Thomas Raven

Appearance

Tom is a Shifter, which means that he can alter his appearance at will. Most of the time, however, he remains in his true form. He is a handsome man with short, curly grey hair and kind black eyes. He is often spotted wearing reading glasses. He likes to wear comfortable cardigans and sweaters, especially if they are colorful in nature. When it is cold outside, Tom often wears his favorite oversized cloak in a dark brown. This is his favorite because Lacey, his "pet" snake, likes it the best.

Personality

Tom is a happy-go-lucky kind of man. He always tries to see the best in people and in the world surrounding him, even when things aren't going his way. He is more in touch with his emotions than his wife, and has been called the heart of the Raven Clan on more than one occasion. He cares deeply for his family and only wants what's best for them. Tom is somewhat anti-social in nature and likes to hide away in his workshop for long periods of time, experimenting on new potions. Because his grandmother was a Witch, Tom has limited Magical powers. These powers shine the brightest when Tom practices his Battle Magic, one of the only forms of Witch Magic he is able to perform. He is known throughout Midnight as being one of their most capable duelers but mostly, he is known for being kind.

Family & Friends (Spoilers!)

Birdie is Tom's oldest and dearest friend. She is his soul mate and his partner in everything. He considers her to be the light of his life and would jump off a cliff just to make her happy. Tom is the calmer of the two; he is the level head when his wife loses her patience, but he is also the one to hurt more deeply. When they lost their daughter, Tom felt his heart break in two. While his wife disappeared into her tower study to research ways to get Camila back, Tom remained in the sitting room with a bottle of liquor. He felt that he had failed as a father and as a husband, and he still frequently doubts his abilities to protect his family members.
Tom and Omar have always been close. Even when Omar was just a boy, he and Tom would sit together in the workshop and discuss life. They talked about potions and Battle Magic and traveling. Tom sees a lot of himself in his son, but it is Birdie's sides he loves the most. In Omar, he sees her dedication and bravery and openness. When Sam joined their household, Omar and Tom grew closer than ever. Tom did his best to guide his son on the path of fatherhood, and he was always happy to babysit the child. He could relate to Sam's antisocial sides and frequently found himself reminding them that it was okay to be different. That regardless of what other people thought and said, Sam did not owe them anything. They only owed it to themself to try to be happy.
Despite the horrendous pain Camila put her family through, she would never lose their love. Through it all, Tom continued to love his daughter as dearly as the day when she was born. He often feels remorse at the things he did not tell her, and wishes that he had taken her concerns about Magic seriously. If he had, maybe Camila would not have been so easily manipulated by Woods. When her children came to join the Raven Clan, Tom found himself wondering if he was ready. They'd spent so many years apart, would these strange kids even want to be a part of their family? But Birdie was so excited. Tom knew that he had no choice but to stand by his wife. Then, when he met Izzy, he realized that Birdie had been right. She belonged in the Mansion with them. She was their family. Right away, Tom saw Camila in her eldest daughter. They were so much alike that it was startling. But Izzy was her own person too. Foolhardy, stubborn, and open minded. Lukas was much more like Omar, a detail which Tom found most intriguing. They were both kind and outgoing, always on the prowl for a party or a good time. Despite missing out on his own Magical capabilities, Lukas never stopped supporting his sisters in their Magical endeavors. Tom admired that about his grandson. He had grown into his own person through trial and error, and Tom was confident that Lukas would go on to do great things.
Carmen and Tom have a unique relationship. From the moment they met, Tom could sense that there was something different about this girl. Not just because of her incredible intellect and thirst for knowledge, nor really her astounding skill with Shifting. No, Carmen was simply unique. For months, Tom couldn't put his finger on it. It was just a feeling he had. She was entirely new and entirely amazing. Still, he could sense that she had been forced to grow up too quickly. She was a child with the mind of an adult. Carmen had to deal with grown up problems far beyond her age, and Tom knew that this was unfair. As such, he wanted to remind her of the fun of being a child. He showed her his potions, told her about tricks he'd pulled as a young man when he first learned to control his Shifting powers, and encouraged her to let loose more often. Of course, Carmen saw through it all, but she entertained her grandfather's attempts at showing her the light of childhood. Later on, when the two swapped places in order to fool Camila and Woods, the two formed a unique bond which would not be broken until death. Even apart, Tom and Carmen could sense the constant presence of the other, like a friendly spirit peeking over their shoulder.
Ever since Viktor first joined the Raven household, he and Tom have been good friends. They often stay up late, enjoying a glass of whiskey or such in front of a warm fire in the sitting room. Viktor is quiet and contemplative, and he has a strange sense of humor, but Tom enjoys his company. They like to exchange stories from their past, comparing the very different lives they've led. In truth, Tom considers Viktor to be more like a brother than a friend.
Bob and Tom met one fine Sunday evening. Birdie had left for a coven meeting and Tom had decided not to join her. He knew that the other Witches did not entirely want him there. He was only a quarter Witch, after all. Battle Magic was the only thing he'd inherited from his grandmother. Instead, he went to the park. There, Tom encountered a grumpy looking Gnome. As he had some time to kill, Tom decided to ask the Gnome what was wrong. And that's how he met his good friend Bob. Come to find out, Bob was a librarian and he was struggling keeping the Dust Maggot infestation under control. Tom was more than happy to help. During his travels with Birdie, he had encountered this problem before and he knew that Shadows were often employed to handle this type of situation. The two men remained good friends from then on, and Bob was more than happy to help when Birdie later decided that she wanted to employ some Shadows of her own. With Sam in the house, she felt it was important to keep some extra security on hand, and Tom agreed.

Thomas "Tom" Raven

• Species: Shapeshifter / Witch
• Pronouns: he/him
• *Age: 121
• Birthday: Jan 5
• Eye color: Black
• Height: 5'8
• Hair: Short, tight curls in a pleasant grey
• Zodiac sign: Capricorn
• Religious affiliations: Magic

Allies

• The Raven Clan
• The Kingsley Family
• Bob the librarian
• Lacey the snake
• Galatéa of Atlantis
• The Royal Family of Far Meadows
• The Midnight Coven
• The East Side Coven

Enemies

• Fairies

Family

• Birdie Raven (wife)
• Camila Kingsley (daughter)
• Omar Raven (son)
• Lukas Kingsley (grandson)
• Samwise Raven (grandchild)
• Isabella Raven (granddaughter)
• Carmen Kingsley (granddaughter)
• King Harold (son-in-law)
• Clemont Kingsley (son-in-law)
• Viktor
• The Raven Mansion
• Irene Quinn (mother, deceased)

* Age at the beginning of Witch In Progress