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Grouchy and cynical, Tomi is often the victim of comic relief, and he had a prominent role in the original RAU, too. It isn't clear why Tomi decided to become a mercenary, except that he needs to do some line of work in which he can take out his aggressions on something or somebody. He is the most curmudgeony and cantankerous of Chance's group. His personality has been likened to that of a grumpy little old man. He would much rather get his spaceship repaired and return to his home planet than help all of Phainein with its troubles. Essentially, Tomi acts like he doesn't care about anything or anyone, even though that's not always the case. One thing rather odd is that Tomi initially seemed intimidated by Jack's angsty raging outbursts. He felt the waterlily dragon was a loose cannon that had to be watched at all times. Eventually, however, he got used to it and began brushing it off as "he's always like that. Don't let it bother you." This, perhaps, is indicative of Tomi's tendency of doing 180's. Tomi uses all different kinds of weapons, but the one he relies on most is his custom-built laser blaster. He is about 26 years old. Character Design Notes: My original idea for Tomi came from an article we were reading in an elementary school class about spontaneous human combustion. I have no idea why they were making us read crap like that, but the idea of it sounded so hilarious to me that I couldn't stop laughing. The teacher was pissed, but I began to envision this little hotheaded bounty hunter guy who would get so mad, he'd burst into flames now and then. His design was influenced by the artwork of Japanese cartoons I used to watch, like Voltron and Speed Racer. There's also a little bit of Muppets influence in him, too. (After recently rewatching many Muppet Show videos, I realized how much influence there was from them in a lot of my characters.) As Tomi was meant to be comic relief, he often ended up in goofy situations that involved him wearing really stupid-looking costumes, such as a pillowcase with a pair of boxer shorts on his head. Unfortunately, there were concerns that I was misrepresenting Tomi in the current RAU Gallery series because of his grouchy personality and the fact that I don't show him happily dancing around in a pillowcase and eating sandwiches, as he appears in many scrapbook images. However, let me iterate that the scrapbook pictures do NOT always tell the whole story. I scripted far more than I ever was able to draw, and a lot of my stuff was drawn when I was young and immature. Just because it's there, that doesn't necessarily mean it's canon, and even if it is canon, that doesn't mean that's all there is to the character. (Tomi is completely consistent with the earlier descriptions of him on this website, which have since been integrated into this page.) Therefore, I am not making him out to be a monster to justify Deuce's relationship with Honen Calzoun. I don't mind if you want to take Tomi's side on the issue, but you're not going to do it by "fanfictioning" the character into what you want him to be instead of what he really is. With that said, here are several changes and inconsistencies in earlier versions of the character: 1. The oldest version Tomi Forrester (aka the Preliminary and RAU version) had a manta ray suit similar to Deuce Koma's pterodactyl suit. Both suits were ditched when I began the main series. 2. Tomi's hairstyle changes a bit over time. It becomes messier and more "anime"-like after awhile. He was also a lot "fatter" in some old pictures, and looked too much like a kid. Even though he's short, he's supposed to be an adult, so I modified him to look more mature for the modern version. 3. Tomi wore a simple t-shirt and shorts most of the time in the old series, but they were usually horribly-colored mustard yellow and/or hot pink. I've completely redesigned his clothing to look more functional, futuristic, and easier on the eyes for the modern version. He also had some kind of weird medallion thing around his neck in those old drawings. 4. Because I get asked about it so much, I will mention that the drawings of Tomi in the pillowcase with the boxer shorts on his head do not represent the way he normally dresses. This was the result of a running gag involving ridiculous disguises in the original RAU series. I don't find it as funny now as I did years ago, and it actually makes Tomi seem a little "creepy" to me when the pictures are out-of-context, so please do not expect to see him dressed that way ever again outside of these old scrapbook postings. Tomi in the RAU Gallery: Tomi now works as a security guard and maintenance man at the Grimmora Mage University, but he desperately wants to return to his life as a space bounty hunter. He doesn't really get along too well with anyone as he harbors a grudge against "educational types". He doesn't much like psychiatrists, either, often putting him at odds with the good-natured Preston Abirok, and he has an extreme distrust of Dr. Honen Calzoun. First RAU Gallery Apperance: The Temple of Lost Ezboard Posts |
Backstory From My Old Comics: As the partner of Deuce Koma, Tomi is a member of an intergalactic organization of bounty hunters. He looks like a kid, although he is an adult. That's just the way most people from his home planet Darlos are. He actually really hates being mistaken for or treated like a kid. Tomi is often hungry and tired, so he eats constantly and usually looks like he hasn't slept in days. Tomi can be defiant of his superiors' orders if he thinks they are stupid. If he knows a better way to do something, he's very vocal about it. VERY vocal. He also likes to argue his political views with Deuce on their long voyages through space together. Tomi is an expert in all kinds of weaponry, including bombs and guns. However, he has to keep his temper in check because he's a victim of reoccurring spontaneous human combustion.
