#Tom Moysten

[toshitophchan]

Even before the gang had truly gotten to know Elmo Zimmer the Third, they’d gotten to know his hair. His curly ginger haie meant he was a target for bullies all through primary school. Kids thought it was funny to say he had no soul and call him a wide variety of orange foods, but it wasn’t just that. Elmo had always kept his hair fairly short like all the other boys had, curled around his ears and remaining that way up to year seven. When Elmo was twelve however, he stopped cutting his hair suddenly. It grew long and it grew fast. By the time the kids had become teenagers, sixteen to be precise, Elmo’s curly ginger hair reached his lower back. It was definitely an odd look, no one was ever quite sure if it really worked or not, but despite a lot of teasing, Elmo’s hair remained stubbornly long. Elmo often wore it down, or in a messy ponytail that just screamed ‘I’m a dag.’ He didn’t seem to care about looking after it, but he never cut it.

“It’s so infuriating.” Richelle sighed one day at lunch, eyes fixated on her nails.

“What is?” Liz asked patiently after it became clear Richelle wasn’t going to elaborate.

“His hair,” Richelle yawned slightly. “It’s hideous.” Her eye flickered over to Elmo, sitting along, hair frantically flapping in the breeze that was lingering from winter.

“Looks like someone set his head on fire.” Tom laughed.

“Well if he likes it like that, then who are we to judge.” Sunny said firmly and that was the end of that conversation. Sunny had that sort of power within the group, when she talked, people listened. Still, they kept shooting glances over at the teen throughout the day.

The next day, Nick stumbled across Elmo in the boy’s bathroom with a pair of those cheap blue handled scissors every classroom had in his hands. His eyes were slightly red like he’d cried briefly or encountered something he was allergic to.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa.” Nick’s mind flew to one conclusion. “Hey buddy, do you wanna put the scissors down.”

Elmo spun at the sound of his voice, staring first at the stationary in his hands, then at Nick, eyes wide with confusion.

“Um…I’m just trying to cut some gum out my hair.” Elmo chewed his lip nervously. He turned slightly to show off the tangled wad. “I do it all the time, it’s not going to go wrong.”

“Oh,” Nick willed his cheeks not to flame out of embarrassment. “Wait, you do it often?”

“Well yeah,” Elmo shuffled his feet. “I mean this curly mop of hair is just asking to be targeted.”

“Oh, right.” Nick turned and left the bathroom. He didn’t know what else to say. He needed to pee but it was more awkward to stay.

He waited outside the door however, ear pressed against the cheap wood in an attempt to eavesdrop. He heard the faint sounds of scissors snipping and then Elmo sighed loudly and footsteps approached the exit. Nick darted away, round a corner and out of sight. He didn’t want Elmo to know that he’d been hanging around and listening in.

He peered round the corner cautiously when he didn’t hear Elmo coming towards him. He spotted the boy leaning against the wall, head buried in his hands. His shoulders shook with…sobs? He was probably trying to compose himself, but why not do it in the privacy of the bathroom?

Then, Nick saw that Elmo was laughing. Giggling. Snorting as he tried to be quiet. Something in Nick told him that Elmo was laughing at him. He couldn’t be sure though- it was just a feeling. He could always ask, but Nick also had the feeling that he’d overstepped some sort of invisible boundary today. He’d reacted like a dumb idiot, implying that Elmo was about to commit suicide in the bathroom and not perform a hasty hair cut.

Damn.

Nick turned and stalked away. He wouldn’t make the same mistake twice.

No more fraternizing with Elmo Zimmer the weird.

Roddacember 2024 Day 2 | Feels Good Activity

This is the start of an incredibly indulgent Nick x Elmo Teen power Inc fic I've been writing for like, 5 years at this point. I'm not writing it for anybody but myself really (this is the first time I've posted anything about it), and it's a total feel good piece of work I tap away at whenever I'm in the mood. Happy Feels Good Roddacember!!!!!

