the supportive older siblings I wish I had,

And Edward, Toby and Gordon being the wise and thoughtful, *though sometimes chaotic* guardian figures that I looked up too.

And I had way more fos than those 8, but if I were to list them all here, id be here for hours.

I'm probably going to write a little reunion story cause I just really wanna put all of my feelings Into words, and actually figure out how to write these characters haha

"So you guys actually missed me?"

"Of course! We all missed you, so so much."

Amy could not believe what she was hearing, and, though she didn't realize, tears were streaming down her face. Immediately she ran to the humanized engines, and tackled one of them in a hug, all of them hugging her back shortly after.

"We're so happy to have you back."

"We've missed you so much."

"We're glad you still remembered us."

"We're so happy to have you back."

*this post is ok to reblog :>*

[nickywhoisi]

I just realized...that so many of my posts are getting...noticed? By other people? And it’s all been such a massive change from the isolation I had “gotten used to” and it’s so...wonderfully positive and nice? Maybe it’s dumb that I’m noticing so late, but...I would like to mention a very important factoid about me.

I have this new account, but I’ve actually been on tumblr for many years before. There was one account I used to have that I worked so hard to make so I could do what I’m doing now. But for some reason, I was never able to get traction going on it...like, at all. Nobody came around. Not a single notification had ever popped up in the whole two years I had that. It was as if I were all alone in a ghost town. I knew there were loads of people online, yet nobody ever seemed to reblog the things I was most passionate about creating, the posts I worked the hardest on. I was doing it for me, true, but I was also doing it for others too, and I considered that important. Yet I grew pretty upset that nothing seemed to be working for me to finally be a part of things, live the experience everyone else seemed to be getting and have an audience to call my very own, so I could finally share myself with the world in a meaningful way. And for many years afterward, I would be lurking, just looking at others’ blogs that I still liked, but it was pretty bad because I was always wistfully longing without using an account to talk to anyone. I was pretty convinced there was nobody who ever wanted to talk to me, or like me. It was as if everyone who ever said “there’s always someone who’s going to be there for you” was being proven wrong...and that’s how it stayed. You can imagine the bitterness that was arising from that kind of treatment. I worry that’s still coming out sometimes, as I type now.

But finally, all it took was finding the right fandom, just trying one more time at doing the exact same thing I wanted to do for myself, and letting whatever happened happen. I legitimately thought this new blog of mine would suffer the same fate as my old one (in fact, I wonder if it’s still the same as it ever was, nobody even knowing it exists) and I was ready to feel impossibly isolated again. Then maybe I would have just...sworn off any kind of trying at social media. It was my last shot, and I would have let myself get swallowed by the void of loneliness if nothing improved. But then it did. Because I guess I forgone all my past gripes and allowed myself to obtain even a little bit of happiness in the TTTE fandom. How ironic that I thought I would have been treated badly and cast out further by identifying as part of this group and so had never posted any of this on that old blog, and there was never this much activity, excitement, and genuine moments where I’ve gotten to talk to others and even achieve friendship. Now on this one, I’ve done the opposite, and it’s all been happening. I cannot begin to say how even if I really do wish I had gotten this ages ago, before this new climate has happened...it’s so great that I am getting this now, instead of never at all.

So I am trying my hardest to hold onto all memories of the good things that have been coming to my life lately, and to not let the bad things cripple me out of being positive. I hope that what...this is, this atmosphere, just stays as is and continues on. It’s beautiful to finally, after toiling for this long, be allowed to belong somewhere. I hope you’ll all reblog and talk to me often, I’ll always be eager to chat, or lend an ear. Please don’t be afraid to dm, leave a message, whichever. It’s all so exciting and I am ready to interact always, no matter what mood. Come in!

[shinygoku]

I marathoned TTTE S7 yesterday, but unlike S6 it didn’t have polarised Great and Bad eps, instead it was mostly a dull blur of instalments that were just ...fine. Like, only a couple really elevated to rather enjoyable or memorable levels. Most of the plots felt like shallow retreads of better stories or were generic ass ‘new engine. they have a spot of bother. everything is fine now yaaay.’

Like, there are neat ideas in there but other than Emily and to a lesser extent Spencer, I don’t think any of them stick! There was potential but only a couple of episodes stood out to me, for good and bad reasons lol

But yeah, I think there’s too much missing from what made the first Four And A Half Seasons so Legendary. Less rudeness and Karma, lack of long running arcs, unambitious action and effects use, forgetting what lessons that the characters have learnt already.

