Thomas Cummings

From Incantatem

Revision as of 03:20, 4 April 2008

Nutshell

• 50 years old
  
• Head of the Auror Department
  
• Totally badass
  
• potrayed by Hugh Laurie

The Surface

His face is weathered, and lined. He hardly bothers to keep his face clean shaven, giving him a rugged, some would call handsome, appearance. He keeps his wavy brown (but is beginning to fade to gray) hair cut short. His eyes are gray, and they have the ability to transform to cold and stern to warm and caring. He has a low brow and a long face, he usually tries to hide his feelings, but he naturally animated.

Thomas is tall and has the build of someone who was very athletic in their prime. He does his best to stay in shape, and has managed to keep himself staying pretty lean. However, to his disappointment age managed to fade much of the tone he used to have.

He wears primarily dark colors. He often wearing his outer wear indoors, giving him the impression of always being ready to leave. One of his most distinctive accessories is his black boots that show as many battle scars as he does.

Thomas has a scar from being hooked on an anchor as a young auror on the right of his navel through to his lower back. On the back of his left shoulder, there is a smattering of short scars from a wall exploding next to him. There is a mark left between his right shoulder and neck where he was stabbed by a cursed blade. A dark scar from Adrik's dark magic runs from his neck to the bottom of his ribcage. A pale, straight line stretches down the center of his chest.

Personality

Freinds

Thomas goes for the "tough guy" image around strangers because he doesn't want to appear vulnerable to any potential Death Eaters. However, around the people he trusts the most, he opens up a little. He is not one to spew emotions, but he is likely to lightly joke about his biggest worries. To acquaintances and business colleagues, Thomas can come off as cold, formal, stern and serious. He wants to appear professional and indestructible to everyone. However, around his closer friends, Thomas becomes slightly sarcastic and seems to get a sense of humor, no matter how dry it is- he thinks it's there. That, along with a much more casual demeanor and posture, is the only way to really tell if he's friendly with someone. Other then that, he doesn't show attention, affection and would probably never admit it if he even liked somebody without using his job as an excuse.

Enemies

Thomas usually doesn’t hide it if he doesn’t like somebody. He would never outright lie about being able to tolerate somebody when he can’t. It drives him nuts whenever people pretend to be friendly with him, particularly politicians because he thinks that it only causes misunderstanding. In a physical conflict, Thomas fights hard, though never uses unforgivable curses. He thinks that his professional enemies are heartless scum and isn’t concerned with hiding his opinion. His personal rivals are people that annoy and berate him, but often he tries to simply avoid these people. Only a few have annoyed him to the point of getting mixed up in his profession, like his incident-less file on Cillian Rodrigo.

Family

Thomas’ only immediate family member that is still living is his sister Bridget Cummings. She is the only person that Thomas would flat out say that he loves and would do anything for. He worries about her quite a bit because she doesn’t have the best common sense. However, due to his devotion to his job, he only sees her every few months, in particular on Christmas Day- the only day that Thomas takes off completely every single year.

Public

Unfortunately, Thomas Cummings is a slightly public figure. Part of is job as Head of the Department of Magical Defense is to makes announcements on behalf of the auror department. Generally he tries to be as vague as possible. Not in a bureaucratic way, in his not so humble opinion, but in order to keep department secrets safe and protect the publics well being. He gets a lot of political scrutiny both positive and negative (mostly negative recently >>). No amount of criticisms on his politics seem to phase him, and he still likes to boast and glorify himself and his job as much as he can.

Romance

Relationships are one of the things that Thomas is convinced that he doesn’t need. Considering his record, he gets along pretty well without them, in fact, very well without them because he seems to like women that he thinks are slightly dangerous. Into the first stages of a romantic relationship, Thomas pours the affection that he never shows for anybody else. He is chivalrous and he tries to be as romantic as possible. Sadly, Thomas is not very creative, so he falls back onto classic dinner dates at whatever place he can find that plays Jazz.
After a while (depending on how much Thomas likes a woman) he drifts back to his career. At that point the length of the relationship only depends on how many missed dates, sudden departures and distracted conversations that a woman can endure. On top of that, he is horriblly critical of marriage. This makes a steady, long-lasting relationship a virtual impossibility for Thomas. However, he has had a few serious relationships in the past. (Serious defined here as the 'living with' stage).