[julieverne]

'Something's missing,' I said, looking around at the gang. They were all there, Liz in a godawful jumper she'd made herself, Tom with his ankles and wrists hanging out of his jeans and skivvy, sketching in his notepad, Richelle sitting on a log she'd made sure was dry, green fluffy jacket matching her eyes as she examined her nails, Elmo lying on the ground, looking up at the sky, messy hair covered in leaves as he pulled out his own notepad to write, Sunny bench pressing a goose she'd found somewhere. I lowered my Ray Bans and adjusted my Billabong logo on my hoodie so it was more visible.

'We don't have a job,' Richelle said flatly. 'Or any money.'

'No, something's missing, and it has been for a while. We're not working together as a team. We need to get it together.'

'We tried your stupid uniforms,' Richelle spat, still clearly resentful.

'I mean it. We should... I don't know.'

'Go on a business retreat?' Tom asked lightly. He always knew how to get under my skin, so effortlessly annoying.

'Not exactly. But there is an after-school cricket game. Maybe we could try out?'

'We barely have time after all our jobs, schoolwork and chores to even enjoy ourselves,' Richelle said scathingly. She hated anything that might get her dirty.

'I wouldn't mind, now and then, but they'd need a schedule, and we have to pick up work as we get it,' Liz's anxious face peered up at me.

'I wouldn't mind, but I'm still banned from the oval, remember?' Tom said. I did remember. I shuddered at the very memory of the events that had occured to get Tom banned.

'I'm not exactly athletic,' Elmo said apologetically. 'I'd come, but I'd never make the team.'

'And I'm already on the soccer, footy and lacrosse teams. They won't let me try out for any more,' Sunny said. The goose had wandered away, and Sunny was now doing chinups on a handy branch.

'You don't even listen to the cricket,' Elmo said, remembering long mornings at The Pen, the Ashes playing in the background as we stumbled our way through to dawn.

'I just thought it'd be fun,' I mumbled, glad of my sunglasses.

'Adam has a set, and the park is pretty empty. He and Jonathon will want to come along though,' Tom said, getting to his feet and stretching, stretching, stretching. He'd had another growth spurt.

'Pete would be keen, is that enough? We can switch sides. Can Jason come too? Maybe Tiffany?' Liz asked Richelle, and Sunny dropped suddenly from the tree, following Tom back to his house to help carry Adam's cricket set. Elmo got to his feet, brushing himself off, missing half the leaves that were caught in his hair. I reached over and brushed his head, halfway between a noogie and a pat.

'You can keep score,' Liz said, heading towards her house to collect her brother, and probably the giant beast she lived with to cheat with the fielding.

'You can play,' I told Elmo firmly, and he smiled wonkily at me, adjusting his glasses while the others collected their siblings.

'I get lonely too,' Elmo said quietly. I forgot how observant he could be. I shoved his shoulder, but gently, and he didn't flinch, just rolled with it as we headed for the oval, Tom's brothers already screaming fit to wake the dead.

'If the others ask, it's team building,' I said from the side of my mouth, running forward to catch the ball Tom was throwing at us. Elmo followed, laughing, tackled to his knees by Adam and Jonathon, Pete and Christo jumping on top. I helped Tom with the wickets, because Tiffany had for some reason decided to join us, and Sunny immediately became all thumbs.

It wasn't enough people for two teams, and the littles needed a hand to bat, so we swapped out. I almost had a six when Christo caught me for 12-out, and Tom ran around with his arms out cheering. Sunny was at a definite disadvantage today, and she went out LBW.

The streetlights came on, and all the younger siblings knew that was hometime. I looked out over the dusk in the park, sun setting over the trees, and Tom came over, carrying three bats and the wickets.

'You were right,' Tom said. 'But if you ever tell anyone I said that, they'd never believe you.' He ran off after his brothers, probably earning himself a scolding for keeping them out late.

Christo dropped a ball at my feet, and I walked him over to where Liz and Pete were heading home, Sunny, Tiff and Richelle having melted away into twilight together, Elmo following us.

'Thanks, Nick,' Liz said, smiling up at me. She might be a dork, but she's a nice dork. 'We should do that more often. When we don't have work. What a great team-building exercise.' she took Christo from me and hurried home. I turned to Elmo.

'The Pen will have coffee,' he said, knowing all our pockets were light. He started walking, then turned back, hands in his pockets, hair catching the last of the sun's golden light. 'You coming?' He asked, and I nodded, smiling. Something had been missing, and here it was.