While the last ep of S7 was cute, I feel kind of cheated out of a memorable capper to the Classic Era so on rewatches I’ll probably stop at 5’s finale... (Double Checks what it was and it’s Snow) ...or an actually good, exciting and/or heartwarming episode lmao. Maybe I can shuffle Happy Ever After or Make Someone Happy to the end.

Bonus: The Cat who is in 2 episodes and thus is the Best Minor Character

[riverxkeichains]

4 Days Later, So Far...(UPDATE!!!)

WARNING: THIS IS LONG!

4 Days Later, After coming back from work? I looked at my Tumblr Account.

...

HoLySHIT!

I Didn't Expect This to happen So Far, I got 50+ likes? and Some Reblogs on my Mavis x Rosie Art? Omg...

*Screams, Cries of Joy*

I'M SHOOK, SURPRISED, AND I'M SO HAPPY ABOUT THIS AT THE SAME TIME!!

And you Know? I Think I got there So Far.

Okie Okie Sorry About that I got really Excited there, Because my other art and post either got little likes + Reblogs or Noun of them stuff, And This? I didn't really expect to get this much likes and some reblogs on my Mavis x Rosie Art ;;v;;.

Alright *takes a deep breath* Allow me to introduce myself For all time sake, For those of you Who don't Know? Hi My name is River K.C., However you can call me R.K.(Mainly), Rio, Keithlyn, Keith, Kei, R.K.C.M., or any nickname as long as it's not rude. I'm a user who post a lot of My Art for the most part, sometimes shitpost and Personal stuff(Not all, Since I rather not reveal most of them and Will for the most part, keep things a Secret. I'm very protective towards my Life and History, So NEVER EVER! ask me questions such as my age, my real name, or even asking me to do a face reveal -.-, So Please Don't  ask me those type of personal questions~). As of Recently I've been getting a Tons of likes, Some Reblogs, on my Recent Art and Honestly I can't Thank you all enough. This Is just Beautiful, Like Really Beautiful, That I didn't expect That I would get This much Likes. Like I said from the started I haven't get too much likes on any post form my other stuff for a very long time. Before I made this account I was once formerly using keixblade, Reason why I didn't uses Account anymore because I felt like I need a new Fresh Start of my blog and Things have been changing over the Years so That's why I decided to make a new blog and you know after making a new blog I've been starting to post again, such as my previous art, older post, welcoming myself, and I started to finally reblog for the first time which I haven't done in my old previous account. After that, I checked out my favorite artist, have plans to follow them soon. I don't usually post at the weeks but I'll definitely try my best to post my stuff at the weekends, You know Saturday, Sunday, But Sometimes Friday, I might be able to sometime post on the week of I had the free time to do so.

Story Time~! Before I made this Account and During Late March 2021, when I started to have some interest in TTTE for the first time, I looked up at some websites to research on the series and watched abit of Episodes about it(Thanks to Steve' Reviews Tugs, Thomas for PS1(Highly Recommend you all check it out if you had the JP PlayStation or an Emulator ;), and a Fan Animation That I won't tell because I'll talk about this in the Future, it's that one Fan Animation that I'll give a review on soon it's a pretty controversial one 😅 Yeah you know Exactly Why I'm Talking about, So DON'T Bash on me for this) So far It's Interesting, For the most part I Mostly got some Thomas info from the Wiki, Reddit, and Tumblr as well. When I did got to Tumblr, I check out some of the TTTE Art Most of them that I came across from my experience are really good :) But out of all the artist in the site? One Actually caught my interest and decided to check their blog out, their art is Beautiful and how amazing their Humanized Version of TTTE style is. And that blog I'm talking about is none other than @asktrio516, I always looked up to them, so much so that this was before when I started to come back to tumblr to started fresh. This blog gave me so much nostalgic feelings for some reason, not because of Thomas But Because of the human Version of these Characters, In Fact? This isn't my First Time That I look up to an artist for their art and for their humanized version form Another Show I'll take about soon(I Even alot of Fanart of this person's Human Version of these Characters, Again will make a separate post about it). So 2 months after Getting into Thomas for real, I saw the asktrio516 blog posting the Official Ships in their blog, Obviously I was very Excited when I saw it and In Fact? I Actually Loved Most of these Pairing that is Featured in this posted(Stay Tuned for the next post ;))). After reading the post, I saw one Pairing that Interested me and it was Mavis × Rosie, I always have this feeling that ngl? I always see them being together and wish they can have some Screen Time Together(Yes I know What's Going on but we don't Talk about that Disaster...yet....😤.....Damnit just God Damn You Mattle). So For A while? I've actually been planning on making an Mavis and Rosie Drawing in Emma's TTTE Human Designs. So it only took a quite for a while to get there, Reason I didn't do this sooner because of work, I had to help with my Friend, and I was very nervous yet shy at doing Mavis and Rosie being together at first. Thankfully with enough confidences and encouragement? In August, I ask the asktrio516 admin on Instagram if I can Asked something on tumblr, Fortunately they respond with yes(Honestly I was so Happy About It 😁) so at the same month, That's where I officially got my new Tumblr Account since I felt like my old Account is a bit dated and This is where I also have the confidence to ask the asktrio516 admin if I can draw Mavis with Rosie being together(Since Again they mentioned of having interested of doing this ship) and That's how the story goes c:.

