| Artistic Spirit | |
|---|---|
| Season 2, Episode 14 | |
| Air date | October 15th, 2017 |
| Written by | TheLocoLover |
| Directed by | TheLocoLover |
| Episode guide | |
| Previous BoCo and the Branch Line - Part 3 |
Next Merlin’s Story |
Artistic Spirit is the fourteenth episode of the second season of Sudrian Stories.
Plot
Art, some love it, others hate it. Some are good at it, others are atrocious at it. But, with abstract art becoming a new trend on Sodor, many humans were getting quite invested. Derek, however, just didn’t get it.
One day, he we discussing it with Bradford at Vicarstown, who was resting in a siding. “This art thing just confuses me.” He sighed. “Why would people be so inspired by shapes and swipes of paint?”
“I’m as confused as you are.” Bradford said in agreement. “We shouldn’t be appreciating these artists as much as we do.”
Before this conversation could continue, though, two horns tooted, and two familiar diesels were transporting a coach. Many people, and even some engines, began to cheer. “Here he is!” Called one.
“Maybe I can get his autograph!” Squeaked another.
Derek and Bradford looked at each other in confusion. “Who are they talking about?” Bradford asked. “Wait, those diesels!”
“Hey, Bradford!” Called the diesel in front. “It’s me, Eddie!”
The other diesel seemed confused. “What’s happening?”
Suddenly, Eddie and Willy began to charge forward, tugging the coach with them. It was obvious that the passenger was still in there. “Be careful!” Scolded a passenger, and he began to throw garbage at the diesels.
“No throwing garbage at locomotives!” Scolded Bradford, but nobody was listening.
As the two stopped, a lanky man with glasses and expensive clothes walked out of the coach, the crowd went wild.
Eddie and Willy pulled into a siding next to Bradford, and the three all had a friendly conversation. Derek sighed and left.
“Did you know who that was?” Chuckled his driver.
“No.” Groaned Derek. “Probably one of those artists, right?”
“Yep. Aaron Prickle, some new artist who got popular by simply having a swipe of red paint on a billboard.”
Derek honestly didn’t care. “Oh well, let’s just get to the Clay Pits, Bill and Ben probably need help, as usual.”
On the way to the Clay Pits, Derek passed by Crock’s Scrapyard. “Morning, Derek!” Called Reg, who was currently working on a sculpture of some sort.
“Hey, Reg!” Smiled Derek. “Wonderful weather for October, eh?”
“You can say that again!” Reg chuckled.
With the conversation, however, Derek wasn’t paying attention to the points in front of him, some scrap metal had jammed between the points, making them stuck away from Derek’s direction. “Look out!” Called a worker.
“Oh no!” Derek shrieked, his driver applied his brakes, slowly approaching the jammed points, luckily, he stopped just in time. “Phew, that was too close.” He sighed.
Reg moved to get a better view of Derek. “Are you okay? Your engine doesn’t look too good.
Reg was correct, his engine was bellowing with deep black smoke, he had overheated. “Oh, bother..” Derek groaned, he wouldn’t be going to the Clay Pits now.
To make things worse, Eddie and Willy, still covered in garbage thrown at them, were on the line behind Derek, and had to come to a stop. “Oh dear, lad, what happened here?” Asked Eddie. “It seems like you’ve had an issue.”
“I think that Class 17’s broken down, Eddie!” Called Willy, who was still behind the coach, although with restraint, Eddie didn’t shout, and instead ignored his brother.
Before anything could happen however, the artist, Aaron Prickle, came out with a sour look on his face, as if he had just inhaled a lemon. “I’ll never make it to Suddery in time!” Shouted Prickle in anger.
“I’ll call for a breakdown crane!” Called one of the workers at Crock’s Scrapyard.
As Aaron Prickle walked around, looking for some sort of inspiration for art, stopped as he saw Reg and a sculpture he made. “What is this, crane?” He asked.
“Well, my name is Reg, first of all.” Reg started. “This really isn’t much, I piled stuff that looked nice together, do you like-“
Aaron cut him off, however. “This is absolutely splendid!” He exclaimed. “The use of the tires really gives the art some texture, and the rusty can on top shows how you believe that the past years were the best parts of the planet Earth, and that demolished scooter represents that you want to travel across the world, but you feel limited, and the soda-“
“Don’t we know it?!” Scolded Derek.
Aaron Prickle groaned and eyed up Derek. “Only few know true art, and this crane is one of them, so zip it.” He hissed.
Derek was appalled by his treatment, but sadly, he had no choice but to stay. His driver was trying to fix him, but eventually came out with bad news. “We’re stuck here until Neville arrives to take you to the Dieselworks.” He sighed.
Derek groaned and sat there, with Eddie and Willy still behind him, and Aaron Prickle having a temper tantrum. Eventually, however, Neville arrived with Bradford.
“I’m seeing you everywhere today, Bradford!” Derek chuckled as they went on their way.
Bradford laughed. “That’s true, it’s like our fates are aligned today!”
The two continued to have a friendly conversation, until they reached the Dieselworks. “Thanks, guys!” Derek called.
“No problem.” Neville replied.
The next day, Derek was repaired and returned to Crock’s Scrapyard. “Derek, stop!” Reg demanded.
Following his command, Derek braked. “What’s the matter, Reg?”
“I have great news!”
“What?”
“My scrap sculptures are going to an art show!”
“Great.”
