A/N Alistaire, my newest OC, tells his story. He's a water-cooled diesel, so he can cry.
Hey, new friends. I'm Alistaire, the new diesel on Arlesdale Railway. I was built on the Mainland and came here on a boat. I'm kind, a giver of practical comfort when my friends are sad, a sensitive soul and very cheeky at times. I'm very glad to be here in this place. Sodor engines, I was told on arrival, need to be Really Useful. Because I care, I like to help others cheer up. I want to enjoy life, but I know emotions of all kinds are part of life, so when I feel ignored or someone's been mean to me, I'm not ashamed or afraid to cry to those I love. The first time I cried, I was at the factory and a bigger engine said I was a runt engine and said dreadful things to me, mercilessly bullying me until I had tears in my eyes. My driver and fitter came to meet me just after that and I asked my driver, "How come I've got leaky eyes?" He told me about crying, so I said, "Driver, dry my tears.". He walked to my face, took a cloth from his pocket, saying, "There, there, Alistaire. I'm here for you.", and drying my tears with the cloth, rubbing my cheeks and wiping my weeping eyes. He listened attentively as I told him, "A big engine was very mean to me." He tried to gather the details and pick up on my values and told me, "You've got my care and compassion, so no judgment. Your emtion's valid, so just cry. I'm not here to fix your mood, just to dry your eyes.", as he wiped all my tears away as best he could, as I sniffled and wept. I finished my cry and he wiped my cheeks and eyes dry, then refilled my radiator and we set off. I'm usually happy, but I can shed a great many tears when I get sad because I've got intense emotions.
I said something very cheeky as I was put on the boat to Sodor. My crew told me Sodor hasn't dieselized fully as they boarded, so as I was loaded, I said something about that. I smiled, planning some harmless mischief once I was on my new railway. My fellow engines shall know how cheeky and friendly I am, I thought. I was a happy little engine as I traveled to my new home. My first home's the railway that built and tested me, but Sodor's my home now. I had to be checked at the Dieselworks, to be inspected to see if anything happened to me on my journey that needed to be fixed.
I quite like Sodor. Rex is my best friend, but I'm friends with other engines on the railway, like Jock and Frank. Frank can be grumpy, but I know he's kind under it. I heard Rex reminisce about the engine before me, Bert and I think I could like him, but I can't meet him until I go to The Big Railway In the Sky. I gave Rex a buffer press and then cheered him up. I'm a Sodor engine now.
A/N I'm doing more with Rowena next, in this story.