I Really Apologize This is this So Frickin Long!

...

Again I Have to Thank all you all for the Likes and Reblog of my Mavis x Rosie Art for asktrio516 blog~ It really Means alot, and I definitely have to Thank asktrio516 She's one of my Inspiration and i'm glad they accept my permission for doing this art(I'm sorry but Thank you so Much and Also Happy Birthday Emma 🥳).

You know Because of that? I might post some more Thomas the Tank Engine stuff soon and Even at some point? Might make a Full on TTTE Side Account for both Normal and my TTTE AU(Since There's at times that I will posted other things that isn't Thomas related(Also more info of my TTTE AU Coming Soon-) Heck! I might do some more TTTE Ships Later, If there's a high demand for them from Me? I might able to do Murdoch × Arthur, Gordon × BoCo, Proteus × Lady, and Hiro × Henry Next(4 of one of my Favorite Underrated Pairings, there's more I will do but for now I'm putting the ones that people haven't heard of or haven't talked about that much, Yet~ ;;))).

Hell! I might even do my favorite popular Thomas the Tank Engine pairing soon.

(Don't ask why because I'll make a expiration soon on why I love them but for now, There's just something that They have in my taste of shipping)

Thank you for Reading this and Have a great day, Goodbye~☆.

[meanscarletdeceiver]

man, those humans sure are mortal, aren’t they?

In the notes of my Fat Controller I vs. Fat Controller II analysis, @galinneall-dearg​ posed the question of how the engines might have reacted to FC1′s death. 

Actually, she first wondered how FC1 might reacting to knowing FC2 had ever... actually... punished Thomas for something (vapors)!

Curious, I looked it up, and Thomas had a limited amount of time to get up to any shenanigans during that window: 

... yeah, FC1 timed that retirement pretty damn well. (Also, btw: Am I stretching it to say that Henry was named after the governor’s son?) 

Had a brainwave about the main question of reactions to FC1′s death... I’ve chatted before about the headcanon that the engines tend to be terrible when it comes to human facial recognition and names. 

And tonight I was just thinking that, specifically, you could probably fool an engine who ‘ought’ to know your face very well by shaving or dying your hair or wearing something unexpected. 

So, I think you see where this is going... What if the engines never actually knew that FC1 (or FC2) died? 

What if, by adopting ‘the dress uniform,’ the Hatts have been maintaining perfect continuity as far as their railway’s sentient stock are concerned? 

I’m not even saying that the Hatts had to have done this intentionally, or that the board elected them for this reason... I’ve seen someone (the name escapes me, sorry) explain the Xerox generation, and a dude in 2011 still going about in Edwardian formal wear, as just “the Hatts know good marketing when they see it!” And it would be good marketing, both for family brand, and for the railway... railways do tend to go in for a sort of fictional ethos, complete sometimes with “mascots” and characters. (@brownsugar-chan​ has totally convinced me that at least one RWS/TTTE character is nothing but a figment of the marketing department’s imagination... though I reckon I should not share details without her permission.)

But, whether it was their first priority or not, the continuation of ‘the FC character’ would allow the engines unbroken emotional continuity over the decades... probably important, considering that as early as FC1 this railway’s controller has been so intimately involved in the day-to-day management, and his engines seem to have meaningful relationships with him. And I’m sure it’s been observed that happy engines do better work and more of it, so... the board of directors certainly would find that a persuasive argument: stick with the Hatt line, and never have the productivity downturn associated with an entire fleet in shock and mourning. 

