Reckless Chants #27: to resist despair
A text-heavy zine with some collages (+ a comic and a pull-out centerfold), Reckless Chants #27 includes pieces about growing up as a queer punk in a mid-sized Midwest city, favorite bands, old friends lost and found, Wisconsin and Chicago, disappointment and sadness, resisting despair, still believing in punk after all these years, and so much more. 52 pages, half-letter size. $5+$3 shipping (w/in the U.S.).
Available for purchase via:
ko-fi.com / rustbeltjessie
paypal.me / rustbeltjessie
Venmo: @ JessieLynnMcMains
If you live outside the U.S. and would like to order a copy, or would like to pay some other way, please contact me at coeur.de.fantome @ gmail.com. Also, if you run a shop or distro and would like to sell this zine (or any other zines I have available), I offer bulk/wholesale prices—please contact me!
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You don't need a lot of context for this. It's part of the Constellations AU, before the virus, before you start dating the DCA.
There's bits of worldbuilding in here for the fic, but genuinely I just wrote this because I miss playing the soup game and realize Moon absolutely would torment you and Sun both with random soup "facts".
"Did you know that the ocean is technically soup?"
You roll your eyes, resisting the urge to groan. "Moon, please tell me you're not on reddit again."
"You're the one with an account." Its voice is coming from behind and above, and you know if you turn around, Moon will be lounging across the arcade machines while you sweep up random bits of popcorn and other debris. "I am merely enjoying the breadth of knowledge humanity has to offer. Cereal is also soup."
"There's the breadth of human knowledge... and then there's reddit." You grab the dustpan, noticing Moon isn't scrolling; it's watching you. "What?"
"What?" Its faceplate twists til it is nearly upside down.
You feel for something to throw at Moon, finding your to do list and crumpling it in your hand. Your aim isn't the worst, and you manage to smack the edge of its smile. "Ha, got you!"
"Ah! I've been wounded!" Moon's face untwists as it dramatically drapes itself over the machines, your phone safely clutched in one hand. "You've killed me Star. My and Sun's deaths are at your hands."
"I gave you my phone to listen to music, not be given dubious soup facts. If you're going to be a nuisance, at least help me clean." You poke at Moon with the handle of your broom, nudging its arm.
"I can't help. I'm busy being dead." Moon's wheezy laugh is soft and short as you giggle.
"So I'm talking to a corpse?"
"Yes." Moon's eyes were dimmed, but one brightens as it peeks at you. "Clearly. For shame Starlight."
"All right." You lean up to pat its shoulder, then stretch to reach its hand. "Then I'm picking the music."
"Ah!" Moon's suddenly up and in the air, its cable snapping taut with the sudden weight. "No, we are choosing the music tonight"
"We? You're going to put on Frank Sinatra again no matter what Sun and I want to listen to." You have to find where your to do list landed, uncrumpling it against your cart. A tick goes next to sweep the main arcade, and the sheet is tucked next to your coffee while you move on.
"We have listened to other things."
"Sinatra covers don't count."
"Beatles covers do?"
"I'll throw my coffee at you."
"Naughty. You'll make a mess." Moon follows close behind, floating overhead by the cable while playing on your phone. As expected, Sinatra's soothing voice plays, a little tinny from the terrible quality of your phone's speakers. Moon is humming along, and you can't help but join in for a bar or two. You start cleaning again in the party rooms, taking advantage of the peace from Moon to work. If you're quick, you'll be able to study before it insists on a nap.
"They do not make pools sound particularly pleasant."
"Huh?"
"'Pools are human soup.' That sounds unappetizing."
You've found an abandoned gift bag, flipping it over in your hand to check out the trinkets inside. There's a temporary tattoo of Roxy -- her official design, not the one that resides in this plex. "That does sound gross. I don't swim much anyway. Too many public pool stories about pee to want to try."
"Lost and Found." Moon's hand snatches the gift bag from your hands.
"Hey! It's just a generic bag. No one's coming back for it." You try to take it back, but Moon holds it just out of reach. Annoying, tall, stickbug of a bot. It just has to stand straight to best you. "Moon."
"Me."
You give up on trying to get the bag, dropping back on your heels with a huff. "You're being extra annoying right now." Its eyes narrow as its faceplate rocks back and forth. "Is something eating you?"
"Wouldn't be very tasty."
"Moon."
"Still me."
"Did something happen?" Silence, though its eyes and smile remain thin. "Did something happen to Sun?" Its eyes widen briefly. "Ah." You grimace. "The assistants again. They did seem off earlier during clean up."
"She didn't want to worry you." Moon's tone is apologetic, its smile all but gone.
You nod. It's not like you have been exactly subtle in your dislike of the daycare assistants and their treatment of Sun and Moon, especially Sun. You sigh, letting all the negative feelings that suddenly cropped up out with it. In three, two, one, you'll be okay and not wanting to call the assistants assholes. They are assholes. But neither Sun nor Moon particularly cared to hear it.
"How about you help me gather up the trash to take out and we can spend the rest of my shift watching movies together?"
"Don't you have to study? And rest." Moon's ability to remember the details of your schedule would be offputting if it wasn't a robot.
You wave away the concern. "I've studied plenty before." Lie. "I should be fine." Lie. "And I always fall asleep during our movie binges. Come on, help me out Moony. For Sun?"
Moon's face tick tick ticks ever so slowly around, unspinning right before it's made a full three sixty degree turn. "For Sun," it finally agrees, and you grin.
"Excellent. I'll grab the trash and replace the bags if you can run it to the dumpster."
"Ah, the worst job. Thank you." You ignore Moon, rushing through the end of your task list so you can put your cart away. It's as you're draining the last of your coffee that Moon speaks up again.
"Coffee is bean soup."
It's close enough that you hit its faceplate dead center with the now empty styrofoam cup even as it laughs in sheer delight from the look on your face.
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