Thomas Ingram

Canon Name: Thomas Jonathan Ingram
Canon Age at Time of Death: 33
Date of Birth: 14/02/1920
Date of Death: 04/04/1953
Gender: Male

Appearance:
Thomas was always the kind of man that had a few key descriptors pop into everyone's head the moment he walked into the room. Tall would easily be the first, giant even to some people. Curly haired would be another, thanks to a bit of Jewish ancestor a ways down the line. A natural tan, perhaps out of place for a member of the waking dead, but he was never a man to shy away from the sun when it chose to appear. Longish in the face, though not offensively so, just enough to match the stretched out nature of the rest of his person. But perhaps the most ghostly of his features are his eyes. The palest shade of anything short of the unseeing eyes of a blind person. It's these chilled, watching eyes that seem to have become his calling card. Once the physicality of him was dealt with his personality might begin to show through in his body language. Alert comes up quickly. Because as much as he might slide his hands into his pockets and try to appear relaxed there is nothing to disguise his eagle-eyes. Always watching and searching for anything. A movement or a hint to the future. Like a meerkat propped up at attention looking for threats to his family.

Personality:
Thomas Ingram is a man of discipline. He himself was always someone in control of himself as much as possible. He rose with the sun, he worked, he ate and slept and were he ever in town he tipped his hat at any lady he came across as was required through-out the day. As he grew older, he was given the respect and authority that came with become a school teacher. Suddenly his structure and control extended outside him. Into a classroom and a schedule and lessons dealt to others. A draft to the military did little to change all that, instead only making it more pronounced. His farm boy mannerisms lessened: he stood straighter, combed his hair, walked with more purpose and precision.

Thomas believes everyone ought to live the way he does. Moral decency, self-control, and the structure of a hard-working life. He honestly doesn't see what's so fucking hard about about acting like a half way descent human being and has little tolerance for those who claim to not be able to. He believes responsibility and hard-work to be key in all this, thus his fondness for assigning chores and labour to troublemakers. That's what always kept him out of trouble and he's sure it will work wonders for you too. However he isn't naive enough to think anything so gentle will work for harder cases, thus Thomas also believes in the do-gooding powers of fear. He likes for his height and a look to be enough, but if need be he is willing to be truly terrifying. Whatever will by him the commodity he needs. If no one puts the fear in these kids, they'll never learn.

Beneath something of a poker face Thomas has always been a simple sort of man. He loves thinks like clean, crisp air, a warm cup of strong coffee in his hand, a game of cards on the porch, a sunset. If all of those things combine on one night, it's safe to say he's in heaven. However, since his death, Thomas has lost touch with his side of himself. The good parts of his life, those simple pleasures have by and large been taken away from him. Now his only good feelings seem to come from accomplishment. On a job well done, even if no-one knows he's the one who's done it. As a result, Thomas chases these feelings now insisting on running Highgrove House even if they put his body to rest years ago.

Merits and Flaws: 
He isn't happy any longer, but he does try to be. He is single-minded in his goals and his purpose here at Highgrove. In his mind he remains the true Head of Household. He's unforgiving and for obvious reasons old-fashioned. His view of how young men and young women should behave is narrow at best and he has little patience for outliers. His ability to remain invisible to the adults of Highgrove is one he takes full advantage of. He has no use for them as they aren't his job. The patients however require control, discipline and more than that, something to fear. Given that Thomas's spirit has lived on to this era when atheism is the norm he sees that society can no longer rely on the fear of God. So he must take it upon himself to give these unleashed children something to fear, to save them and nothing less. That is Thomas's chief merit: he has a calling, a mission, and a purpose.

Current Activities at Highgrove:
Thomas is a disciplinarian and a protector. Though he's less likely to protect patients as he is the home in general. He hides in the shadows, invisible to adult eyes, but forever watching the inhabitants of the home. Highgrove is no longer run to the standard that Ingram aimed to set and he plans to correct it. To the adults and staff members of the house Ingram is an unseen helping hand. Correcting mistakes and making meticulous file notes: always handing the credit of to living (or dead) souls that remain visible and on the payroll. To patient's: he's the boogeyman, the monster in the closet. Forever lurking in the shadows on the look out for misdeeds and misbehaviour. He prefers to remain subtle: dolling out punishment in the form of extra chores noted in files and generally tattling. However, if the situation disturbs him enough he will make himself known quite profoundly. He prefers caning, spare the rod and spoil the child, however for a more lasting trauma he's been known to lock a patient in the last cell of isolation and let them stay there until someone notices them there.