I’m not saying I totally buy it, but it’s interesting... 

[daikenkki]

MrDonald09: Since Series 22, what new change has annoyed you the MOST??

tttedrawings: Fantasy sequences and the intro/life lessons outro, they just make the episodes shorter, and most of the time aren't really needed at all.

MrDonald09: Ah yes unfortunately you can only have 4 options on Twitter polls, I’m sure the list would be huge if you could have more.

MasonDey1: To me the whole concept of the Steam Team is just pointless.

MrDonald09: Yeah it limits the characters that are used most of the time.

PSideplates: I voted for bouncing since it's closest to the general "kids show" tone that BWBA takes on. It really is like watching a show you put on for your 3 year old so you can leave the room in peace. It hurts to watch. If we were getting the Brenner era where the engines bounced, had ugly details, went worldwide, and got Nia and Rebecca, I'd be miffed but accept it. But BWBA just claims to be TTTE and acts like a generic preschool show. And I don't wanna be in a position where I'm an adult watching a preschool show.

MrDonald09: Agreed. I feel proud to be a fan when I watch classic era and Brenner era, but if it was like BWBA throughout the whole show I can tell you I would not be supporting it now.

TCKRangeltoon: I blame Chuggington.

PSideplates: I don't. Chuggington ended before they came up with BWBA. If anything, Chuggington made the market for train toys/shows competitive which forced HiT to make good Thomas products, well toys anyway.

ronniethe14xx: Honestly, disagree with the point it's the most general kids show tone. Travelling seems to be the new hip and cool thing to do in kids shows, I'd argue that makes it slightly worse then the bouncing because it's clear Thomas only jumped on that trend to be "hip".

JovanniChavez11: Faster pace and Thomas losing his identity. I don’t mind Thomas going on a trip but that wasn’t the way to handle it.

MrDonald09: Yes. IMO it should have stopped after the BWBA special, I think it should have only been a special.

Bostonthomasfan: Don’t really mind the bouncing but it can be over done at times. For around the world? I wish there were more episodes on Sodor and less around the world. Like 18-8 would be good.

MikeArc31375512: The bouncing. Loathe it with a passion.

ThomasTVNostal1: The thing I hate is constant arguing over opinions.Some people have been told to fuck themselves for disliking an episode of BWBA that the majority of the fandom likes and vice versa. This is unacceptable. As a fandom, we're a team and we help each other out.

ChillerB3: The forced feminism with Nia, Rebecca and the newer Steam Team really rubbed me the wrong way, more than hyper bouncing and worldwide shit did.

MrDonald09: Same, especially how the majority of the audience really doesn’t care about that, having more females, great! but don’t mess with many people’s childhood to make SJWs and toxic feminists happy cuz I guarantee you the people who wanted this change probably don’t even like the show.

ryanburges4472: I didn't read properly and the real thing since Series 22 that has annoyed me the most is the bouncing. I've been more bothered about the steam team without Henry (Just Henry). I'm happy with Edward sleeping at Wellsworth.

MrDonald09: Yeah, I completely agree honestly i’m not mad that Edward isn’t in the Steam Team anymore. It's Henry that annoys me the most.

ryanburges4472: I know! Gordon and James sleeping at Tidmouth without Henry. Edward is best at Wellsworth because he has a branch line which stars from Wellsworth.

CoolCar161: Henry and Edward stopped appearing as much anyway. They haven’t been good characters since series 4, even in the Brenner era they had little to no appearances due to writer's block. Rivets is a nice little detail that makes them seem more real, Thomas always wanted to see the world and the bouncing is hardly that bad.

TheBlueE21: Thomas' world tour. It's so inconsistent. Doesn't tie into the movie that hyped it up, never explains why or for how long Thomas is in each country, 1 ep he's in China, then Brazil etc then Sodor eps act as though he never left due to always being there. Plus most sets aren't great.

halfbakedhex8: For the record, I voted the 'rivets' option because the inclusion of the new detailing runs so counter to what the show is now, that trying to inflict reality onto the now-very-unreal engines feels very confused as to what the show is trying to achieve.