[renegade-inator]

happy new year! ♥

[arieskei]

hello nonexistant teen power inc fans

[sunlit-music]

Teen Power Inc mystery book series.

The Sorceror’s Apprentice. Point of view character and protagonist for this book: Tom Moysten. Written by Emily Rodda. Read aloud by Rebecca Macauley.

You can listen to this great book on the audible app. Audible books can be bought on the amazon website.

Printed paperback books from the Teen Power Inc book series can be bought on these websites: amazon, booktopia and world of books.

[snarkybratpowerinc]

tom moysten has strong shane madej energy

GALAXY BRAIN take and I don't know how I didn't make that connection before. I'd love to see him reenact the goatman episode lmao

[toshitophchan]

I just want to talk about Teen Power Inc for a sec because these kids are loyal to a fault and it’s absolutely amazing. I know the running joke behind the series is that the six of them fight a lot, and do they really like each other? They tried to drown Tom that one time, remember? (Never mind that it was an accident). And they insult each other a lot and so on, so forth.

But honestly I don’t want to always look at the series like that. Because for me, the enjoyment comes from how strong of a bond Liz, Tom, Richelle, Elmo, Sunny and Nick do have. I love the clever mysteries and the creative characters as well, but the heart of the story is these six kids and how much love and loyalty they have for each other.

Every time a near death situation pops up, those kids don’t even think for a second about turning tail and leaving anyone behind. Sunny gets Liz out of a burning building before thinking about herself. Nick and Richelle go through hell together in the back of a kidnappers van, and it sucks but they have each other. A crazed man threatens to break Elmo’s neck, and Liz cries and pleads with him not to hurt Elmo, even if it might mean she gets hurt instead. Sunny faces down a woman with a gun so her friends won’t get burnt alive. Tom puts himself into the craziest, dangerous of situations so his friends can be safe and the mystery can be solved. Elmo and Tom pull their friends from a well. Richelle kicks a guy in the face before he can get to her and Nick. Elmo runs towards a bomb for his dad, and his friends run with him. Nick goes into the literal belly of the beast to save the rest of the gang. 

Time and time again these guys risk everything for each other. They get shot at and they get beat up and they think they’re going to die, and they do it all together, always. Elmo’s going into a creepy building to find his cat? Not on his own he’s not. A thief has some of the gang tied up in a house but the chance for Nick to escape is there? Don’t even think for a second he’s going to take it? Elmo gets pushed into traffic, Sunny’s pulling him right back. Tom is lunged at by a guy who already beat him up once, nobody’s letting him get any closer. Liz is taken hostage by a plant thief (look it’s a great book), then the others are right behind her. They are so loyal it’s insane, and that’s what I want to talk about more. I think I’m tired of the narrative that they don’t like each other. They love each other. And maybe it’s stupid how many times they put themselves in danger for the others, but it’s honest and it’s true and it’s why they’re friends. 

It’s why I love this series so much. 

Roddacember Day 15 | Loyalty

[toshitophchan]

Roddacember Day 19 (late to the party again)

Underrated character/moment 

Gonna be honest here (and also break the rules a little) and say that Teen Power Inc and all its characters are criminally underrated. It is such a fun, refreshing series and I enjoy how easy it is to read the books and enjoy them. They are super old and hard to find which is probably why more people don’t know about them, but I wish they could have a little, re-surge of popularity. 

Teen Power Inc is a great series because its Australian kids getting up to mischief in a very serious ‘life usually in danger’ kind of way that makes it a delight to read. Reading them is very nostalgic for me even if I only had about 4 of them as a young kid. There’s just something so nice about visiting a series about your home country where kids are kids and there’s no stupid romance or needless drama. When I don’t know what to read, I can just grab one of these and have an amazing adventure with well developed characters, an interesting mystery and great humour that still has me laughing out loud. I highly recommend this as a great, fun series who want to know Emily Rodda’s roots in story telling. (Also this would make an amazing TV series can someone get on this

Art of Elmo, Liz, Richelle and Tom by @kaburaging​ and posted with his permission