#tpof thomas

I always like to look at just the lineart

It's obvious that Komodo and Dragon heavily look down on both Tom and Chamomile. I don't believe they personally respect either of them at all. To keep it short, it's most likely due to their views on pain and softness. Komodo and Dragon are firm believers that the world would be "fixed" if fewer people were ignorant to the pain surrounding them and accepted it instead.

Knowing that while also ignoring the entire concept of Derek's run for a second, it's clear that the two don't see Tom as an actual threat. During the "You paved the way for sacrifice" ending, Dragon refers to Tom as a "boy" despite being a year younger than him. They also refer to him as a "soft lamb" in the "You were sacrificed" ending (where he's called a boy again). They view him as a naive child instead of a grown, capable man. Komodo and Dragon use Tom's optimistic attitude, soft appearance, and very natural response to being abducted to belittle him.

I believe this is the reason Tom keeps his glasses throughout the entire game, even though they could potentially be used as a weapon (granted glasses aren't a very good weapon, especially not if Tom cannot see well while attacking with them. However, there are some ways they can be impactful if you get creative about it). Not only are Komodo and Dragon in a way better position than Tom is, but they also don't think he's actually able to cause any real harm. I doubt they ever saw him as a threat in the first place. If they did, I don't think they would've chosen him to be a potential sacrifice. They prioritize someone who is soft, gentle, probably weak, and likely to have a low pain tolerance. If someone has the potential to seriously harm them both, or more specifically Dragon because of how easily M/C caught Komodo off guard, then it proves their strength and ability to accept and endure physical pain. In that case, they wouldn't be as suitable for the ritual. Tom tends to run from pain and violence any chance he gets, making him a perfect choice. This is briefly seen in the "You escaped with friends" ending when Tom turns around because he doesn't want to watch M/C and Jaqueline murder Jack.

Another more obvious reason that Tom keeps his glasses is because he needs them to see. Without them, noticing the fissure water would be way more difficult. The water is hidden to give it a natural look, but it's not obvious enough to be noticeably placed there. It takes M/C two searches to discover it. I also like to think there's a small, circumstantial sign that hints at it being planted, although it'd be covered well. Komodo and Dragon may piggyback off their victims being desperate, careless, and afraid. They'd be less likely to inspect the water and surrounding area well enough to notice anything odd before diving into it.

At the same time though, Komodo and Dragon are taking somewhat of a risk with the poisoned water. Okay now stick with me here... In the "You were sacrificed" ending, Komodo says, "That stuff you got is really good. Look at them... They're trying so hard..." With the way Komodo speaks, he sounds almost shocked at how well it's working. It gives me the impression that the stuff they put in the water was new, and that they hadn't used it or tested it out until that moment. At the very least, Komodo hadn't. I've considered the possibility of Dragon testing it out, but I don't think that's the case either. For starters, Komodo and Dragon are "best friends" and partners in crime, so it wouldn't make much sense for Dragon to exclude Komodo from something as important as testing out the new stuff he's bought. On top of that, using it on a large animal may be helpful, but it's also wasteful. I doubt something that strong is cheap. Given all this, it's still a very real risk that the fissure water won't work as well as Komodo and Dragon are hoping it does. It's still possible it won't paralyze Tom well enough to keep him still and aware throughout the whole ritual. I don't believe Komodo or Dragon are stupid. I don't think they underestimate each other or their connections either. Even so, without having tested something before using it, you can never be 100% sure that it will do exactly what you want it to. Dragon and Komodo are both sure of themselves that the stuff they got will work (likely for a good reason), so they don't care about taking Tom's nonthreatening glasses off at any point. Besides, even if the fissure water did wear off, Dragon has more than enough strength to hold Tom down so the ritual can be finished. The most I believe this would do is make the ritual slightly less effective and a tad bit more difficult due to Tom's pathetic squirming. I don't believe it'd set the two back much nor render the ritual ineffective. Tom would still be terrified. He'd feel everything being done to him. It just wouldn't be as severe. His squirming would tire him down and his senses wouldn't be as intensified.