BluebellThEngin: The "bouncing" doesn't bother me much at first, but as time went on, it starts to get a little out of control and it kinda bugs me. I don't have a problem with the added details like the rivets, but they do look a little too big. Shrink them in size and they'll be okay. I'm mixed on Thomas travelling around the world if I'm being honest. The new Steam Team is what bugs me the most out of all of these options. I never liked it to begin with (minus my child self). It makes the other characters look useless. What I love about the Classic Series is we got lots of stories about almost each and every single one of them it makes the series interesting. But with the Steam Team, not only does it focus on the main characters so much, but it also brings them out of character. Especially if it's for the sake of the plots.

fan_ttte: The New Steam Team with Nia and Rebecca is what I don’t like most. I don’t mind the bouncing or rivets, Thomas going worldwide is okay. I don't know, I just feel like it would’ve been better if Nia and Rebecca did join, but also keep the others, for some interesting interactions and episodes.

islandofodor: If Thomas hadn’t gone worldwide, we’d probably still be in the Brenner era. Granted, it’d still be a slight step down but the international episodes barely take advantage of the different setting and opt to use generic plotlines that we’ve already seen on Sodor.

thesaddletank18: Bouncing, rivets and worldwide idea are bad but the new Steam Team is just....why was this done to the show?

Jacob34335638: I liked the new details, I’m mixed on the New Steam Team, and Thomas travelling the world. But the bouncing is what pisses me off the most, it literally makes the show look like Chuggington. The bouncing was at it’s worst in Journey Beyond Sodor and Thomas’ Magical Birthday Wishes.

TWR_Douglas_10: ALL OF THE ABOVE!!!!!!!

DFox1203: Is everything an option?

TheWinnerGuyCJP: Voted worldwide cuz it makes Thomas completely out of character.

SoupyGunzilla: I think a lot of the stories suffer from the shorter time. A lot of them could be better if they had more time.

kofi_milky: The bouncing, more sing alongs, replacing Edward and Henry with Nia and Rebecca. Even Thomas going worldwide. When the Rev. W. Awdry said "Here is your friend Thomas the Tank Engine. He wanted to come out of his station yard and see the world", the world that's he meant is Sodor.

sodordaily: Choosing New Steam Team because I miss the old SO MUCH!

peter_sam_no4: I think for me the bouncing as it’s so unrealistic . A 1 ton lump of metal can not swing all over the place like it has no weight.

Growlithemaste1: I hate the bouncing the most, but the rest are all useless too.

sixteen_dnw: Worst is the New Steam Team, then worldwide, then rivets, and then bouncing. TBH it doesn’t bother me too much.

BearsFlush: It annoys me that Thomas travels the world, as they remove chapters that might be focus on Sodor, and the locations and some engines are not represented correctly on the railroad.

VacentTest: I’m fine with the New Steam Team changing Edward and Henry out for Nia and Rebecca, I’ve always supported it in the beginning because increased feminism is good. Thomas going worldwide, that didn’t annoy me cause I was interested in that, the rivets is minor and nothing to worry about. But the bouncing, annoyed me the most at first but I’m used to it.

SnatchyBoi: The bouncing and the New Steam Team.

GWREngine: The New Steam Team is the most annoying change. It feels like Mattel doesn't care how special Edward, Henry, and Toby are. Plus we don't need to have more than 1 female main character. Emily being the only girl used to make her special. With Nia and Rebecca around, she isn't special anymore.

TurnTable2002: Chris Renshaw's music really annoys me.

MichaelfromNZ1: Bouncing, worldwide and New Steam Team. They represent how far Thomas has fallen since Mattel fully took over.

ArmchairRailway: New Steam Team.

TI4MGP: This is probably the hardest time I’ve had deciding on one of your polls lol. I went with the Steam Team though, but bouncing comes in a REALLY REALLY close second. The other two are less but equal with each other.

jack_bench: TBH, I'm fine with all of them? But I chose bouncing because the rivets are neat, world-tour - while it makes no sense - has a valuable goal (and is kinda fun), and the Steam Team really needed more female representation which we got with two positive role models in Nia and Rebecca. Bouncing is unnecessary, but not horrendous.

Holycro1Michael: Everything!

JosefSnowBall: Rivets was something I actually liked seeing on some engines. Bouncing is something I’m OK with, it’s kind of grown on me. New Steam Team sucks because it gets rid of the 2 best engines, Edward and Henry, and Thomas worldwide sounded like a bad idea to begin with.

TheThomasFan: Probably Thomas going worldwide . The animation is shit and it’s all just recoloured.