Derek knew something was up with that Aaron Prickle, but he wasn’t sure what. “I think you should be suspicious.” He advised.
“Pah!” Reg laughed. “I’m famous now, I can see my name in the lights... Reg the scrapyard crane! No, wait! Reg the scrapyard artist!”
The diesel had a right to be worried, however, as later on in the day, Ryan was pulling a train of scrap to Crock’s Scrapyard. “Morning, Reg!” He called.
“Hush!” Reg scolded. “I’m making a sculpture, if it falls, I’ll never succeed in my art!”
“Oh, sorry.” Sighed Ryan.
Later on in the day, Derek ran into Ryan and Salty at Brendam Docks. “Hey, guys. What’s going on?” He asked.
“Reg was rude to me, he claimed I would ruin his sculptures.” Whined Ryan. “I’ve never felt so insulted.”
“Aye.” Agreed Salty. “A large, old tender arrived this morning. When I tried to deliver it, he wouldn’t take it!”
“I’d like it gone soon, it’s beginning to smell of boiler sludge!” Called Cranky, who was grumpy as usual.
Derek sighed. “I’ve had enough of this, art is something that a vehicle of any sort should not be involved with, Reg is the Aaron Prickle of Sodor!”
Ryan and Salty were shocked by Derek’s anger. “Wow.” Remarked Carly, who was unloading some crates.
Derek wasn’t lying, he charged to Crock’s Scrapyard, much to the confusion of passing engine, it wasn’t like him to be this angry. Derek wanted a word with Reg, and it didn’t matter if he got mean.
“Reg!” Boomed Derek at he neared the scrapyard.
“...what?” Reg pouted. “I’m in a bad mood.”
“Don’t you start becoming one of those angsty artists!”
“I’m not.” Reg turned around to face Derek. “You were right, Derek, Aaron took my sculptures, and he took the credit with it!”
Derek didn’t know what to say, and without thinking, he spoke. “Well, you were being a bit of a jerk.... Oh, shoot! Did I say that out loud?!”
“Yes!” Reg said. While insulted at first, he then couldn’t help but laugh. “I guess I was.”
“You know what?” Derek asked.”
“What?”
“There’s an art show with Aaron Prickle at Suddery Station later, I’m gonna expose him.”
Going to Wellsworth Yards, Derek blew his horn to Diesel. “Good evening, Diesel!”
“Hi.” Diesel said with a smile.
Suddenly, a voice popped up. “I can’t get away from you, can I?!” It was Bradford. “Hello once again, Derek!”
Once again, the two had a conversation, and when the topic of Reg came up, Derek remembered. “You wanna come expose Prickle?” He chuckled.
“Would I?” Bradford laughed. “Sure!”
The art show was in an hour, and since Derek didn’t have any more trains for the day, the two charged to Suddery.
As they arrived, Derek braked at the sight of Aaron Prickle showing off Reg’s art. “Stop right there, you art thief!” Bradford boomed.
The crowd hissed at the engine and brake van. “How dare you accuse Mr. Prickle of stealing?” Scolded a person.
While the two tried to prove that it was Reg’s art, it was no use. However, this changed when a voice sounded.
“They’re right!” An elderly woman called. “After all, that boy is my son.”
“M...Mother!?” Squeaked Aaron.
“Yes, Diana Prickle’s the name, embarrassing my son’s my game. He’s stolen work all his life, almost all of it is copied, his art is no exception! My foolish child seems to have forgotten that I’ve lived in Suddery for years, and coming to this island was a big mistake.”
The crowd didn’t know what to say, so Derek started it. “Boo!” He shouted at Aaron Prickle, and then Bradford joined. Eventually the whole crowd was scolding Prickle, including his own mother, with a few people even throwing trash at him.
Then, Eddie and Willy arrived with a coach, and a group of police officers ran out. “Police car broke down.” Eddie explained.
“What did I miss?” Willy asked.
The officers suddenly put handcuffs on Aaron. “What are you doing?”
“Art theft’s illegal.” Spat one of the officers. “You disgust me.”
The next day, Derek was getting scrap unloaded. “Thank you again, Derek.” Reg said with a smile.
“Well, I didn’t work alone.” Derek chuckled. Suddenly, he heard Samson’s whistle. “And there he is!”
As Bradford passed, he said hello to Derek and Reg. “Prickle’s gonna be in jail for a long time, we won’t be seeing him again!” He called.
“You know, I think I learned something today.” Reg said.
“What?”
“Art isn’t good.”
Derek laughed. “Amen.“
Characters
- Neville
- Ryan
- Derek
- Derek
- Salty
- Eddie and Willy
- Bradford
- Cranky
- Reg
- Carly
- Samson (Does not speak)
- Henry (Cameo)
- James (Cameo)
- Porter (Cameo)
- Daisy (Cameo)
- BoCo (Cameo)
- Den (Cameo)
- Dart (Cameo)
- Big Mickey (Cameo)
Trivia
- TheLocoLover hopes this will be the longest gap between episodes of Sudrian Stories, he isn’t pleased with how much it got delayed.
- Edward was planned to have a role, and the episode would have Reg actually getting credit and going onto a talk show, having Edward tag along. The latter would break a rule of live television to make Reg lose popularity, swearing. TheLocoLover wasn’t pleased with the ending, however.
- This is the last episode which had the idea produced for Sudrian Stories, it was mostly inspired by TheLocoLover watching PA Problems, and he suddenly liked Reg much more.