Helene Laroque

Nobody would have ever expected this relationship to last as long as it did. Between Thomas' terrible "Franglish" and his rough-around-the-edges habits as a young man, Helene had every reason to be turned off. However, it was by chance that Thomas caught her while she dared herself into a dangerous situation. How could she turn down her hero when he asked for a drink? At first, Thomas put all of his effort into trying to be classy enough for her. It was an exhausting endeavor, and right as he was about to give up on impressing her, one passionate night broke down their stand-offish wall.
It would be a stretch to call what they had a 'good relationship'. Both Helene and Thomas were quite independent and very concerned with their careers. They gave each other quite a bit of space, and that is how they liked it. The did unite under the common cause of Aevum Fidelis, but even that added just as much reason for argument then it did for cooperation. Even through their near-constant fighting, they watched each other's backs and their trust never faltered. They loved each other as passionately as they argued.
After a while, they found that it would be more convenient if they shared an apartment. Helene was in France half of the time anyway, so why should she really bother renting out her own place? They never quite settled into living together as a unit. There were definitive lines about who owned what, and neither of them cared to cook. Half of the time their arguments left Thomas sleeping on the couch anyway. Of course, Thomas would complain (mostly to Killian) about how he couldn't stand her and how much she wore him out, but never really wanted to end it.
When Helene's father died, her mother had a bit of a mental breakdown. She needed to return to France to take care of her. She asked Thomas to come with her, after all they had been living together for almost a year. Thomas turned her down. He had his dream job in the UK. Plus, France was just so full of French people. Well, Helene was miffed about that turn of events and went back to France, furious with Thomas. They only remained in communication for matters concerning Fidelis, but since they were two very active members before, and now both were avoiding it, activity began to decline (due to other factors as well). When the last organization of the society disintegrated, they refrained from talking to each other. Today, Thomas remembers little of their relationship besides it being hell on earth in terms of arguments, and some really outrageous sex.
anthem- Love Should Never Feel Like This by Alice Cooper
Video- http://youtube.com/watch?v=sxxOyGK1pMk

Norah Kaplan

Norah and Thomas were thrust together when Thomas was the only witness in a certain incident. He saw a Death Eater kill a muggle rights activist and engaged him in a duel. The Death Eater suffered some substantial injuries, and died in Azkaban soon after without a chance to testify. Thomas was left in a situation where he could be charged with murdering the Death Eater and was the only witness. He and Norah spent quite a bit of time practicing for the case so he didn't blow it. After that, Thomas was sure to go to her with any legal issues that came up.
This co-worker relationship went on for some time. After Thomas broke up with Helene and started to routinely take trips to the legal department, something else sparked between Norah and Thomas. They drove each other insane. They were both flirty, but at the same time wanted to maintain a very, very professional image. Obviously this caused a degree of sexual tension in the workplace. The tension broke rather suddenly, with a make out session all over a back office. The usual occupant of that office was rather surprised to find the two of them, of course.
And so it began. Norah wasn't only a lover to Thomas, but a friend. He could always count on her to help him through sticky situations and be his emotional support. They had a lovely relationship while they were dating; lovely enough that Norah could forgive being late to a reservation a few times and Thomas could forgive a lecture or two. When they began living together, it only strengthened their relationship and any outsider would think the two could be planning on marriage and a family.
This is where things start to get tattered at the corners. Although Thomas was quite in love with Norah, he had a very hard time expressing it. Telling her those three words "I love you" were rare and scattered, and Norah began to doubt how seriously he took their relationship. Coupled with the fact that Thomas was rising in the ranks among Aurors, working right under the Department Head, put extra strain on the relationship.
Their relationship, that seemed so stable for years, was basically stable because it was at a standstill. For years, they didn't talk about marriage or having children, neither of which were at the top of Thomas' priority list. It finally filtered up when Norah made an offhand joke about his immature habits. Thomas certainly had a hard time of admitting that they they were that legitimate of a couple, considering his philosophy about keeping his closest friends at an arm's distance in hopes it would keep them safe.

Deeper

That's all great, but what is Thomas really about, you ask? Well, you were curious enough to read his wiki page, so I'm going to tell you. Thomas Cummings wants to be a hero. The romanticized, fight the villain and win the girl hero. Unfortunately, Thomas is also under the impression that success comes from sacrifice, and has forfeited most of what makes him happy. With all of this unhappiness, it has made him cynical, and he's forgotten what his original goals of being an auror even were. This is why:

• He seems distant from his friends
• He seems so serious around the office
• He doesn’t seek out relationships
• He can’t maintain relationships that he likes
• He only eats food that can be kept in his desk
• He is a workaholic
• He won’t use Unforgivable Curses
• He makes opinions quickly and almost irrationally
• He is attracted to danger

History

Nutshell

Growing up near Oxford, Cummings naturally went to Hogwarts for his education. He was sorted into Gryffindor, where he was very successful. He was a prefect in his sixth year and head boy his seventh. He was determined to become an Auror since his third year. It fed his sense of adventure and challenged his magical ability.

It wasn't long after becoming an official Auror, that Voldemort rose to power. His Death Eaters targeted Aurors and their families. Both of his parents were targeted and killed. Instead of devastating him, it only made him more passionate about weeding out Death Eaters. However, Cummings works less with revenge, but more out of a fear that murders will happen again. Consequently, he always feels a tiny twang of guilt every time the Death Eaters cause another atrocity.

Thomas often feels protective of his wild younger sister. She is very independent and reckless, and he's often worried about her getting hurt.