TheUnluckyTug: The new Steam Team. I think I'd be a little more accepting of BWBA if Edward and Henry weren't so transparently and obviously thrown to the side and treated as if they don't exist. It was like the biggest "fuck you" to fans ever.

MrDonald09: Yeah, not to mention Nia and Rebecca have such generic personalities they can barely hold a unique episode nowadays. I can understand Edward staying at Wellsworth but they did Henry DIRTY by slapping him at Vicarstown so he can focus on his Mainland duties yet not do any episode focused on this new job.

SteamEn83954980: Ok so ignoring Emily, it was a perfect 1-7 number of characters and now it's just 1, 18, 22, 4, 5, 6 and 12. Like I know it's minor but that fact gets under my skin.

DBlue02: I voted for the bouncing, but yeah, I kinda have to agree with Simon Martin’s opinion on the Steam Team concept, it’s long since overstayed its welcome. I’d prefer a nice balance of the main and side characters getting their share of the spotlight, like in the classic seasons.

TFan512: What if Edward, Henry, Nia and Rebecca were all part of the main cast.

[butterfrogmantis]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVUcz6wPrCs (it's the song Skiff sang) All over Sodor there was hustle and bustle.  News of Thomas Billiton’s recent adventure had spread like wildfire. The boy was recovering at the Steamworks Hospital under the attentive Dr.Victor.   Captain dismounted his motor boat and climbed up the gangway where the policemen had the pirate handcuffed tightly and were escorting him to the Sodor jail. He was to be found guilty of several charges. As the criminal passed him, Captain caught a glimpse of his face. It was only a fleeting glimpse, yet the coast guard was sure he had seen that particular face before. He couldn’t quite pin it down, and the memory trickled away like the water off his lifejacket. But there was something familiar about the malevolent twinkle in those eyes. Either way, it probably didn’t matter. The man was off to jail now whatever the memory. Captain suddenly remembered something and ran up towards Sir. Topham Hatt. “Sir! We managed to recover the sailboat. It’s a little worn, but fixable. It took the team a while to flip” Captain chose not to mention the splinters he had gained from the activity. The controller nodded thoughtfully. “That’s good. By the way ...that sailor almost made off with that 16th centaury treasure” He informed the life guard “Tomorrow I want you to help the diving team recover it – escort it back safely on your boat” Captain bowed his head respectfully. “Will do sir” “Now ... I have a serious issue to attend to with Joe” Topham sighed; it had been a long week. As the controller left, Captain caught sight of someone sitting on a barrel next to the recently recovered ship. He had been hidden from sight previously due to Topham’s presence. It was the second person that had been involved with the robbery, however he had not been charged the same way as the pirate for some reason. The teenager was staring sheepishly at the ground, and drawing little circles on the palm of his hand with his finger. He was in a much worse condition that the coast guard, however it probably wasn’t just from the one adventure. The lad was in need of some serious TLC – and a new wardrobe. Captain approached gingerly and pulled up a barrel to sit next to him. The teenager obviously acknowledged his presence because he stopped drawing circles and became rather ridged. A few minutes of silenced passed. Passed between the two sailors anyway – there was plenty of background noise at the harbour. Surprisingly, the teenager spoke up first. “I swear I didn’t know” He whimpered quietly, not looking up. “Don’t worry” Captain attempted to sound reassuring. He wasn’t sure of the boy’s future fate, however he was obviously not being charged on the same accounts as the other sailor. “He promised he was going to give it to the museum” His voice was a little louder now, and he sounded rather confused. Captain shrugged. The coast guard wasn’t really sure what else to say. “We managed to save your sailboat” He reassured. The teenager looked up suddenly, his eyes blue and earnest. Then he seemed startled by something on Captain’s