History:
He grew up a farmer's middle son. Living in the countryside, and going through day after day very much the same. He rose early with the rest of his family. He worked hard through the days, even as a tot, and took care to teach and raise his younger siblings. When they weren't in a busy season he attended school one community over. A one room school house with kids of every age, every intelligence. This was where Thomas Ingram was most comfortable and it showed. He was something of the teacher's pet. After all, school was a lot more interesting than the field wasn't it?

As a young man of fairly high intelligence in a very rural area, he took up the position of the local school teacher as soon as he was able. For Thomas his transition in the community from a friend and son to a man and authority was difficult. For a time many of the children used to seeing him as a neighbour and older playmate had difficulties taking him all together seriously. But with some time, a good suit purchased in the city, and some snappish discipline Thomas managed to get more or less into the place he needed to be. Enough so at least that he could reasonably control a classroom.

However, with a war breaking out when Thomas was 19 it was only natural that he joined the efforts. He felt a little lost as he grew older, constantly unsure of where he ought to be. He wasn't a farmer nor was he a terribly confident teacher. To join the fight became something of a out in his mind. He wasn't abandoning his family and community, but rather taking up a greater position and fighting for his country and King. Thus assuaging his guilt and any judgement the community or his father had for him. Coming to the camp and being surrounded by some many young men from so many walks of life was a culture shock to say the least. He became the quaint farm-boy amongst his group. And something of a laughing stock when he tried to assert his rural education. Thomas learned to keep quiet and learn from those around him. Be they superior or inferior.

It was nothing sort of a miracle that Thomas got out of the war alive. He was very clearly cannon-fodder. A miserable shot and his gangly frame was far from inconspicuous or dexterous. He only did two years in combat before being dismissed. Thomas didn't despise his time there, far from it. He thrived in the structure and rigamarole. When he was dismissed he seemed to stare at his homeland, wondering what on earth to do. With his teacher background and his new military edge he decided it was best to apply at school once more, but chose school's that required a little more than his previous bumpkin home had. Highgrove Home scooped him up, making him Head of Household at the young age of 23. Thomas was ecstatic and took to the position like a fish to water.

Highgrove became his life's work, his passion and eventually his family when he met Jane. She was a school teacher who arrived 4 years after he took the position. A younger than him at 22, but both already 'old maids' by their family's standards. The attraction was there and they were quick to marry to keep tongues from wagging. Thomas never could abide the looks common among people with few important things to do. She appreciated the same simple pleasures he did, she was clever, and she has a little impish smile that Thomas felt his life would sorely lack without her in it. They were happily married for the next years, even welcoming a sweet faced daughter into the world.

He was fiercely protective of the home, it's running, and it's reputation. Ruling over the child inhabitants with a strictness, but all the while knowing the core of him that it was all for the best. He was largely celebrated for the fact, though there was someone who didn't agree. A vengeful spirit called Lady Highgrove. A short-sighted and hopelessly soft women, she poisoned Thomas's coffee one night. He laid down, thinking he was perhaps coming down with a flu and never woke up. At least not in the flesh. Much to his dismay Thomas is forced to live on, and more annoyingly to deal with the Lady on a regular basis. He despises her. Thinking her a weak, foolish woman who does all the children she tries to help more harm than good. Ingram knows he's the real help here. Cruel to be kind.


Have you ever been diagnosed with a psychiatric illness? If yes, have you ever been hospitalised due to your psychiatric illness(es)?:

What circumstances have led to your referral to Highgrove Home for Children?:

What was your childhood like? Where did you grow up? How do you feel your childhood has influenced your current circumstances?:

How are your relationships with your family members? Do you have any siblings?:

How is school? Do you achieve good grades? Do you participate in any after-school activities?:

How are your social relationships? Do you have any friends? Do you have any romantic interests?:

Have you ever knowingly committed a crime? Do you have a criminal record? If yes, what were your sentences?:

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For which position are you applying at Highgrove Home for Children?:

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Do you possess the necessary qualifications and experience to hold this position? If yes, please explain:

Have you ever knowingly committed a crime? Do you have a criminal record? If yes, please explain:

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If you could describe yourself in only five words, which words would you choose?:

If you were given an order by a superior, to which you felt morally opposed, what would you do?:

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Player Nickname: Kels
Player Chatbox Name: KelseyLynnn
Playby: Benedict Cumberbatch

Full Name: Thomas Jonathan Ingram
Age: None Listed
Date of Birth: None Listed
Gender: Male
Position: None
House Number: None

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