Timeline

1945- Birth
1956- Received letter to Hogwarts, Sorted into Gryffindor
1957- Got braces D:
1958- braces off! Became chaser on Gryffindor team
1963- Graduated from Horwarts, joined Auror training program
1966- Graduated from auror training
1970- Joins Aevum Fidelis
1972- Parents killed by Death Eaters Giovanni San Fennetti
1975- Dating Helene Laroque
1977- Break up with Helene when she needs to move back to France to take care of her mother
1981- Dating Norah Kaplan
1986- Break up with Norah
1990- Really break up with Norah
1992- Promoted to Head of Auror Department
1993- see site plots
1995- Present

Plots

Site Wide

He is rabidly against Voldemort, Death Eaters and anyone generally leaning toward that side. He is activly fighting them.

Personal

Part 1- The Case of Adrik Sergo
On routine questioning in knocktun alley, Thomas was caught in a scuffle in the pub. One of the death eaters that attacked the aurors was Adrik Sergo. Thomas followed up the incident by contacting Lamia Von Maur, the ambassador to vampires. They organized to capture Adrik together in order to avoid complications concerning a Ministry trial. Adrik escaped the duel and Thomas came out with a major slash, putting him in St. Mungos for a brief time. He and Lamia ran into Adrik again during the Quidditch World Cup and this time they made a successful arrest. Adrik is currently in Azkaban while his jurisdiction is negotiated. He escaped four months later, setting up the chase once again.

Part 2- Aurors at Hogwarts
Thomas and Graham were the two aurors who arrested Freja Mithra during school, which Thomas feels no pride in despite the fact he has several choice adjectives for Freja. A year later Thomas returned to Hogwarts to arrest Beckett Rhys for the murder of a ministry worker. Beckett remains in Azkaban while Thomas and Killian argue about his sentence. Beckett was finally released when the victim’s wife confessed. Thomas, found this to be a rather suspicious move, however and informally questioned Glass about the incident.

Part 3- Get By With A Little Help From My Friends
Meanwhile, Priscilla Gastby is attempting to turn Thomas into a proper gentleman by pulling him away from work to go to the movies. However, this was a disaster and the two had a falling out for a few weeks. However a few sandwiches and some arguments patched them up, and now Priscilla is determined to find Thomas a girl. Unfortunatly, his only arousing encounter with a woman recently was a teenager's prank in a bookstore. As his professional relationships become strained with Graham, in an incredibly manly way, Thomas looks for time with his friends for support. It doesn’t ease his tension enough to stop him from firing Gavin in a rage. The fact that Thomas just turned fifty and is starting to come to terms with his age isn’t helping his bad mood. Thomas tries to take his mind off things by helping the new recruits, Dante Mithra and Carson Greer, and eating real food (for once) with Killian.

Part 4- The Case of Cillian Rodrigo
After receiving a mysterious letter Thomas ventures to the forbidden forest to ambush the terrorist. This leads to a dangerous motorcycle duel. Thomas is nearly killed before he apperates back to St. Mungos. He was given dreamless sleep potion to heal but he continues to take it nearly every night to avoid nightmares about seeing his own beating heart. Simultaneously, Thomas is trying to find evidence on Cillian Rodrigo that is more solid than “he’s annoying”. Finally, he gets an opportunity to arrest the boy because he failed to file his magical creature registration. Thomas brings him to Azkaban for questioning and is provoked into beating Cillian into a pulp. It came back to haunt him in court, however. Norah Kaplan, his ex-girlfriend, served as the prosecuting lawyer and was sure to chew him out for acting like an idiot.

Part 5- The Affair
Lamia Von Muar not only is a business partner to Thomas, but is also his primary romantic interest. Unfortunately, he walked in on her and Vladimir Quinn kinoodling in her office and found out they were married. Despite his efforts to avoid her, he accidentally locked himself in the closet with her along with darkness and a large amount of tacks. They met again in an elevator where she insisted on a meeting in Thomas’ office late at night. She confessed that she was being controlled by Vlad and suggested she really loved Thomas but feared Vlad put a trace on her in case she tried anything adulterous. Meanwhile, Vlad sent his crony, Rajni, to annoy Thomas with poetry. Frustrated with this humiliation, Thomas tries sending a letter then storming Vlad’s office to get himself heard. He thought that his trouble with Rajni was over, but when she catches Thomas and Lamia embracing in his office late at night, Lamia is forced to wipe her memory.

Fun Facts

• Appiration is his favorite mode of travel. He enjoys it. He's weird.
  
• He convinced the rest of the Aurors to dress up as knights while supervising the Hogwarts masquerade in 1993
  
• He has never been as devoted to a woman as he is to his work and consequently has never been married
  
• His patronus is a Grizzly Bear
  
• He can see Threstals. Duh.
  
• Amoretta smells like coffee, burning wood and new leather
  
• He sees bogarts as himself old, decrepit, crippled and useless. And retired.