presence. “Sir? D-did you know you’re bleeding?” Captain glanced down at his left palm. Clearly the splintered wood had done more damage than he had originally thought. “Ah” “Hold on, sir” The teenager rummaged around in his supplies that they had saved from the ship. He produced a clean bandage and wrapped it carefully around the man’s injured palm. “So ... what’s your name, skipper?” “Skiff, sir” “You don’t have to call me that” Captain said gently “Just Captain” Skiff blinked, a little puzzled. “Captain what?” The sailor chuckled. “Everytime. No – that’s just my name” “Oh I see” The teenager giggled. “So do you own that motor boat that rescued me and John?” “John?” “Yes, Sailor John, he was the one that was uhh ... arrested” Skiff shifted uncomfortably on his barrel, still feeling a little guilty at being forced into being an accomplice at a near grand-theft. For Captain, the name matched a face. John was the name of the sailor that Captain had witnessed being kicked out of the navy. But then ... if it had been the same sailor, then the boy must have been ... Captain only just held back a gasp. Solberg had told him (confidentially) that John was employing a boy who had been orphaned. However they had assumed the boy John spoke of was simply a young adult that John called ‘boy’ to ignore his own aging body. Captain had left the navy almost 3 years ago, and the teenager sat in front of him couldn’t have been ... could he? Captain mentally cursed the unconcern of all those that knew of it. “Skiff?” The two sailors looked up to see the Fat Controller strolling over to them with Joe the lighthouse keeper next to him. Joe crouched down carefully next to Skiff and doffed his cap in a friendly gesture. “Hello there Skiff. Sir. Topham tells me you’ll need  a place to stay now” Skiff gulped. “Well tell you what, why don’t you follow me and we can get you cleaned up and find you something better to wear” Skiff nodded wearily, relieved at the kindness. “Ahem, Skiff” The controller rubbed the back of head “We’ve been thinking ... you might want to ... start afresh. For identity reasons” He pointed to Skiff’s dark brown tresses. “D-do you mean dye my hair, sir?” Skiff asked curiously. “It won’t be anything silly” Joe chuckled “Personally I’d go for blonde” Skiff wasn’t sure what to make of this, but he assumed the adults had a reason for requesting this, so he nodded. “Blonde it is I guess” “Come on then” Joe pressed gently “Let’s get you cleaned up” Skiff jumped nervously off his barrel and began to follow the light house keeper. “Hey Skiff – you forgot your bag” Captain reminded him, passing the supplies to the grateful teenager. Skiff grinned weakly and then ran on ahead with his new foster guardian. “You know that lad?” Sir Topham asked Captain once they were out of sight. “I knew ... something of him. Maybe, anyway” “Hmm ... this fresh start is certainly what he needs. Don’t forget to meet up with the diving team tomorrow!” The controller reminded, as he set off for the Steamworks Hospital. Captain still didn’t know for sure whether his suspicions where correct. But he knew one thing – anyone was safer on Sodor than in the hands of the selfish Sailor John. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I really like this piece for some reason XD  Decided to keep going with the boat buddies arc, but to back track a little :3 Since I finally watched all of SLOTLT (I had only watched the Skiff and John scenes before because of the American dub - I'm not used to it so it's a bit strange to me)  Anyway, this follows several years after this: https://butterfrogmantis.deviantart.com/art/What-If-Same-Day-Different-Directions-734197838 And about 7/8 years before this: https://butterfrogmantis.deviantart.com/art/Boat-Buddies-731200913 Between this ^ and that one set in the bar, there's limited interaction. If we EVER get a boat based episode I will be SOOOO happy  (Twitter suggested an episode where Captain saves Skiff from something. May I propose this instead; Skiff saves Captain from something. I rest my case)  Otherwise, I think it fills out rather nicely :meow:  And once again, all of this is purely headcanon and shouldn't need to interfere with any canon :p  Captain and Skiff (c) TTTE/ HIT Entertainment 

[greendreamer]

Headcanon TTTE Fantasy!AU

Recently I have been thinking abut Duke and Smudger (also Bertram) in my Fantasy!AU so I decided that I would at least write it down so that I have it for future reference.I might blame @sally-the-pack-leader and @hardkookiecookie for making me think about this again

But there is MaleXMale shipping and mpreg in the headcanon so you have been warned.

Back in the days of the Mid Sodor Railway, which I didn’t know it’s still a railway in this AU, Duke has been working on the railway for some years before Smudger joined. The controller of the railway didn’t want employ people who were not completely human. Only after many people had told him that if he didn’t employ other species his railway would be closed down he final gave in. The first of this kind was a vampire called Smudger.

[ I have no clue why I chose Smudger to be a vampire]. Smudger had not had a job in a while so he was will to work for cheap. Thankfully he wasn’t the kind of vampire that couldn’t e in the sun, unlike James.It wasn’t long before he started to fall for Duke. At first he would hide his feelings by acting really dick-ish around Duke, but soon (probably after one too many drinks) Smudger’s true feelings about Duke were revealed. Ever afterwards Smudger would still act like a bit of an arse.

Duke was at first very surprise about this information. He didn’t take negatively but just wasn’t sure if he felt the same way or not. It didn’t take too long before Duke realise how much of a sweetheart Smudger could be if he gave him a chance.

They kept their relationship hide from most people, especially their controller. However, one day Stanley found out. He didn’t tell anyone but instead started to use it as a way to blackmail Duke and Smudger into doing of his work. In his spare time, Stanley often works on the black-market getting potions and other magical items he than sells it on. 

One day Stanley was given this new potion from over seas, it could give males up to 80% chance of getting pregnant. Potions about pregnancy were nothing new in this world but one for a male (not just human males at that) was something new. Although no one part from a few humans had tried, so he decided to use Duke and Smudger as guinea pigs for the potion. It didn’t take too much persuasion for them to try it.

For the potion to work: the male who wanted to get pregnant drinks the potion and within the next 24 hours they must have sex. The potion would help to create a child from the sperm and the carry’s DNA. Apart from that the pregnancy would work like any normal (hopefully) human pregnancy. Thankfully the potion also gives the male a way to birth the child naturally, that might be through the butt at least it wouldn’t kill the male. 

When Duke and Smudger had sex Smudger finally bit Duke. To for a vampire love someone for the rest of their life they must bite them. This turns their lover into a vampire of sorts. They hadn’t done this yet because it could rise suspicion from the controller. Since there would be two permanent bite marks on Duke’s neck and it would take a day (at least) after being bitten before Duke could work again. Also they decided that Smudger would be the one the carry the child since he had a more younger and healthier body.

Not long afterwards it turned out that the potion had worked and Smudger was pregnant. For the first few months Smudger went through the pregnancy fine. Their controller didn’t find until Smudger was already into the 3rd month of the pregnancy. 

It was later in the afternoon, Smudger had come be from a job late and the controller wasn’t happy. Often the controller would get a bit violent and would abuse his staff. However, Smudger tried to protect his unborn child from the controller’s rage in the process revealing that he was pregnant. Soon the controller forced Smudger to tell how he became pregnant. 

Duke didn’t find out until the next morning, by then Stanley had been fired and Smudger had disappeared. The controller would of killed Smudger but the railway was already doing stuff that could get the controller thrown into jail that killing Smudger would most definitely get him locked up. By the time Duke found out Smudger had been chained up in a small shed, not too far from the main area of the railway.

Thankfully Smudger hadn’t lose the baby but was very scared that he would. Duke would often visit Smudger in secret, bring him animals so that Smudger could drink their blood. Duke didn’t need to drink as much blood and as often as Smudger had too (especially since he was drinking for two). For the rest of the pregnancy Smudger was kept locked up in the shed. By the end Smudger was quite weak since most of the food and blood he ate would go straight to his child.

During this time the controller had gotten two more people to help on the railway: Falcon Handel and Peter Stuart Sam. Both of them were just old enough to properly work. Duke was made to teach them the ways. He would use the story of Smudger to teach them that you must always do as their controller said However he would bend the true so that it looked like Smudger never learned to do good.

By the time Smudger went into labour he was too weak to birth the child on his own. Soon as Duke found out he rung for an ambulance. When Smudger was first chained up Duke had tried to call for police, so that the controller would finally paid for his crimes. However the controller had thread Duke that He would never see Smudger or his unborn child ever again if he did. So this time around he took the chance and also called the police. However Duke couldn’t be by Smudger’s side during the birth.

The next few weeks were quite a blur for Duke, he spend a lot of his time giving evidence for the police case against the controller and also being relocated from the mid Sodor railway to Cros-ny-cuirn. He had very little time to visit Smudger and his new born son at the hospital. The first time he got a good hour free he went to see them, but when he got there a nurse told him that Smudger had not long ago vanished. However, he left his child behind. No one had seen Smudger since. To this day Duke hopes that one day he will be reunited with Smudger.

Since Smudger vanished Duke had to look after their soon, who he called Bertram. It was quite difficult but some how Duke was able to rise Bertram as a single parent. It was a few years after all those events the Duke meet up with Falcon and Peter Sam again. By that time they have be moved to Crovan’s Gate where they work with Skarloey and Co. When they met, which happened by accident, Duke told them the truth about Smudger and all he knew about him.

Peter Sam and Falcon persuaded Duke to come and work with them again. Nowadays Bertram, who turned to be a pure vampire like his “mother”, works with his father. He likes to think that ever though he never really met his mother still loves him.